Whether you are an affiliate trying to sell Amazon products, or you make your own informational products, or you have a content site monetized with Adsense, in the end you are a marketer. You need to market your products, your website and even yourself if you want to be successful in any industry. Make 2014 the best year ever by improving your marketing decisions. The following five marketing mistakes are made by millions of people, and if you can avoid them, you'll always be a step ahead of the competition.
Simple Subject Lines & Headings
The subject line of an email, like the heading of an article, is the first thing that people see. It has been shown in dozens of studies that a good subject line or headline can dramatically improve the number of people who click on a link or open an email. Many marketers make the mistake of simply writing these items based on the first thing that comes to mind in relation to the topic. This is a HUGE mistake. Instead, think of the reader when writing your subject lines or headlines.
In many cases, for example, simply rewording a line to be a question can improve your results significantly. Using a little bit of controversy in a title can be another effective strategy. Take the time to figure out what types of headlines and subject lines are most effective for your audience. You'll be shocked at the improved response you will get.
Stop Selling
When interacting with customers or potential customers through email marketing, social media or even your
website, you shouldn't be constantly trying to sell to them. If every time they hear from you they are asked tobuy something, they will quickly be turned off. Instead, provide the people you interact with some sort of value without asking them to buy anything. This could be an informational blog post or a free report or any number of other things. Only about one out of every five or ten interactions (at the most) should ever be asking people to make a purchase.
Ask for the Sale Directly
On the opposite end of the spectrum as the last tip, many people make the mistake of trying to 'passively' sell their products. If you're sending out an email that has a link to your new eBook you're promoting, let them know that it is there and you want them to buy it! When you're only trying to make a sale occasionally, you don't have to be afraid to directly ask for it.
Rather than saying something like, "I've recently put out a new eBook about marketing opportunities. If you happen to be interested, click here," for example, you could say something much more powerful, such as "I'm excited to be able to announce that I've just published my next eBook, and it is my best one yet! Click HERE to get your copy now!" The second one is much more likely to generate sales, and it has been shown that this type of language doesn't cause people to unsubscribe from lists or stop following brands on social media sites.
Don't be a Stranger
If you only interact with your customers every few weeks, or months, you are missing out on a huge marketing opportunity. The most effective marketing is building a strong relationship with your customers and followers, and this means frequent interaction. They should be interacting with you at least a couple times per week whenever possible. This could come in the form of an email, a Facebook update or any number of other things. Keep yourself in front of the customers and when you are ready to sell them something, they will be much more likely to make a purchase.
Focusing on One Traffic Source
The last marketing mistake many people make is focusing exclusively on either paid traffic sources, or organic sources. Many people put all their energy (and marketing budgets) into running PPC advertisements. While this can be effective, you are missing out on the long term benefits of SEO and organic search results. On the other hand, lots of people are always busy trying to perfect their SEO strategies to generate organic results, and miss out on the ultra-targeted traffic opportunities that really only come from paid marketing. Using a little bit of both will get you in front of a larger audience, and ensure you have excellent long term results.