When it comes to making money online, most of us have the same aim in mind: to get as many new clients as possible as fast and painlessly as possible.
And it wouldn't hurt if we could do it without spending a fortune!
These are lofty goals, to be sure, but they are extremely feasible if you stick to a tried-and-true plan of action and are attentive.
Today we'll look at one of the simplest and most dependable methods for acquiring new clients at absolutely no cost.
I'm referring to content marketing.
Providing beneficial material before asking for the sale, whether you call it content marketing, article marketing, or curation, is effective.
It is, in my opinion, the most effective internet method of acquiring new clients.
That's saying a lot coming from the owner of the Directory of Ezines, one of the top internet tools for sponsored advertising.
But I still believe that content marketing is the most effective online marketing strategy, and that you should start using it right away if you aren't already.
There are five reasons why I feel content marketing is the most effective strategy to acquire new customers.
I'll list them below.
But, before we get there, there's something more you should know.
Content marketing GENERATES BETTER CUSTOMERS AS WELL!
Why would customers sourced through content marketing be "better" than customers sourced through cold sources?
Reason 1 - They recognize your voice.
When you perform content marketing, you are authoring articles, curating, or offering useful free material in some other way.
Because your possible new consumer has the opportunity to consume the material you provide before being prompted to purchase, they can come to know you better.
And after people get to know you, they'll enjoy what they see.
They will have faith in you.
And when they have faith in you, they will not only buy from you, but will also refer their friends to your website.
This is a win-win situation!
Reason 2 - They have faith in you.
Did you know that there is only one way to establish genuine trust?
I'm not talking about the phony "believe me" vibe that comes from all of the "testimonials" on the internet.
Or the manipulated screenshots of yet another Clickbank account that has gone from $0 to $7000 per day.
I'm referring to genuine trust.
In my opinion, the only way to establish genuine trust is to do something for someone else without expecting anything in return.
Yes, it's the age-old Golden Rule.
When you use content marketing, whether it's article marketing, curation, or webinars, you're giving before you expect to be given.
What is the most effective type of content marketing?
Articles, webinars, one-on-one communication, and other content that never contains a sales pitch.
It can only give.
Reason 3 - They've already taken the first step.
When you use content marketing to offer before you get, you allow the buyer to take the initial step.
This is critical.
Nobody wants to be shoved.
Nobody hates to be squeezed, pressured, or bothered.
People will buy in record numbers when they see what they desire.
But you must allow them to attend the celebration rather than forcing them in.
And you accomplish this by providing the finest material possible without asking for anything in return.
To put it another way, content marketing!
Reason 4 – They have already been sold.
Site Sell became well-known for the notion of pre-selling many years ago.
Ken Evoy was (and still is) a genius and an early adopter of content marketing.
Today, sites like Copyblogger have advanced the cause of pre-selling using content to the tune of millions of dollars in product sales each year.
Can you guess what Copyblogger sells?
Don't worry if you couldn't.
That is on purpose.
Brian Clark and the rest of the Copyblogger team would like that when you think of Copyblogger, you immediately think of fantastic free material.
They know you'll buy what they have when you need it, and you'll probably buy it from them because their content has already sold you.
It certainly had an effect on me.
For years, I've been a satisfied Copyblogger customer.
Reason 5 – They have chosen themselves.
Do you want to know the secret to selling things?
It's not a secret, but it's potent.
In a nutshell, here it is.
People purchase what they desire.
So simple that it sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?
But it's correct.
Everyone, including you and me, buys what we want to buy.
Want, not need.
So the secret is to entice them to buy from you, right?
To put it another way, make them want it.
Wrong.
The fact is, you can't make someone want to do anything.
What you can do is:
• Explain the benefits that the individual will receive if they do what you want them to do and let them make the decision.
• You can persuade them that acting immediately is in their best interests.
• You can reassure them by pointing out that others have taken similar steps and had positive results.
• You may reassure them that you have moved the burden of risk from them to you by providing a robust guarantee.
• You can provide them with a wealth of free information to demonstrate that you know what you're doing.
You are capable of doing all of these things and more.
But you can't really force them to do anything.
Very easy – very effective.
And a lot easier on you.
Why make things simpler?
Because you can now focus on serving others rather than trying to persuade someone to do something you want them to do.
Zig Ziglar was correct — if you help enough other people get what they want, you can have whatever you want.
If you just remember one item from this article, make it this.
People that want to buy from you will do so without you having to coerce them.
In fact, because they choose you, that person will be the best customer you've ever had.
Which is just a fancy way of stating you let people make their own decision rather than trying to pressure, persuade, or cajole them into buying.
So there you have it: five reasons why content marketing helps you get more customers and better customers.
I'm hoping you're doing some content marketing today.
If you aren't, think of curating as your first step.
It's the simplest method to get started with content marketing, and I have several articles to help you right here on the site.
When you start building your content marketing empire, you will discover that you can get more done in less time and that you can create happy recurring clients who appreciate you and want to hear more from you.