How to Sell the Process, Not a Promise

When you sell the process, your goal is to create and promote a consistent flow of great content focused on your readers’ experience.

What Is a Marketing Process?

Your marketing process is a series of steps to identify potential clients’ problems and solutions.

Your clients are more informed today. If they want to buy something they can research it online. Searching for their own solution.

This is why as a business and marketer you’ll always want to focus on what they’ll be searching for as a solution that you can help with.

Use your own marketing processes to grow that ongoing relationship that puts your clients first. Your focus will be on growing that relationship with them. Developing confidence in your business integrity.

All to help encourage that long-term business promise with you. Which is what will help you ignite sales.

 You probably know that it’s critical to be focused on your readers’ benefits in business, right?

But how do you do that?

People buy from those they trust.

Once you ‘get’ how earning trust and building your credibility through content marketing works, you’ll…

  • Be listening more to your reader’s wants and needs.
  • Discovering their problems will be your number one goal so that you can supply the solutions they need and want from you.
  • Make sure that the content you create is something your readers can believe in and that offers guidance in a way that shows you understand their needs and can offer help.

This type of information will build trust in you as a solution provider and help you become the leader for more loyal readers and consistent revenue.

It all points to you being as attractive as you can to your readers and knowing how to target, write, and promote…

Think about this:

When you’re researching information for your blog post, what causes you to stop at someone’s site and take more time?

  • Is it the content and headlines?
  • Is it the graphics?
  • Is it their free offering?
  • Maybe all the above attracts you since it might mean they understand what you’re looking for.

You’ll understand how to sell the process and not a promise when you use what I call…

Solution-based content for your audience.

No doubt about it.

When you emphasize what your readers want and need from you, you’ll become a happier marketer and blogger.

The Bad News?

You need to know how to sell the process by producing and promoting your content that is consistently being put out there and is:

  • Insanely great content that’s on-strategy and
  • It is engaging and to the point of what your readers want.
  • Content that incites action.
  • Delivering with a consistent, ongoing creation system.
  • Valuable, not self-promotional.

Let’s take a step back a little and think about what you’re trying to get done and who you’re trying to inspire action in.

Content is the lifeblood of your blog…

So how do you go about creating and promoting a consistent flow of great content?

When you can clearly point out and call attention to the know-how and benefits you offer, then present it to help your readers solve their problems, you’ll start to earn their attention.

The formula for how to sell the process:

Quality + Consistency + Promotion = Good Content Marketing

Why do you want to know how to manage your content by knowing your readers?

That’s when you’ll have more quality ‘stuff’ to write about—helping you be more consistent in writing and promotion.

So selling the process is all about your readers and focuses on the experience they want and will have from what your content offers.

This means that you’ll be writing so your ideal audience, because the people you want to read your content, will understand. They’ll only engage or act if they read and want more from your message. In other words, keeping your reader in mind will make you less likely to add words they don’t understand.

  • As an example, as I write any of my blog posts, I explain and try to give ideas as I write. Because when I re-read my blog posts, I want to be able to follow along and understand what I’m trying to say.

The goal: Reader-centered writing for all of your content

Includes:

  1. Correct grammar and spelling.
  2. Highlight, organize and simplify the content that your readers care about.
  3. Always keep in mind that you’re serving the reader and what do they want that you can offer?
  4. Remember to be thinking about: “How will your readers feel after reading this?”
  5. Don’t hold back the best info because of fear that you’re giving too much away.
    • Now that you have some great info put together an offer, free or paid to share, and build your email list.

Reader-centered writing:

  • Has a strategic purpose.
    · Answers your readers’ needs and possible questions.
    · Includes explicit action requests and deadlines.
    · Is sequenced logically, with the most vital information first.
    · Is visually appealing and easy to read.

I am reading an excellent book that you might also enjoy: 100 Ways To Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost.
For example, Chapter 7, “11 Ways to Make People Like What You Write,” is broken into these topics:

  1. Make Yourself Likeable
  2. Write About People
  3. Show Your Opinion
  4. Obey Your Own Rules
  5. Use Stories
  6. Use Examples
  7. Name Your Sources
  8. Use Quotes and Quotations
  9. Start With a Strong Lead and
  10. Create a Strong Title
  11. Give insane value

Donna Ward
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12 thoughts on “How to Sell the Process, Not a Promise

  • February 3, 2016 at 9:52 am
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    Excellent post! There’s a couple of things I’ve really been trying to focus on this year, and that’s narrowing down the topics I post about to the ones I have the most passion and knowledge about. I’ve also been doing more research into where my traffic is coming from, as well as what search words are being used that landed them on my site. It’s a great way to see what people are looking for from you!

    • February 6, 2016 at 10:49 am
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      Sounds like you have set a great plan into action, Amy – and your own passion will be a shining light for the right people – great work on figuring out a process!

  • February 3, 2016 at 1:12 pm
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    I totally agree — your readers are most likely to end up being customers or clients, so knowing what they want/need and are looking for is essential. On my blog, I’ve found that really narrowing down my focus and posting content that appeals to my loyal base of readers is what works really well.

    • February 6, 2016 at 10:47 am
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      That is excellent to hear, Megan – thank you – Most people have a difficult time with this concept, because it is hard for us to make that choice for fear of losing a larger audience.

  • February 3, 2016 at 1:32 pm
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    Content is very incredibly important with whatever message you are trying to get across. If it isn’t substantial and something people actually want to know about, you will most definitely NOT be successful. I just started writing some opinion pieces for the first time on my blog and thankfully they have been very well received. I was so nervous!

  • February 4, 2016 at 10:43 am
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    I have always said that content is extremely important. Today, people are presented with so much information, and they quickly choose what they will spend their time reading and what they will ignore. If you offer great information you stand a good chance that they will stop and read it. If you offer useless information they will most likely bounce to the next site.

  • February 4, 2016 at 12:02 pm
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    I have to say that I don’t focus on content as much as I should. It’s something extremely important but I always find myself worrying that the content I create won’t bring people or it will bring people I can’t handle. I don’t know if that makes sense.

    • February 6, 2016 at 10:43 am
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      Hi Nikida, I think what it might be is – Do you feel you may not know your audience, and might disappoint them, or bring in the wrong people?

  • February 4, 2016 at 2:12 pm
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    These are great tips and great reads.

    If you really are into building audience and readership, you really need to take care of their needs and wants, specially when delivering contents.

  • February 4, 2016 at 2:38 pm
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    I recently offered my readers a poll on Facebook which I found to be very helpful for how I proceed with my blog. Thank you the tips!

  • February 5, 2016 at 10:42 am
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    This is an awesome and very helpful post Donna! I do agree with asking the pertinent questions that you mentioned…what attracts you to a bloggers website. In my case the first impression is the graphics and layout. I am drawn to anything that looks like the blogger put a lot of effort into making the aesthetics look good. The next one is their unique voice and good writing 🙂

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