The majority of Christian Bloggers I’ve met struggle with selling or promoting products. They struggle not only with selling their own products, but also in promoting affiliate products. This article gives you 6 tactics you can employ to sell without being salesy.
I think there’s an unhealthy connection between selling and shame. We feel shame when asking for money…but when you’re promoting affiliate products or selling your own products…you’re not merely asking for money…you’re making an offer.
1: Listen to Your Audience
First, start listening to your audience. They’ll tell you what they need. Produce great content that solves their problems and when you get ready to create a product, you can craft a product that fits their needs…not just yours.
There are several ways you can listen to your audience. The best way requires you to have an email list. When it comes to email list, I recommend ConvertKit. They can help you create and grow your list of subscribers.
Having an email list means you can ask your subscribers where they’re at in their journey, what they need, and what they’re struggling with. Knowing the answers to these questions will greatly help you craft content and products that truly serve your readers.
If you don’t have an email list…start one today. Go back and click on the ConvertKit link above to start your free trial. However, just because you don’t have your email list going yet doesn’t mean you can’t listen to your audience.
Find where your audience hangs out on social media and reach out to them there. There are Facebook groups for almost every niche…find the ones that your audience use and reach out to them.
However, don’t just join a group and start promoting yourself, go deep and start developing relationships. You can offer up solutions when people ask questions. Then…after you’ve been developing relationships in the group…you can ask your own questions…just make sure you listen to the answers.
When you listen to your audience you’re able to sell without being pushy because you’ve created a product that’s truly needed…a product your audience not only wants, but also needs.
You’ve created a product that solves your audiences’ problems…which leads to the next thing you can do to sell without being salesy…believe in your solutions.
2: Believe in Your Solutions
The next thing you can do is believe in your solutions…which means (1) you’re providing a solution to your audience, and (2) you believe that solution will actually solve your audiences’ problem.
Solve Their Problems
If you have a solution to your reader’s problem…it’s not selfish to promote that solution…be it your product or an affiliate product. It’s selfish to not promote the solution. You’re creating a win-win. You get paid for your hard work and your reader gets the solution they need.
This win-win would not occur if you didn’t make the offer. If you did not promote the product.
I remember when I first heard of Scrivener. I was with a friend and discussing the book I’ve been writing. We were really just catching up. He asked me what software I was using. I informed him that I had been writing it in pages…Apple’s version of Microsoft Word.
That’s when he recommended Scrivener. I’d never heard of it at that point. He explained to me that it’s writing software that makes it easy write and organize your ideas all in one place.
I now use Scrivener to draft all my blog posts, email sequences, and I even moved the book I’m writing into Scrivener. The folder system does makes it super easy to keep all my drafts and ideas organized.
My friend wasn’t trying to sell me Scrivener, he was just passing along a solution he knew I needed. I listened to him and took his advice.
Build the relationship first, and shameless selling becomes natural because you’re not pressuring someone into buying something…you’re offering them a solution to one of their problems.
3: Build Relationships Before You Sell
The biggest struggle with selling is when you’re selling to a cold audience. A cold audience is a group of people who’ve never heard of you or the products you sell. The best way to sell is to sell to a warm audience.
A warm audience is a group of people who know and follow you. A warm audience is an audience that you’ve spent time building trust…building the relationship.
People will buy from you when they know, like, and trust you. Therefore, instead of trying to sell, work on building a relationship with your readers. Learn what they like, don’t like….and most importantly…what they need.
Write posts that solves their problems. When you do this, they’ll start to trust you and view you as an expert in that area.
When you build the relationship, your readers will come to you for solutions to their problems…and you can provide them with these solutions through free content, affiliate products, or even your own products.
This occurs because you’ve built the relationship and you’re solving their problem.
View Your Email List as a Group of Friends
Do not view your email list as a numbers game. You need to build relationships with the people on your list…which means first and foremost…you need to realize they are real people.
View them as your friends. They’ve made the choice to join your list for a reason…and I bet that reason was not to just to add another number to your list.
Engage with your list…build relationships from your list…and then you can sell to your list. You will have earned the trust you need…and you won’t be just trying to make a dollar…you would be offering your friends solutions to solve their problems.
If you don’t have an email list…this should be your first priority. Get your free trial at ConvertKit and start building your list today. This is the best way to start building relationships with your readers.
4: Engage in Content Marketing
Engaging in content marketing means to publish good consistent content. Your readers will start to trust you as you provide good content on a consistent basis. This means at the same time each week.
I know what you’re thinking…if I provide good content for free, why would someone ever buy my product? The truth is people will wonder…if this is how good the free stuff if…the paid content must be amazing…then make sure it is.
Your content is the door that your readers walk through to get to know you. Your content is where the relationship begins. If its both good, consistent, and solves your reader’s problems then you will be earning their trust along the way.
Remember people will buy from you when they know, like, and trust you. Your content is where your readers get to know you, learn if they like you, and begin to trust you.
If you struggle with getting and retaining new readers, check out my post How to Attract New Readers and Keep Them Coming Back.
5: Write Good Sales Copy
Become a good copywriter. When you learn the basics of copywriting you won’t come across as a needy salesman. You know the type…the pushy buy now or lose a friend type.
In writing good copy, remember to highlight the problem your solving. Show why the reader needs your product or service. Don’t just say, “You need my coaching!”
A Copywriting Framework to Sell Without Being Salesy
First, explain the problem they’re facing. This will not only help your readers realize the problem their facing…but your readers will connect with you because you understand their struggle.
Next, explain how that problem will grow if nothing is done about it.
For example, if you’re not growing your email list today…you won’t have an email list tomorrow…or the next day. If you continue to do nothing, when you’re finally ready to launch your product…you won’t have an engaged audience to whom you can sell that product.
In fact…why you aren’t growing your email list…you can rest assured that your competitors are.
That example demonstrates how you can take the problem…I don’t have an email list or I don’t have an engaged audience…and amplify it to show how that problem will grow over time if nothing is done.
The next thing you can do that will help your copy is tell your story. How has this solution helped you? What led you to coaching? How was this ebook born?
Notice that you haven’t even tried to sell your product or service yet. You will do that at the end…because now you need to add some testimonials. Insert some testimonials of people who’ve bought your product or used your services.
Testimonials help build your creditability and expertise…which will help earn more trust.
Finally, now you can make your offer. Let your readers know what you’re selling. What all is included? How much does it costs? How will it benefit them…will it solve their problem?
Why It Works
When you go through that framework…you’ve written copy that does not come across as salesy…as buy now or lose your friend. You’re simply helping your readers understand their problem and the solution you can provide.
After sharing your story and the stories of those who’ve applied your solution and won…it’s natural to offer your solution to your reader. Not only is it natural…but it’s the right thing to do.
6: Charge for Your Services or Products
People always want to give their services away…though you should be giving away a great deal of content for free…whether through podcasts, blogs, youtube videos, etc…you would be doing yourself and your audience a great disservice if you were to give away your products for free.
People Receive More Value When They Pay
If your goal is to help your readers reach a transformation through a product or a service…there needs to be a price tag. This is not just for your benefit…but also your readers’ benefit. When someone pays for a product or service, they actually receive more value.
The most impactful decision I’ve ever made was to attend a ministry school in Franklin, TN. This 8-month school completely changed my life. I believe one of the reasons I received so much is because I gave so much.
The Sacrifices I’ve Made
In order to attend I had to move from Auburn, Alabama to Nashville, TN. I paid tuition for the school, and I gave up 8-months of my life to attend the school. The classes were only on Mondays and Tuesdays…but they were all day Monday and Tuesday.
I’d attend the classes and serve at the church…which was mandatory as a student. I loved it, but it meant Sunday through Tuesday I had very little free time.
We even had our young adult classes Monday night, so it would not be uncommon for me to return home Monday around midnight, to wake up early the next morning for Tuesday’s class.
Wednesday through Saturday I worked at Old Navy so I could keep pay rent, buy groceries, etc.
I sacrificed and paid a lot for this experience…but this experience absolutely changed my life. I was investing in myself and my future. My diploma from this 8-month ministry school is now framed and hanging in my office along with my bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees.
I’m sure I wouldn’t have received as much if I didn’t have to sacrifice. I placed a value on the school and therefore received great value.
What value do you place on your products? Don’t steal from your readers the chance to have a transformative experience all because you were too afraid to sell.
The vast majority of us price our products way lower than their actually worth…doing not only a disservice to you the creator, but also to your buyers. If you’re product is valuable…let the price reflect that.
Conclusion
You don’t have to struggle with selling your products or services. There are things you can do to sell without being salesy when you make your offer. Employ these 6 tactics when monetizing your blog…you’re readers will thank you for it…likely by buying your products or services.
If you’re ready to monetize your blog and you’re not really sure where to start, check out my article How to Make Money as a Christian Blogger.
Question: What is one product or service you use and love telling your friends about? Let me know in the comments.
