Take a minute and think about the number of methods companies use to attract your interest.
Billboards ... Mailers ... Classified ads ... Commercials ... E-mails ... Banner ads ... Newspaper ads ...
Advertising has gotten to the point to where many times we don't even notice the product, while other times it's too obvious to miss.
Take, for instance, product placement in television programs. You can’t watch five minutes of American Idol without seeing some reference to Coke or Ford. Countless brands – Burger King, Crest, Domino’s – have capitalized on the success of The Apprentice by having their products featured as part of the team challenges.
One of the reasons we're seeing so much product placement is that consumers now have the option of tuning out commercials, thanks to the invention of digital video recorders ... but that's a separate article for another time.
The above examples are just a small sampling of the sources companies are employing to attract prospects. Unfortunately, though, many advertising methods are used so much that people often put up a mental defense wall when they see them, especially when they're accompanied by a sales pitch. Once you've overwhelmed your prospect with a sales pitch, building trust is nearly impossible.
Think about car sales. Oftentimes, an advertisement will get a prospect into a dealership. Once there, if the prospect inquires about the ad, he is often met by a sales person who will sometimes spend hours trying to build trust with that prospect. But all the salesperson is really doing is overwhelming the customers. Is that really the best way to calm fears and increase credibility?
I'm sure you’ve heard a similar high-pressured, full-court-press sales pitch before. How did it make you feel? I'm guessing when you realized a sales pitch was coming you put up your defenses and tuned out.
Now I'm not saying traditional advertising or sales techniques don't work. They do.
The point I want to get across is that there is an easier solution requiring less effort, and it will establish your credibility with nearly every prospect you contact. In fact, this technique will nearly eliminate all fears prospects have about working with you. I'll even go as far as to say you will establish these two trust-building factors with prospects the instant you use this marketing technique.
What is it?
The most effective way I know for building trust, establishing your credibility, and eliminating prospects' fears is publishing and promoting free articles written by you.
So how can you do this?
Easy.
What are the most frequent questions prospects ask you? Start keeping track. Each answer is an opportunity for an article. By presenting to prospects the information they're looking for, you'll put them at ease.
Need proof this works?
How many times have you purchased a product simply because it was recommended in something you read?
It happens all the time, right?
Pick up a newspaper or your favorite magazine. Do you trust the information your read in the ads more than what's included in the articles? You already know the ads are selling you something, but the articles present information in an educational format. There's no sales pitch.
As a result, most people believe what they read in articles more than ads.
We live in a knowledge-based society that craves valuable information. Your articles provide what people want. What's more, when prospects see you're offering free information that interests them, they will come back time and time again. In essence, you'll develop relationships without actually meeting anyone face to face.
Here’s an added bonus ...
Publishing articles online will boost your search engine ranking, making you more accessible to prospects who search terms related to your industry. Search engines love content-rich sites that are updated often. Furthermore, the more you have other sites linking back to your site, the better chances you have for higher search engine ranking.
So, in addition to posting your articles on your own website, find other sites where you can post and include a link back to your site.
Need some help finding some? Here are four search engine friendly sites that will allow you to post articles for free:
Article Hut: www.article-hut.com
EzineArticles.com: www.ezinearticles.com
Approved Articles: www.approvedarticles.com
Articlesbase: www.articlesbase.com
If you haven’t done so already, create a blog for posting your articles. There are multiple ways for creating your first blog -- one of the easiest options is Blogger. Best of all, it's free.
Here's a simple way to get your free blog online in about 5 minutes:
Visit www.blogger.com.
If you already have a Google account, sign in. If not, click on the orange arrow to set up your account.
Name your blog and create the URL (e.g., www.newblog.blogspot.com).
Choose your favorite template and click “Save Template.”
Click on “New Post” and paste in your article.
When the formatting is the way you like it, click “Publish Post.”
Congratulations! You officially have a blog.
Once your blog is online, be sure to visit www.technorati.com to “claim” your blog. This will help with your search engine ranking and make it easier for online visitors to find your postings.
