Si vous n'êtes pas à l'aise avec l'anglais, utilisez ceci :
Cet outil vous fournit une traduction automatisée en français.
Do You Want Your Articles To Be Read Do This
Remember the old riddle, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?" If you write articles, ask yourself, "If I write a great article and no one reads it, does it still do its job?"
The simple answer is: NO!
You could be the best article writer, but if the title of your article is just a boring label it will not attract attention and all of your effort will go down the drain.
TEST YOURSELF
The next time you are waiting in line at the supermarket, read the article titles on the covers of the women's magazines and figure out what it is about them that attracts millions of sales each week. Which titles attract your attention and why?
The best titles will always offer to solve a problem, tell the reader how to get something he or she wants. or warn of a big problem the reader might experience if they don't read the article.
WHICH ARTICLE WOULD YOU RATHER READ?
It is clear that the most important words any article writer will write are the ones in the title. In fact, the title of an article can either attract or repel readers.
Here are two sets of headlines to analyze:
"Activities Kids Enjoy" OR "Give Your Kids A Summer To Remember"
"Make Staying Healthy A Priority" OR "5 Symptoms You Can't Ignore"
In each case, the titles refer to the same topic, but the second one conveys a benefit that the potential reader desires. They use the word "you" to make the appeal more personal. One appeals to a parent's desire to "give" to their children (emotional) and the other peaks curiosity and fear.
Chances are, you would choose to read the second article titles over the first ones if they both popped up in a search engine.
NO YAWNING ALLOWED
The titles of your articles should invite further attention, not a yawn. It may take a little more time to come up with an interesting and compelling title, but it is well worth your time.
There are several ways to generate article titles that stand out from the crowd and get read. Here are a few examples:
--Use numbers, such as "5 Steps to True Happiness" or "3 Good Reasons to Choose Fixed Insurance Over Variable." You don't have to limit number titles to list-style articles. Nearly any article can be broken up into a number of steps or reasons.
--Create a play on words using a popular phrase. For example, an article about how to wash the outside of your second-floor windows might be titled "Don't Let Window Washing be a Pane in Your Neck."
--Make your title a question: "Can You Really Make Money Online?"
--Compare something to something else: "Why Apples are Just Like Oranges."
--Fill in the blank: "How To (Blank)," "From (Blank) to (Blank)," or "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About (Blank)."
REMEMBER THE BEST MEAL YOU EVER HAD, THEN WRITE
When you write a great headline, it is like eating desert before dinner. Your article is the meat, your resource box is the potatoes, but your headline is the promise of sweet things to come.
Copyright Georganne Fiumara
BONUS : Does Your Parking Lot Look Busy? Your Prospects Are Watching
Twice a week I go to a great little massage place in the neighborhood, and right next door is a tiny Indian restaurant. The food always smells delicious when I walk by, and the owner excitedly waves at passersby. But there's a reason why I've never gone in and given it a chance...
The restaurant is always empty!
When I walk by, I always think, "Hmm, maybe I'll try that place for takeout one night." But in five years I never have. I always end up going two doors down to the bustling Chinese place or the sushi place with the line out the door - even though I have to usually wait 20 minutes for my food to be ready.
What's even funnier is that the food at those places isn't even great, but I keep thinking I must be missing something since so many other people like it!
The saying is true... no one wants to eat at a restaurant where there are no cards parked outside.
We all go by the feeling of "safety in numbers" and look for what some people call "social proof" that something is good or works before we try it.
This is why it's extremely important to use testimonials on your website, brochures, and marketing materials, and even in your talks and teleseminars.
And it's even MORE important for people like us whose businesses don't have parking lots. It's up to US to show prospects they won't be the first person ever to hire us or buy our products!
Simple idea, yes, but many people forget to use it in their marketing. (Even I forget sometimes, too.) But it's extremely important. Whether conscious or subconscious, seeing testimonials for a product or service makes us feel "safe" when deciding to buy.
But please remember the big difference between a good testimonial and a lame one. Let's look at two examples:
Example 1: "I've really enjoyed being a part of Alexandria Brown's Gold Mastermind program and have found it great value for the money." - E.B.
This one's all right, says nice things, and gives the person's initials. Problem is, there are no actual *results* shared here, and using initials-only leaves doubt about the authenticity of the testimonial.
Example 2: (and a real one, too!): "Since joining Alexandria Brown's Gold & Platinum Mastermind programs last year, I've doubled my revenues and can directly attribute at least $100,000.00 to her ideas and advice. Believe me, you WANT to be a part of this exceptional group of entrepreneurs!" -- Christine Kloser, Founder of "The Conscious Business Circle", Red Lion, Pa., www.ConsciousBusinessCircle.com
Now, let's look at the second one. Much more effective because it's results oriented. That is, it shares actual results the client/customer has gotten. Do whatever you can to include numbers, dollar amounts, and/or percentages -- these will grab your prospect's attention, let them know this is the real deal, and dramatically increase your response.
Also, the more information you provide about your clients and customers, the more believable and effective their testimonials will be. Include full name, occupation or company name, city and state they're from, web address (if applicable), and a PHOTO. (Even a poor photo, if that's all they have. It's important to make them REAL to your reader.)
If you're in a sensitive industry and clients don't want their names revealed, then share as much as you can about them otherwise. For example, "-- female Fox News executive, 38, Studio City, Calif." While it's not as good as giving their names, it's better than nothing.
And remember, one of the best things about using testimonials is it's much more effective for your clients and customers to rave about YOU than for you to rave about yourself. So let them "rave" and have fun with it!
BONUS TIP: Use Testimonials to Address Common Objections
If you really want testimonials to dramatically improve your response, make a list of the common objections your prospects usually have to buying your products or services. And then have at least one testimonial that addresses each. For example, when I first started selling my Boost Business with Your Own online newsletter system, I learned that some folks weren't buying it because they thought they needed a website to get started. So I found a success story from one of my customers who had used the system and never even had a real website. And we created a testimonial that made sure to share that fact.
Twice a week I go to a great little massage place in the neighborhood, and right next door is a tiny Indian restaurant. The food always smells delicious when I walk by, and the owner excitedly waves at passersby. But there's a reason why I've never gone in and given it a chance...
The restaurant is always empty!
When I walk by, I always think, "Hmm, maybe I'll try that place for takeout one night." But in five years I never have. I always end up going two doors down to the bustling Chinese place or the sushi place with the line out the door - even though I have to usually wait 20 minutes for my food to be ready.
What's even funnier is that the food at those places isn't even great, but I keep thinking I must be missing something since so many other people like it!
The saying is true... no one wants to eat at a restaurant where there are no cards parked outside.
We all go by the feeling of "safety in numbers" and look for what some people call "social proof" that something is good or works before we try it.
This is why it's extremely important to use testimonials on your website, brochures, and marketing materials, and even in your talks and teleseminars.
And it's even MORE important for people like us whose businesses don't have parking lots. It's up to US to show prospects they won't be the first person ever to hire us or buy our products!
Simple idea, yes, but many people forget to use it in their marketing. (Even I forget sometimes, too.) But it's extremely important. Whether conscious or subconscious, seeing testimonials for a product or service makes us feel "safe" when deciding to buy.
But please remember the big difference between a good testimonial and a lame one. Let's look at two examples:
Example 1: "I've really enjoyed being a part of Alexandria Brown's Gold Mastermind program and have found it great value for the money." - E.B.
This one's all right, says nice things, and gives the person's initials. Problem is, there are no actual *results* shared here, and using initials-only leaves doubt about the authenticity of the testimonial.
Example 2: (and a real one, too!): "Since joining Alexandria Brown's Gold & Platinum Mastermind programs last year, I've doubled my revenues and can directly attribute at least $100,000.00 to her ideas and advice. Believe me, you WANT to be a part of this exceptional group of entrepreneurs!" -- Christine Kloser, Founder of "The Conscious Business Circle", Red Lion, Pa., www.ConsciousBusinessCircle.com
Now, let's look at the second one. Much more effective because it's results oriented. That is, it shares actual results the client/customer has gotten. Do whatever you can to include numbers, dollar amounts, and/or percentages -- these will grab your prospect's attention, let them know this is the real deal, and dramatically increase your response.
Also, the more information you provide about your clients and customers, the more believable and effective their testimonials will be. Include full name, occupation or company name, city and state they're from, web address (if applicable), and a PHOTO. (Even a poor photo, if that's all they have. It's important to make them REAL to your reader.)
If you're in a sensitive industry and clients don't want their names revealed, then share as much as you can about them otherwise. For example, "-- female Fox News executive, 38, Studio City, Calif." While it's not as good as giving their names, it's better than nothing.
And remember, one of the best things about using testimonials is it's much more effective for your clients and customers to rave about YOU than for you to rave about yourself. So let them "rave" and have fun with it!
BONUS TIP: Use Testimonials to Address Common Objections
If you really want testimonials to dramatically improve your response, make a list of the common objections your prospects usually have to buying your products or services. And then have at least one testimonial that addresses each. For example, when I first started selling my Boost Business with Your Own online newsletter system, I learned that some folks weren't buying it because they thought they needed a website to get started. So I found a success story from one of my customers who had used the system and never even had a real website. And we created a testimonial that made sure to share that fact.
