Developing Your Writing Skills
As an affiliate marketer you can't simply send people to your affiliate links, that never works, but surprisingly enough lots of affiliate marketers operate that way.
A much more effective affiliate strategy is to write compelling copy that compels your readers to buy by demonstrating product benefits and using emotional triggers.
If you've ever read "Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale", you'll know what I mean. The book is excellent, it's where I get most of my ideas for writing copy that sells ;-)
Here's what building on emotions means. Let's take for example that you are promoting vitamins. Your job is to sell your readers on why they need them. You'll want to stress what vitamins can do for them, how they provide energy and promote overall health. You want to help the reader really feel the emotions they experience when thinking about vitamins.
If you can get them excited about using vitamins and the benefits they'll experience from them they will be more likely to click on your link. That's all you really want them to do, click on your link. The actual getting them to buy is the job of your affiliate program sales letter, that's why examining your affiliate programs, their product and their sales information is so important.
Do you see the difference in your job verses the affiliate site's job?
So being able to write compelling and motivational copy is key. But you also want to build trust with your reader. Sounding salesy and pushy won't help you. You must make them feel that you have their best interest in mind, and as a good marketer you should have viewers best interest at heart. Focusing only on 'what's in it for you' is a mistake.
Remember this... your readers are always thinking 'What's in it for me', that's all they care about, so pointing them to links, products or whatever it is in order to get you a sale will be obvious to them and they'll drop you like a hot potato.
Recommended Reading...
The following guides are what I use as references to not only help me make more sales but help with persuasion skills. These are all excellent guides...
Net writing Masters Course By Ken Evoy - A FREE yet very comprehensive course for writing copy that pre-sells. Excellent guide.
Make your Content Presell by Ken Evoy - If you think you can't write this guide breaks down the "I can't write" barrier-mindset. This book is also free and excellent.
Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale - Joe shows you how to write irresistibly, that means writing clear and concise copy that your readers remember and act on. But you will also learn the strategies for keeping your readers focused and interested and totally absorbed in your writing. You'll become a much better communicator thus much better at persuasion.
Turn your Words into Traffic by Jim Edwards - This shows you how to use your words wisely but it's also a great traffic strategy. I liked it so I thought I'd include it :-)
Instant Sales Letters by Yanik Silver - These instant sales letters are perfect for selling your own products but they also work for affiliate marketers pre-sales efforts as well. They instantly create compelling copy for your affiliate site without actually writing them yourself. This is software that automatically creates sales copy for you based on questions you answer. If you're in a hurry they speed up the learning curve :-)
Until Next time,
Your Partner
in Success,
Elizabeth