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Developing Marketing Street Cred Part 9: Putting it All Together

Guest post by: Traci Hayner Vanover

Article Overview: Testimonials are a valuable tool - one that you should be using in your own marketing efforts.By positioning yourself as the obvious choice, you are establishing trust in the minds of your prospects, and that trust is the foundation upon which future purchases will be made.

Developing Marketing Street Cred Part 9: Putting it All Together

Using Testimonials in Ezines

There are hundreds of thousands of ezines on the Internet. Find the ones where the subscribers are the target market for your product. Advertise your product in the ezines…but don’t use the standard, routine ads. Use testimonials instead.

Advertising in ezines tends to be cheap compared to other forms of advertising. Use your best testimonial in your ads and simply include a link to your website. You may want to select a testimonial from someone you know is a subscriber to the particular publication you are advertising in, and make mention of that fact in your ad.

You may even be able to get newsletter publishers to allow you to run your ads free, if you allow them to substitute your link with an affiliate link. Knowing that they can earn a percentage of every referred sale will make them vested in the promotional effort…and inevitably, more aggressive in their promotions.

Other Creative Uses for Testimonials

A growing trend in marketing is offering free mini e-courses and newsletters as a method of providing additional information to prospects, with the hope that they will purchase at some point in the future. These tools cover the same general subject matter as the product being promoted, and often rely on the use of case studies and testimonials in support of the product.

A word of caution – be sure that if you decide to go this route that you are offering content that is more than just an in-your-face sales pitch. If your intent is to employ the “move the free line” method, then you better be able to back that up with some quality content that is of actual value to your prospects. Anything less will be counterproductive to your marketing efforts.

Citing Research and Current Events

You could do this simply by referring to the research you conducted in preparation to create your product. You may have uncovered statistics concerning the subject that your product covers; if you didn’t, you can easily do this, and incorporate it into your marketing efforts.

Well, it’s not always easy – you need to know where to look.

Statistical or research information that is accurate is probably the most credible source of information one can have. The sources of statistical or research information are usually just as impressive as the information itself. If you can turn this type of information into a testimonial for your product, then you have found a pot of gold.

Select only the statistical or research information that is pertinent to the interest of your target market. Does it address a particular obstacle that they may have in common? Does it underscore the need for which your product or service was created?

To effectively use this tactic, you must establish a clear connection between your product and the published research information. Remember, you aren’t looking for a direct endorsement of your product, but rather a solid example that supports the information your product provides. This illustrates to your market that you have done the research, and in effect, are an expert within this particular subject area.

Testimonials are a valuable tool — one that you should be using in your own marketing efforts.By positioning yourself as the obvious choice, you are establishing trust in the minds of your prospects, and that trust is the foundation upon which future purchases will be made.

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Article Tags: building reputation, customer loyalty, gaining customers, testimonials



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