Guess What? Nobody Cares about who you are

24 replies
Hey Warriors,

So I wanna talk about Article Signatures. I just wanted to say this out loud and i know that some people might not agree but I'm gonna add my reasoning for this.

I've seen many signatures of articles that are like:

XYZ is a successful Internet marketer and he has been making money online for XZY amount of time. To find more about XYZ Click Here
and I have often seen these kinds of signatures on niches that have nothing to do with IM or making money online.

Now, that's how I wrote my signatures when I started out but I soon found out (Thanks to Steven Wagenheim) that it was not a good idea and to get a high CTR a person needs to have a good Call To Action that will grab the reader's eye and force him to click your link and come to your site.

And here's a perfect reason why you want to do that:

Just imagine that you wrote an article about how to get back with your ex girlfriend. Now a person who just broke up with his ex comes to your article and then reads this boring signature.

XYZ is a successful Internet marketer and he has been making money online for XZY amount of time. To find more about XYZ Click Here
Do you think he'll click your link. I don't think so.

That person wants to get back with his girl and he doesn't care about if you are an Internet Marketer or a Chicken Raiser. All he wants to know is how to get his GF back and he is desperate so if you try to lure him here and there and provide some information he doesn't care about he will click the back button and go to some other article.

You need to make your signature relevant to your article's content and you need to have a good call to action meaning that you should tell the reader what to do next.

For example, if I was to write a signature for the above mentioned article (get your ex back) here's what I'd write:

Do You Want To Find Out The Secrets To Get Your Ex Begging You To Get Back With Her? Click Here For More Information
or something on these lines. Now I know that the signature above is not perfect but I just came up with it from the top of my head and I just wanted you to get the picture.

So if you have been getting low CTRs and Conversions lately and you are using that boring signature approach, you might wanna try signature with better Call To Action.

Hope you liked my thread
#cares #listen
  • Profile picture of the author Paul Barrs
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
      Originally Posted by paulbarrs View Post

      Yep, W.I.I.F.M.

      The Radio Station that all customers tune in to listen to -

      What's In It For Me ?

      But then, every now and then it's nice to blow your own horn... who care's if people don't click and buy .. (see sig file below).

      Haha!

      Well yeah sometimes you should do that.
      Signature

      “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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    • Profile picture of the author All Night Cafe
      You are partly right. Depending on the niche, sometimes
      dropping your name is a plus.

      If I was reading something on dating and got to the
      sig file and it said get more information from say Frank
      Kern I would be more likely to click.

      Why, because I know Frank's information is going to be
      spot on. If the sig file just said click here, I may not.

      Frank is a name I know. I personally want to see what
      he had to offer.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
        Originally Posted by All Night Cafe View Post

        You are partly right. Depending on the niche, sometimes
        dropping your name is a plus.

        If I was reading something on dating and got to the
        sig file and it said get more information from say Frank
        Kern I would be more likely to click.

        Why, because I know Frank's information is going to be
        spot on. If the sig file just said click here, I may not.

        Frank is a name I know. I personally want to see what
        he had to offer.
        Well you're right,

        Different niche markets respond differently but I have noticed people do this kinda stuff in totally different niches. I mean why would a Chicken raiser who's trying to build a chicken coop want to know if you are an internet marketer.

        And I think that you can build your credibility by sending them to your blog or optin page or something like that. On the article you want them to pay full attention to your link and click on it.

        Hope I got my point across.
        Signature

        “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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  • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
    Originally Posted by honestbizpro View Post

    Good point Mohammad.

    Good point Paul.

    Most people want to know what's in it for them..but trust me..if you were "featured on Oprah" there is no way you would not promote that.
    But how much of a chance you have of getting on there
    Signature

    “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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  • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
    Originally Posted by honestbizpro View Post

    Getting on Oprah..not easy but not impossible if you come up with something unique, crazy, or even charitable. The point is..if you have earned credentials there is nothing wrong with blending that in with what you have to offer.

    If 2 people are offering the exact same thing the next step to distinguish them is cred.
    So who's ready to watch me on Oprah in a month from now (Not trying to mock you, just a joke)
    Signature

    “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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  • Profile picture of the author Juan L Costa
    You are right, but I'm schocked that those kind of signature actually exist in articles that have nothing to do with Internet Marketing
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    • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
      Originally Posted by Juanle455 View Post

      You are right, but I'm schocked that those kind of signature actually exist in articles that have nothing to do with Internet Marketing
      I would say that most of the times it's newbies or people who don't care about split testing.
      Signature

      “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Mohammad, I agree with your general premise, but I think using tag lines like your example might be a little over the top. I'd read it and tell myself, "oh goodie, he wants to sell me something - why should I believe him?" Especially if the article is the typical short teaser, with no real actual information.

        For some niches, combining a more reasonable call to action with a biographical sentence or so that shows credibility on the topic can go a long way.

        For example, if I wrote an article on beach snook fishing, I could use something like:

        "Get your free report on the ten best places to catch monster snook in the surf, written by John McCabe. John has been fishing the surf for snook for over five years and catches several every season he has to release because they are over the slot limit..."

        It offers related information, and gives the reader a) a reason to believe me and b) a tease of the results they can expect by getting what I offer.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alminc
          Try this:

          " Jack Lier is an evel marketer who writes articles like the one you just
          read with the only intention to move your money from your pocket to his
          own, by pointing you to even more evel sales letters that will hypnotize
          you and make you purchase products that you actually don't need.
          If you are still interested in being a total idiot then hurry up an click the
          link below, or use your brains and run away from this page and never
          come back again!"



          .
          Signature
          No links :)
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          • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
            Originally Posted by Alminc View Post

            Try this:

            " Jack Lier is an evel marketer who writes articles like the one you just
            read with the only intention to move your money from your pocket to his
            own, by pointing you to even more evel sales letters that will hypnotize
            you and make you purchase products that you actually don't need.
            If you are still interested in being a total idiot then hurry up an click the
            link below, or use your brains and run away from this page and never
            come back again!"



            .
            LOL

            I might wanna try that
            Signature

            “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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            • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
              Originally Posted by mohammad111 View Post

              But I have found (in my testing) that including your name decreases CTR.

              And if I were to write the signature you did:


              I'd write it like:


              Or something like this and it has performed better for me in different niches and I think that because it's short, to the point and grabs the reader's attention. What do you think?
              I think you should go with what your testing shows works for you.

              If you're going for the click, go for the click. If you're building reputation, do that.

              In my example, for this particular niche, I'm guessing that the optimum is somewhere between yours and mine. Only testing would show for sure, though.

              Just don't throw away the opportunity with an unrelated, blah, boring resource box. Which I believe was your original point...
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          • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
            Originally Posted by Alminc View Post

            Try this:

            " Jack Lier is an evel marketer who writes articles like the one you just
            read with the only intention to move your money from your pocket to his
            own, by pointing you to even more evel sales letters that will hypnotize
            you and make you purchase products that you actually don't need.
            If you are still interested in being a total idiot then hurry up an click the
            link below, or use your brains and run away from this page and never
            come back again!"



            .
            I think that might be a recipe to get the FTC to sue you
            Signature

            “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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            • Profile picture of the author FredJones
              Originally Posted by mohammad111 View Post

              I think that might be a recipe to get the FTC to sue you
              Why? Is that not the ultimate disclaimer? That, "I am selling things that you don't need and yet I invite you to buy it". No stealing, no hiding

              I would be as happy as a dog with two tails if someone was so frank witth me!!
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              • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
                Originally Posted by FredJones View Post

                Why? Is that not the ultimate disclaimer? That, "I am selling things that you don't need and yet I invite you to buy it". No stealing, no hiding

                I would be as happy as a dog with two tails if someone was so frank witth me!!
                Well, I didn't think of it that way
                Signature

                “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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        • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          Mohammad, I agree with your general premise, but I think using tag lines like your example might be a little over the top. I'd read it and tell myself, "oh goodie, he wants to sell me something - why should I believe him?" Especially if the article is the typical short teaser, with no real actual information.

          For some niches, combining a more reasonable call to action with a biographical sentence or so that shows credibility on the topic can go a long way.

          For example, if I wrote an article on beach snook fishing, I could use something like:

          "Get your free report on the ten best places to catch monster snook in the surf, written by John McCabe. John has been fishing the surf for snook for over five years and catches several every season he has to release because they are over the slot limit..."

          It offers related information, and gives the reader a) a reason to believe me and b) a tease of the results they can expect by getting what I offer.
          But I have found (in my testing) that including your name decreases CTR.

          And if I were to write the signature you did:
          "Get your free report on the ten best places to catch monster snook in the surf, written by John McCabe. John has been fishing the surf for snook for over five years and catches several every season he has to release because they are over the slot limit..."
          I'd write it like:
          Free Report Reveals the ten best places to catch monster snook in the surf. Click Here To Get It.
          Or something like this and it has performed better for me in different niches and I think that because it's short, to the point and grabs the reader's attention. What do you think?
          Signature

          “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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          • Profile picture of the author Mrs S
            Originally Posted by mohammad111 View Post

            But I have found (in my testing) that including your name decreases CTR.
            I think it all depends on your niche - because in my testing including my name increases my CTR. I tend to use the first sentence of the bio box as the CTA and then finish with a sentence about me.

            I personally don't think there is a right way or a wrong way, everyone just needs to split test and then stick with what works for them.
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            • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
              Originally Posted by Mrs S View Post

              I think it all depends on your niche - because in my testing including my name increases my CTR. I tend to use the first sentence of the bio box as the CTA and then finish with a sentence about me.

              I personally don't think there is a right way or a wrong way, everyone just needs to split test and then stick with what works for them.
              In the IM niche, I have gotten low CTRs when I don't mention my name but in other niches that I have worked with, I get high CTRs if I don't mention my name.

              It is different in every niche and I think that the best idea would be to split test and find out what works best for you.
              Signature

              “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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  • Profile picture of the author HorseStall
    Bottom line is most people syndicate articles simply to increase their link popularity, few expect actual click-throughs based on the article syndication.
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      Bottom line is most people syndicate articles simply to increase their link popularity, few expect actual click-throughs based on the article syndication.
      Yes, that's true. And that approach goes along with writing mediocre articles or those that barely make sense.

      But there is an alternative strategy. Write terrific articles packed with value that make people sit up and wonder, who is this person who is sharing such terrific information? Then introduce yourself in the bio note and include a strong call to action.

      This increases brand recognition (i.e. your reputation) and produces a strong clickthrough rate. My EzineArticles stats show that this strategy can be quite productive.

      Marcia Yudkin
      Signature
      Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe Benjamin
    All comes down to basic marketing principles.

    Generally, when you focus on yourself, you won't get
    much results (few exceptions being Frank Kern, John Reese,
    etc) -- these guys built a reputation and they can run
    off their brand name alone.

    So for most entrepreneurs, focusing on the persons needs
    and targeting them until you build a cult following is the
    best way to go.
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    **How I FLIPPED $80 into $690 Pure Profit With ONE EASY Method...2 to 3x Per Week...Only 30 Minutes Per Day (and how YOU can COPY my RESULTS, too!) **CLICK HERE FOR VERIFIED VIDEO PROOF**
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    • Profile picture of the author culvers
      you are assuming that the author gives a damn whether the reader clicks the link. Many good writers can produce several unique articles per hour, submit them to the top article directories, and reap the link juice that goes with it.
      Signature

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      • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
        Originally Posted by culvers View Post

        you are assuming that the author gives a damn whether the reader clicks the link. Many good writers can produce several unique articles per hour, submit them to the top article directories, and reap the link juice that goes with it.
        I really didn't understand what you are trying to say here. I mean as far as i can see, you are saying that even if reader doesn't click, you still get a backlinks to your site.

        If that's what you meant then right you get get backlinks even if your CTR is zero but for most people article marketing is more than a backlinking campaign. I use article marketing to build my list, sell my products, promote affiliate products and when I started out, article marketing was my complete business model and I can almost guarantee that this is the case with many newbies today. They use article marketing to promote affiliate programs and they need high CTRs or else they won't make any money.

        Hope I made myself clear
        Signature

        “The first draft of anything is shit.” ~Ernest Hemingway

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