As a fan of direct sales marketing for 20 years, I'm always
looking for new ways to promote my business. After several
months of studying the art of marketing businesses by using
informative articles I've been really impressed with the
tremendous information that's out there. By writing a
content rich, helpful and informative article you can set
yourself apart as an expert in your field and generate
traffic to you and your business.
Most of my study has been in the field of Internet
marketing, but as the wheels of my mind have been turning
and with the experience I've had with Direct Sales, I want
to encourage you, Direct Selling Mom, to explore this as a
way to expand your business... and provide a new outlet of
fun for yourself too!
Why in the world do you want to spend time writing
articles? If you're like me, you're business life is
already too consuming and you need to spend less time on
your direct sales business, not more!
First, it's FUN! Here's your chance to let your creative
juices flow! You know how much you love your products.
And at your parties, you love talking about them to the
party guests. But now, you have a chance to take it
another level. Do you sell scrapbooking products? Share
your heart about the importance of creating a legacy of
memories for your progeny. Passionate about candles?
Write an article about the warmth of hospitality in your
home that can be created by simply adding some beautiful
candles to your decor. Think beyond the specific products
in your line and create from your heart! You'll see... it'
will stretch your mind and you'll love every minute of it!
Second, it's profitable. As you send out valuable content
either online to article directories or offline to your
local publications, you're establishing yourself as an
expert in your direct sales field. Because each article
has a resource box, an author section with your information
- name, email, website, email and/or phone, the people who
read your article, will know who to contact... YOU!
Third, it sets you apart. Direct Sales is a competitive
business and most likely if you're in company that's more
than a year or two old, you're not the only representative
around. By writing articles and establishing credibility,
you're setting yourself apart from other consultants in
your own company and in competing ones as well.
How to start? Here are some quick suggestions:
1. Read some other articles online that fit in with the
theme of your particular direct sales product line.
2. Pick your favorite product from your direct sales
catalog. Take a long look at it and think about WHY this
is your favorite. What can it "do" for your
customers... what's it's value.
3. Write down your thoughts about the product in list
form. Look through the list and find some "key
words" that really stand out.
4. Using those key words, start to build a story about the
experience of the product.... not the specific product
itself. This is where you really begin to write an article
rather than a sales pitch.
5. Now just keep writing...tweak, change, set it aside for
a day and come back to it. Don't be discouraged if it
doesn't come to you right away, especially if you're not a
writer by nature.
6. Take a risk and have a good friend read and critique your thoughts. Be open to
her ideas and rewrite again.
When you think you and your article are ready, it's time to
submit it to your local paper or to online article
directories. Just do an Internet search for "article
directories" as a good starting point.
So much information is available online for maximizing this
avenue of marketing. Take advantage of it ... and watch your
direct sales business grow!
Annette Yen is veteran Direct Sales Mom with 20 years of direct selling history. You
can find more tips on using articles for marketing your direct sales business along with
other great tools to help your business grow at http://www.directsalestools.com .