The Art of the Soft Sell: How to Get the Click Without (Really) Asking for It

Stories Sell

One effective way to entice readers to click through to your website is with stories. These can be your stories or those of other people, with the goal of helping your readers to see themselves in the same situation.

Did you help a client with her senior daughter’s portrait? Was it an unforgettable experience for the entire family, before her daughter headed off to college? Her story on your website will get more clicks than all the yellow highlight you can buy.

What about that time took headshots of your client that helped them with their job hunting process? Your potential corporate photography clients will be anxious to learn more, and will click through without you even asking.

That’s the power of stories, and you can use them everywhere: in your blog posts, in your emails, on your sales pages, and even in videos and on social media.

One tip we suggest is to purposely plan ahead with the types of stories you share with potential clients. These stories can even be worked into your email sequences, so they are conversational, but planned out so you don’t overlook sharing them. Having a consistent system to share these types of stories will help by giving all your prospects the same informational experience.

We utilize 17hats for our workflows and have a series of emails whose sole purpose is to share stories and helpful information. There are no direct sales pitches in these emails; they are designed to engage and create interest and curiosity for potential clients.  These emails are spaced out and scheduled accordingly and we can keep track of them in our workflow.

Be Genuinely Helpful

Want to build a reputation as the go-to photographer in your niche? All it takes is to help people. Answer questions on social media, volunteer to speak to groups who need your advice, write blog posts that address the most common issues your readers face.

By volunteering your time and knowledge, you’ll attract a wide audience of potential customers who may need your services in the future. Who will they turn to? That very helpful person who went out of her way to offer assistance in the past.

Now we’re not saying you have to give away all your time, but if you really want to show off your expertise, you can’t do better than a little volunteer work. Not only will you make an impression with the person you help. But chances are good she’ll share with her friends as well, further expanding your audience.

Of course this doesn’t mean that there is no place in your business for a strong call to action. “Click here to buy” and “Learn more right now” are still useful (and even necessary) on your website. The key is to know when to make a subtle offer, and when to offer a bit more hand holding.