The Three Ingredients That Make YOUR Content King	Visited: 3433 1.0/5.0 (4 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by Joshua Rose January 27, 2003

When you watch television, do you change channels during the commercials? If you do, you're "tuning out" the ads and are instead looking for "content" of interest.

Reason? You're really not very interested in being sold.

Are you reading this right now because you're looking for a new product to buy? Doubtful. It's much more likely you're looking for "information" that will solve a problem or help you in some way.

After all, the net has been dubbed the "Information Super Highway".

And just as people usually don't turn on the TV to watch the ads, they also don't get online to search for your ezine ad ... or the sales pitch in your newsletter ... or the one on your website.

The fact is, your web business is in a constant battle with
the typical consumer's "tune-out" antenna.

This is why, unless you are already 'branded' as a credible expert, directly promoting your sales page for a product or service rarely leads to consistent sales.
Yet, you need to sell your product or service ... and that IS the goal of your sales page. The problem is, how do you get people to sit still and read it if they don't want to be sold?

The answer is to get them "ready" before they even get there. In fact, you can make them actually "eager" to read it. It's these "prepared" visitors who will drive your sales ratio to new heights.How do you do this? By providing (and promoting) the exact
content or information your prospects are seeking. But not just any topic specific content will do.

* First, it must be "Outstanding".

Whether this content is provided on your website, or as an ebook or report, it has to be so good that readers respond by thinking, "Gee, I would have paid something for this".

When you have them saying that, you know you are building" credibility". And when they've been suitably impressed, they'll become much more interested in "how else" you can help them ... even at a price.

* Second, it must be "Original".

You need to be the one responsible for providing the excellent content. You can't be the messenger on this ... you need to be the source.

For example, using other people's articles as content on your site, while perhaps being both useful to your visitors and helpful in gaining additional search engine traffic, is not building your credibility, it's building the author's.

The same goes for using someone elses ebook as a giveaway,
even if branded with your own links. Or, using someone else's content in a fr^e report.Whatever vehicles you choose to provide the top-notch information your market niche is truly seeking, it must be YOUR OWN original content to reap the rewards.

* Third, it must also "Lead" the reader.

Your content has another vitally important purpose ... and that is to lead the reader where you'd like them to go.

Would you like to get them to a particular sales page?
Would you like them to subscribe to your newsletter?What is the action you want them to take?

If your content is indeed unique, strong and valuable, you can avoid using an ad altogether. You can more effectively accomplish your "lead" goal by fitting your key sales links in a natural, flowing style within the content itself, as text links. No ad ... no "tune out".

When you've created credibility from your outstanding and valuable content, your prospects are much more likely to click on your text link. NOW they see it as a potentially valuable source of exactly the information they are looking for.Information is really the name of the game on the Internet. Provide original, valuable content ... which also leads the reader ... and your prospects will start "tuning in" like never before.

Copyright © 2003 Joshua Rose