"Is This More Online Nonsense?"
Let
me give you some examples:
About
five years ago now, one of the
very first affiliate programs
I took part in was for a web hosting
company.
BUT,
even after signing up they wouldn't
let me do any promotion without
answering and passing an online
quiz all about their services.
Perhaps
this seems a little extreme and
you may be thinking that this
would actually reduce active affiliates.
However, think about the psychology
behind this:
Quizzes
are fun, so it was interesting
to take.
And
like most people, I want to succeed
at a quiz just for my own satisfaction.
The same thought process probably
explains why crosswords are so
popular.
So
I took this affiliate quiz again,
and again, and again, until I'd
finally got every question
right.
And
of course throughout this process
I really got to learn a
LOT about this company and their
services, making me a much
more effective affiliate.
And
now of course I was MUCH more
involved with this company. Much
more than all the other affiliate
programs that just asked me to
fill in a form and instantly
I was an affiliate of theirs without
question.
Two
minutes after signing up for 99%
of those other companies, I'd
already forgotten about them and
never promoted their sites, products
nor services.
BUT
- that certainly wasn't the case
with the hosting company in question
that had made me jump through
hoops just to join their program!
After
the effort I'd voluntarily
put in, I was much more determined
to work with and be a successful
affiliate for this company.
See
how this works?
If
you've got an affiliate program,
this tactic could greatly increase
how active your affiliates are,
which could mean a ton more sales
for you!
Here's
Even More Proof That Quizzes BOOST
Sales:
It's
an old "copywriter's trick"
to involve the reader as soon
and as much as possible.
Why?
Because
involvement means interaction,
and that means much more focus
is paid to the actual message
which can then greatly help increase
sales.
Going
back a few years again -- one
course I've signed up for through
mail order... okay, the principles
were used offline, but they apply
just as much online since it's
the same psychological sales tactics,
just through a different medium:
Now,
this wasn't a cheap course, costing
me around $400. Before I could
become a customer I had to fill
in a questionnaire to see if I
"qualified" for the
course.
Of
course I'm pretty sure everyone
"qualified". It'll have
to be a pretty daft business to
actually turn away paying customers.
But
-- using this tactic involved
me ... it was interesting (even
fun), and thinking about it --
without that quiz would I really
have spent quite that amount of
money with a company I'd never
heard of before?
Probably
not.
But
that involvement certainly helped
me read the sales message from
start to finish again and again,
as well as think about the offer
a LOT.
Not
only had that company then made
a good profit from me, but they'd
also made a customer who was very
interested in buying from them
again and again in the months
and years that followed.
