How to Sell Featured Spotlight Articles to Your Members

Introduction (00:00:00)

• The topic of selling Spotlight articles to members is introduced as a way to help publish more content, engage members, and create a new revenue channel for directory businesses (00:00:00).
• The discussion will cover the benefits of Spotlight articles, how to sell them to members, and what to include in the articles to make them effective (00:00:20).
• The topic of Spotlight articles has been covered previously, but this time it will be explored in more depth, providing benefits that can be shared with members and explaining how to make the articles effective (00:00:23).
• The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of Spotlight articles, including their benefits, what to include, and how to make them successful, in order to help members sign up and get the most out of them (00:00:37).
• The discussion will start with the basics and build from there, covering all the important aspects of Spotlight articles (00:00:50).

Benefits of Spotlight Articles for Businesses (00:00:55)

• Spotlight articles can increase a business’s online visibility, search engine ranking, and attract new customers to generate more revenue, which is the primary reason businesses consider buying spotlight or feature articles (00:00:57).
• Having a spotlight article enhances a company’s brand image and reputation, especially when they can link to the article from their website, blog, or social media accounts, giving the appearance of being a bigger company (00:01:36).
• Spotlight articles help businesses stand out from their competition, especially if their competitors are also listed on the same website, making it a huge selling point for members (00:02:10).
• The goal of spotlight articles is to get more eyeballs on the companies, attract new prospects, and generate more revenue, with the option to provide this service for free or as a paid service for members (00:02:47).
• Spotlight articles are also known as paid editorials, which have a more organic feel than explicit paid advertisements or banner ads, and can be used to spotlight a business in a positive light (00:03:05).

What to Include in a Spotlight Article (00:03:40)

• To create engaging spotlight articles, it is essential to include more than just basic business information, such as the company’s history and what it offers, as this alone does not make for an enjoyable read (00:03:56).
• Including high-quality images and videos, as well as other multimedia elements like podcasts or audio interviews with the business owner, can make the articles more consumable and easier to share on other online platforms (00:04:34).
• Customer testimonials are crucial in making the article feel less like a paid advertisement and can provide social proof that the business is worth checking out for prospective customers (00:05:12).
• Linking out to the business’s website and social media profiles can give readers access to more information and also help with the business’s SEO (00:05:50).
• Including unique and relevant content that appeals to the target audience is vital, and this can involve asking unusual questions to give insight into the business and its people, helping to form an emotional connection with readers (00:06:12).
• To simplify the content creation process, using a template with boilerplate questions that the featured member can fill out can save time, allowing them to provide most of the content, including customer testimonials and links to their website (00:07:07).

The Power of Storytelling in Spotlight Articles (00:07:43)

• The power of storytelling in Spotlight articles is crucial as it helps to grasp the viewer’s attention and form an emotional connection with them, which is the reason why many effective commercials and advertisements are successful (00:07:45).
• Crafting a story in Spotlight articles, rather than just laying out basic business information, will help to engage potential customers, build a relationship and connection with them, and differentiate the business from its competition (00:08:18).
• Including a story or emotional appeal in Spotlight articles will capture the reader’s attention, inspire them to take action, and help to turn prospective customers into actual customers, which is essential for the businesses and for continuing to sell these articles as an additional stream of revenue (00:09:03).
• Storytelling in Spotlight articles also allows for the effective communication of a company’s message and values, which is becoming increasingly important to customers, and can be achieved by collecting information from the business, such as images and social media links, and having them answer a preset number of questions (00:09:55).
• To create an effective Spotlight article, businesses can fill out a questionnaire that will be turned into an article, which will help to tell their story and convey their message and values to potential customers (00:10:40).

Using ChatGPT for help writing spotlight articles (00:10:54)

• To write a spotlight article about a local business, it is helpful to ask the business owners 10 questions, including emotional ones, to get a better understanding of their story and how they started their business (00:11:02).
• ChatGPT can be used to generate questions to ask the business, such as what inspired them to start the business, how they overcame challenges, and how the business has impacted their personal and professional life (00:11:31).
• The questions generated by ChatGPT can include ones like what inspired the business owner to start the business, what was the driving force behind it, and how they stay connected with their customers (00:11:43).
• Using ChatGPT can be a great way to get ideas and help with writing spotlight articles, allowing website owners and online marketers to work faster and smarter (00:12:07).
• The tool can provide valuable assistance in creating content, as seen in the example where a simple input was used to generate 10 emotional questions to ask a local business (00:12:18).

Measuring the Success of a Spotlight Article (00:12:36)

• Measuring the success of a spotlight article is crucial to determine its effectiveness in bringing new customers and generating revenue for businesses, and this can be done by tracking the article’s impact, monitoring engagement and feedback, and using website analytic tools like Google Analytics (00:12:44).
• The engagement and feedback can be monitored through comments, social media shares, and views, and this information can be shared with members to demonstrate the article’s effectiveness in selling spotlight articles to them (00:13:26).
• The increase in revenue or new customers will vary depending on the business, its products, services, and prices, but tracking engagement from different online properties can help understand the article’s performance (00:14:30).
• Creating videos or audio interviews with business owners can provide additional statistics, such as views, likes, and comments, to share with businesses and improve the articles (00:14:57).
• Analyzing how articles are consumed and received by readers can help identify areas for improvement, such as incorporating more multimedia elements, and this information can be used to better sell spotlight articles to members (00:15:19).
• Some members may not care about analytics and only want a well-written article about their business to use as an asset, while others will want to see a return on investment (ROI) and care about the numbers, so it’s essential to be prepared to provide both types of information (00:16:21).
• Having good analytics to share with members can be beneficial, especially for local businesses with little to no online presence, as it can help demonstrate the value of spotlight articles in promoting their business (00:17:10).

Selling the Spotlight Article to Businesses (00:17:33)

• To sell Spotlight articles to businesses, it is essential to help them understand the importance of investing in their online presence, and having additional articles written about them can provide more insight to potential customers, ultimately impacting their marketing efforts and revenue goals (00:17:34).
• Providing examples of successful Spotlight articles can be an effective way to sell these to businesses, and it is recommended to write articles for two or three business members for free to have examples to share when selling to other members (00:18:12).
• Positioning the Spotlight article as a valuable marketing tool that will last forever on the website can be an effective sales strategy, and businesses can continue to share and repurpose the article to prospective clients (00:18:45).
• Offering discounts for bulk purchases, including Spotlight articles as free add-ons with premium plans, and creating different tiers of Spotlight articles, such as a simple and super Spotlight, can be ways to sell more of these articles and get more members signed on (00:19:15).
• The price of Spotlight articles will depend on the reach of the business, and it is recommended to start with entry-level prices and create a perceived value by positioning these articles as a valuable marketing tool (00:20:21).
• Creating different plans for Spotlight articles, such as sending shorter questionnaires or writing shorter articles based on the tier, can help motivate businesses to opt for these additional services and marketing tools (00:20:45).
• The perceived value created by the business will motivate people to want to opt for the Spotlight articles and other services, and finding examples of successful Spotlight articles on the internet can provide inspiration and guidance (00:21:11).

4 Spotlight Article Examples (00:21:14)

• Spotlight articles can be hosted on websites of varying business sizes, and they can be used to appeal to specific target audiences, such as small businesses, as seen on Bank of America’s website, which featured a spotlight article on Bear Bottle Brewing at (00:21:15).
• A small WordPress blog, Everyday Dog Magazine, featured a spotlight article on a company that creates dog IDs, and this article included questions such as why the business was started and what makes it stand out, with the business providing answers that were then edited for grammatical errors at (00:21:56).
• The Everyday Dog Magazine also offers a “Business Spotlight” feature, where businesses can pay to be featured on the website, and this feature includes a questionnaire that is sent to the business, which is then edited and published on the site at (00:22:02).
• Another example of a spotlight article is on the website lama.com, which features a list of the best Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles, and some businesses may pay to be included on this list, with the article including embedded Instagram posts and other media to enrich the content at (00:23:11).
• Brilliant Directories was featured on a podcast that spotlighted businesses, and this podcast included an interview with Jason Haluska, with an accompanying article, and the podcast offers a “bookings” link for businesses that want to be featured at (00:23:51).
• Creating spotlight articles can be beneficial for websites, as it creates content, makes members feel valued, and provides something for visitors to read, and it can also be shared on social media, resulting in a “triple win” for the website at (00:24:49).

Let’s Recap the Benefits! (00:25:20)

• To make spotlight articles effective, it is necessary to include relevant information about the businesses, which can be achieved by sending them questionnaires to gather the required information (00:25:21).
• The goal is to tell a compelling story about the businesses in the spotlight articles, which can help enhance their online presence (00:25:25).
• Measuring the success of the article is also crucial, and this can be done by gathering some insights, either for personal use or for the person who purchased the spotlight article (00:25:28).