Marketing Newsflash: They’re Called Oranges For A Reason!
Marketing made easy with some quick simple tips.
Let’s say you’re selling oranges. You wouldn’t go and paint them blue now, would you? It just seems like poor marketing.
The same rule applies to writing.
An article about childhood lemonade stands titled, “7 Best Dog Breeds for Companionship,” isn’t going to have the best reader retention.
Because it’s a lie!
Clickbait that doesn’t deliver is going to rub your readers the wrong way.
False advertising, bad marketing, whatever you want to call it, wastes people’s time. Burning up the readers’ most valuable resource is a bad idea.
Start with some solid marketing that can be made easy with a few tricks.
Newsflash: Oranges aren’t blue
Duh!
It may not seem as obvious as a blue orange, but in terms of marketing our words, we must be brutally honest.
Readers love honesty. I like to think of it as the currency of online blogging.
Whether you are a reader or a writer, honesty is king. A post with an attention-grabbing, curiosity-provoking headline that doesn’t deliver on the promise of the title is like opening your pizza box only to find that it’s empty.
We as writers provide value to our readers by using proper marketing to deliver that value.
No one wants your blue orange, I’m sorry.
Marketing Rule #1: Acceptable clickbait does exist
I’m not a huge fan of the term “clickbait.”
It’s gotten a bad reputation over the years. Clickbait doesn’t have to be bad.
It can be so good that your article goes viral and gets more reads. I’ve touched on it before, but proper headlines are essential. It either gets your reader clicking or gets em’ scrolling.
We want them clicking, so here’s what you gotta do:
Evoke emotion.
But how?
You need to use words that pique the readers’ interests. Take a look at my most viral article.
It’s called, “My Secret Superpower for Ultimate Self-Improvement.”
I was unaware that this would turn into a title template, but check this out.
Right off the bat, the reader is experiencing the fear of missing out because now they want to know the secret. Also, the words ‘superpower’ and ‘ultimate’ have strong connotations that will grab anyone’s attention.
You may have noticed, I did not tell them exactly what the secret superpower is. They have to click on the article to find out.
Next time you sit down to write, start with the headline and use some thought-provoking words. You want to make the reader curious and thirsty for more.
Marketing Rule #2: People SEE before they read
This is an absolute MUST.
You have to use visuals; good ones. Not no itty-bitty, pixel-crowded picture.
I, myself wouldn’t say so, but some would argue that it’s more important than then that headline you worked so hard for.
After taking a look at some of the most successful online writers, I noticed something huge. Every single one of them uses visually appealing images.
Not just that, but ones that stand out. Big time.
A lot of writers and myself included spend a lot of time finding the perfect image that directly corresponds with the article. The big shots always use cool images, but they don’t always exactly relate to the article.
Then it hit me.
They make us relate the image to the article. Our brains are the ones that say, “Oh yeah, this fits, let’s read on.”
That doesn’t mean finding the brightest, most flashy picture possible is a good idea. Here’s an example of an image I used for a headline titled, “The 3 Index Funds That Will Set You Financially Free.”
I’ve even noticed this specific color (the aqua-green) on several posts from these famous writers.
Notice how it has absolutely nothing to do with finance, let alone index funds. What it does have to do with, however, is freedom. The emotion of relief, personal relinquishment, and freedom all exude from this one photograph.
Plus, it looks great!
Don’t go too crazy with your cover images. Give the people what they want and let them see before they read!
Dirty little secret: The blue orange is what inspired me to write this article itself.
Marketing Rule #3: Nitty-gritty SEO is powerful
I’m sure you never saw this coming.
Search engine optimization, who knew.
Though it has been regurgitated by people in the thousands, it remains true. (I’ll keep this section short due to SEO’s popularity).
Essentially, you want the right readers reading your work. Not some rando.
For example, this article will be using tags to help with discoverability. This is extremely important. Try to keep the tags consistent with the theme and substance of the article.
Some of the tags I may use are marketing, productivity, writing, you get the idea. Search engines will recognize your efforts and reward you handsomely.
People who are interested in these sorts of topics will see your article and engage with it on a higher caliber as opposed to someone who doesn’t care about marketing at all.
We want our work in front of the right eyes.
In addition, you can do things like submitting to publications that post in your niche. Join communities and grow your audience exponentially.
Takeaway
People who are in the market for oranges expect them to be orange.
Make sure your marketing efforts have a deliberate purpose.
Here is a recap of some marketing tips:
- Acceptable clickbait does exist
- People see before they read
- Nitty-gritty SEO is powerful
When you think of your headline, make sure it evokes emotion.
When you post your article, make sure the cover image is eye-catching.
When you do your SEO, make it relevant and specific.
Now get out there and go create!
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