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10 Direct Marketing Principles You Can Apply to Your Blog Right Now 2 points posted about 1 year ago |
Whether you apply it through e-mail, direct response advertising, online banner ads, Web site-to-Web site selling or the like, direct marketing on the Internet can do wonders for your business. CLICK THE LINK ABOVE to read the FULL ARTICLE. |
Direct marketing works on the Internet.
Whether you apply it through e-mail, direct response advertising, online banner ads, Web site-to-Web site selling or the like, direct marketing principles on the Internet can do wonders for your business.
The question is, will direct marketing work on your blog? The answer is a resounding yes. Here are some direct marketing principles that you can apply to your blog to produce impressive results.
1. Start with a Bang
Studies indicate that a print ad with a compelling headline is 70% more effective at drawing prospective customers than print ads without compelling headlines. The same is true for your blog. There is nothing more important on your blog post than your title, so make sure you say something that your target audience will really appreciate. A compelling title will attract more people to your blog than anything else.
2. Have a Strong Opening Paragraph
After your title, your opening paragraph is the second most important part of your blog post. A powerful title will draw people's attention and a well-crafted opening paragraph will make sure that they read your blog until the very end. You can start with a question, an anecdote or quote as well as an analogy, metaphor or interesting factoid. But whatever you do, make sure you start strong.
3. Close with Purpose
Of course, the third most important part of your blog post is your closing. One of the most effective ways to close a post is to refer back to your opening. For a business-related blog, the best close is one that leaves your audience with something to think about, especially if it improves the chances of selling your product.
4. Appeal to your current customers
Most of us have the tendency to craft our blogs in a way that appeals to new visitors to the site. Certainly, we want to make newcomers feel at home so that they become regular visitors. However, your blog will be more effective if it engages your current customers. After all, studies indicate that 20% of your current customers will account for 80% of you repeat business. Your current customers are worth their weight in gold, so treat them accordingly.
5. Give away free gifts
To help spur your sales, use your blog to give away free gifts for special orders. Giving free gifts are more effective than giving discounts, especially if the gift caters to their self-interest. Running a raffle on your blog is another good idea. Studies show that offers that are supported by raffles produce 50% more results.
6. Good copy sells
Since your blog is also a marketing tool, this principle for direct mail should apply to your blog as well: the success of your sales effort is directly related to how long your prospects read your copy. If they read your blog until the very end, then you have a chance of making a sale.
7. Feature your best sellers
Finding a way to talk about your best-selling products on occasion (or even featuring their photos on your blog) can help push your sales, especially among non-customers and first-time visitors. Your best sellers are the gems of your product line, and they sell well because they succeed at attracting customers. Put this principle to work in your blog as well.
8. Use your blog to develop great ideas
Encouraging your employees to comment on your blog is a good way to get new ideas. Better yet, get them to write their own company "idea" blogs. Perhaps you can even offer a bonus to employees who come up with great ideas. Great ideas sometimes come from the most unexpected places. Encouraging your people to blog opens the door for the unexpected to happen. In many instances, company blogs have given birth to great ideas that cut costs, increase revenues, strengthen marketing and motivate personnel.
9. Use your blog to develop great products
Now that you have a source for ideas, the next move is to find out which of these great ideas can be transformed into great products. To develop an idea, use your blog and throw it back to your entire blog readership (your consumers) and see what they think. Since they will be its end-users, they will likely have a lot to say. This feedback will give you and your product specialists clear insight into what exactly your consumers want.
10. Use your blog to strengthen your team
A team that works effectively together is an asset to any company, whether big or small. One intangible element that can make or break a team is its inability to find a common ground or develop common goals and interests. By encouraging your people to blog, you can find the people who share important things in common, such as backgrounds, interests and passions. Group teams together and issue internal challenges or opportunities that allow them to work as a team and put their comments in their blogs. This is one way where you can find out which people and teams fit well together.
Direct marketing principles put the Internet on steroids.
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