Should A Blog Post Be Used To Pitch A Sale?

Site Update: I have decided to change the look and feel of the site and hope you like it! I have also been working in the background on setting up the membership areas as previously announced | The free membership section will be launching soon, hopefully by mid March. With the VIP Premium section going live in April 2010 - Watch this space for further announcements!

10th
OCT

Posted by Zulfikar under Blogging Etiquettes, Blogging Q&A

This is one of those questions that has a true “two faces to the coin” so to speak. And I ask the question with a good reason with full awareness that both sides will and do have valid arguments. I’ll just present my opinion and would love to hear yours in return.

Have I used blogs to pitch sales? Yes I must admit I have and I must also admit that I now believe I was wrong. In my opinion, a blog is and should be used to deliver highly valuable free content to the readers. Reason being the vast majority of people who frequently visit blogs are looking for nothing more than a good article full of valuable information.

The kind of information that they can take away and either use as is or decipher it to the depth and then use it to make a well informed decision on weather they should take that all too important “Step” or not. This step can be anything, perhaps a marriage decision, deciding where to go on holiday, what diet plan to follow, which program is best for making money online and so on.

I have therefore come to the conclusion that if I give highly relevant and valuable information on my blog, my readers will return for more. When they do, they will start to interact with me via the comments. And when that happens, a rapport is built leading to a relationship where good ideas are exchanged.

At this point, if I was to mention a product, service or site that has great offers (to which I may or may not be affiliated) my now new blog friend is more than likely to check it out and I stand to make some money online. I don’t know about you, but I find this approach to be more valuable than straight pitching and hope.

Even if the recommendation does not result in some money being made, I now have a new friend and in blogging terms to me this is more valuable than earning a click or two.

So do you use your blog posts as a sales pitching platform or to impart valuable information? What are you experiences in either case? Which approach do you find valuable and why? Please leave a comment bellow, will be very much appreciated

If you like this article please share it on stumbleUpon - thanks!

Reader's Comments

Ricky from TV Wall Brackets | October 12th, 2009 at 9:58 am
There’s no reason your blog can’t be part of your overall sales pitch. In fact, if your blog is not helping you to sell then you have to ask; what’s the point?! However, you have to keep the ratio of useful, informative information to sales talk right, or your blog could rapidly lose credibility.
Reply – Quote
David McCauley | October 20th, 2009 at 12:00 am
The reason that 97% of the blogs on the internet do not get any traffic, because they follow the mentality that they have to give everything away for free to build a relationship.

That is why 97% of the blogs will never make money.

If you have a book of say – 15 quality tips. You should give out maybe three to five of them. Expand each tip with quality explaination how they work in seperate posts. At the end of each post, be open and state that the reader can buy the whole book (it helps to have a strong guarantee – but that is beyond my comment here). Professional sales people may give out free content, describe benefits, etc. , but they always ask for the sale, whether it would be direct or indirect- that tells the temperature of the customer. If they are not ready to buy, offer a little bit more, but are always asked for the sale.

The thing that people forget, unless you are a gossip blog or magazine, people want to be sold – they just want to be sold on their terms – they have an issue to be resolved, you have a solution for their issue. if they follow your content, they are there for a reason. To find a solution for their issue. If they found it you have a sale. If they haven’t, no matter how many times you interact with them in comments, they are not really there to buy. If they do buy, then you wasted way to much time engaging them in comments, when your time could have been spent polishing your post.

Every client I have worked for, I have always asked if they are ready to hire me now. If they say no, I ask what do I need to provide them to say yes. – They will always tell me what they need so I can close the sale. I close 90% of my deals this way. The 10% that I don’t close are usually clients that don’t want to buy, not necessarily from me but from anyone – they only want the free stuff.

If you want to succeed, you should always ask for the sale. Check out the top producing websites- they give some advice, then ask you to sign up to their program or buy their book and do this all the time. Simple as that.
.-= Read David McCauley´s last blog post at >> ..10 Ways To Drive Visitors Away From Your Website =-.
Reply – Read David McCauleyÂ´s last blog post at >> ..<a href=\"http:\/\/www.passionatecopy.com\/index.php\/10-ways-to-drive-visitors-away-from-your-website\/\">10 Ways To Drive Visitors Away From Your Website<\/a> '); return false;">Quote
claire
Twitter: scribblejoint
| October 20th, 2009 at 3:04 am
I agree.. High quality content is most important.
.-= Read claire´s last blog post at >> ..Like music on the waters is your sweet voice to me =-.
Reply – Read claireÂ´s last blog post at >> ..<a href=\"http:\/\/www.scribblejoint.com\/607\/like-music-on-the-waters-is-your-sweet-voice-to-me\">Like music on the waters is your sweet voice to me<\/a> '); return false;">Quote
payday loans no fax | October 20th, 2009 at 3:31 am
I think anythnig that you can do to spread the word. as long as it makes sence. thanks for sharing
Reply – Quote
Zulfikar
Twitter: zulfnore
| October 21st, 2009 at 2:34 pm
@David McCauley – I think your statement on the “97% failure” is true for the ones who set out with the intention of making money with little or no research of their intended market let alone the niche. – What about the vast majority of bloggers who blog to impart information and help others? Where do they fail if their motivation is not to make money?
Reply – Quote
Zulfikar
Twitter: zulfnore
| October 21st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
@claire – Thank you Claire – content of value writen for humans is of more value than enything else! Having said that, everything else should be incorporated for overall success no matter what the direction the blogger takes.
Reply – Quote
Zulfikar
Twitter: zulfnore
| October 21st, 2009 at 2:39 pm
@payday loans no fax – You hit on the keyword there – As long as it makes sense to the us humans! But is pitch without a raport and trust worthwhile?
Reply – Quote
ANSH from Accommodation jindabyne nsw
Twitter: sachinansh
| October 30th, 2009 at 10:45 am
I think the answer of that question should be yes because i blog comment is open for every one and there are one link also to the particular website. So this blog comment can be great way to increase your sale.
Reply – Quote
Clare from Plush Elf | October 30th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I write lots of content on my sites that gives the reader something for nothing. But I mix it in with posts that give away enough of the info for it to be useful – while directing them to a product that will add extra value or make the useful knowledge easier to implement.

No hard sales tactics – but I’m there to earn $$
.-= Read Clare@Plush Elf´s last blog post at >> ..Elf Name Generator =-.
Reply – Read Clare@Plush ElfÂ´s last blog post at >> ..<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mymagicelf.com\/111\/elf-name-generator\/\">Elf Name Generator<\/a> '); return false;">Quote
monika from chiropractic electronic health records | November 4th, 2009 at 8:36 am
I think contents plays very important role but blog comment is open for every one,So this blog comment can be great way to increase traffic on you site.thanks.
Reply – Quote
blogging to make money | November 6th, 2009 at 7:16 am
I agree.. The content should be of good quality….Those who put comments should not add them just for the sake of adding. It should be relevant
.-= Read blogging to make money´s last blog post at >> ..Leapfish Unveils Real-Time Social Search Engine That Captures The “Living Web” =-.
Reply – Read blogging to make moneyÂ´s last blog post at >> ..<a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/JohnChowDotCom\/~3\/Aw_Zgxj2bUo\/\">Leapfish Unveils Real-Time Social Search Engine That Captures The â��Living Webâ��<\/a> '); return false;">Quote
Zulfikar
Twitter: zulfnore
| November 6th, 2009 at 10:07 am
@blogging to make money – Indeed, relevant comments are the best. Not only do they add value to the content but they are also a good encouragement for the blogger to write moe and better.

Plus, relevant and valuable comments add to the blogger’s knowledge and enhances the quality of content he/she wites.
Reply – Quote
Janine from Hire Service Professionals
Twitter: http://www.bidmyservices.com
| November 8th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Blog posts shouldn’t be in any way look like a “direct” sales pitch. Instead, it should be relevant, interesting and useful information about your niche.
Reply – Quote

Comment Tags: Hire Service Professionals
Zulfikar Nore | October 10th, 2009 at 2:33 am
RT @bloginstaller Should A Blog Post Be Used To Pitch A Sale? | Wordpress Blog Installation Service! http://bit.ly/14KxiU
Reply – Quote
James Jones | October 10th, 2009 at 2:33 am
RT @bloginstaller Should A Blog Post Be Used To Pitch A Sale? | Wordpress Blog Installation Service! http://bit.ly/14KxiU
Reply – Quote
NicheBlogs | October 10th, 2009 at 2:34 am
RT @bloginstaller Should A Blog Post Be Used To Pitch A Sale? | Wordpress Blog Installation Service! http://bit.ly/14KxiU
Reply – Quote
Zulfikar Nore | November 9th, 2009 at 12:10 am
RT @bloginstaller Should A Blog Post Be Used To Pitch A Sale? | Wordpress Blog Installation Service! http://bit.ly/14KxiU
Reply – Quote
Zulfikar Nore | January 9th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
RT @BlogInstaller Should A Blog Post Be Used To Pitch A Sale? | Wordpress Blog Installation Service! http://retwt.me/Lm9I
Reply – Quote