The key to effective online content writing lies in shifting the focus from the writer's ego to the reader's ego. This fundamental principle of marketing is often overlooked in the digital realm. This article will delve into the importance of this rule and provide practical examples of its application.
One day, I received an email from a person who had stumbled upon my name on a website while searching for marketing materials on the internet. He requested feedback on his website, which was essentially a sales letter. The headline lacked any appeal to the reader's ego, a crucial element in online content.
Offline, a hard-sell headline might work, but online, it's a different story. Online content that is overly sales-oriented can be off-putting. If you consider your reader's ego, you wouldn't post such heavy-handed content. Instead, you would provide them with valuable information they can use.
For instance, I would rewrite this person's website as a special report on the rise of e-books in the new millennium, offering tips on how to write your own e-books. The key is to appeal to the reader's interests, which will eventually lead them to show interest in yours.
Another example came from an individual who was not a copywriter but was trying to write copy to sell his information product. He asked for feedback on his website. The problem was the same as the previous example - the content was written from the perspective of someone trying to make a sale.
To transform this or any other website, consider what your reader wants to see, not what you want to sell. I would rewrite this person's website as a news release or a special report on "The Top 10 New Ways to Make Money Online," with his product being one of the ways. This approach subtly plugs your product or service within a story of genuine news.
Examples of websites that effectively use this copywriting principle include eBay and Amazon. Both sites focus on the user, making it easy for visitors to find what interests them.
I recently visited eTour, a site that brings websites to you based on your interests. The sites I encountered were all useful and devoid of any salesy ego.
So, how does one make money online while creating ego-less websites that focus on the visitor and do minimal selling? The answer lies in the concept of Hidden Selling. This is a strategy used by good publicity or "cause public relations" people. They engage you in something you want to know about and sell to you subtly.
This is similar to what Hallmark Cards does when they sponsor a movie. You tune in to watch the movie, not their commercials. However, as you watch the movie, you are also exposed to their commercials. Good websites do the same - they offer what you want and sell to you quietly by focusing on serving you, not selling to you.
In conclusion, you'll create better content on your websites if you focus on your visitor's ego, not yours. By serving them instead of selling to them, you will ironically end up selling to them.
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