Archive for the 'Article Marketing' Category

The Way To Your Customer’s Wallet Is Through Articles

Published by Heather on November 18, 2007 in Article Marketing and Articles. 0 Comments

One of the best ways to promote your website and knowledge is free. That’s right, I said free. The bonus? This “free” method can elevate your website traffic, increase your sales, and double, even triple your income.

And what is this free method? Articles.

Articles? Exactly how does this work?

Take the main topic or topics of your website and write relevant articles that you can submit to free content sites. These are also known as article directories. It’s easy to write the articles, takes very little time and provides one way links back to your site. This increases your search engine rankings, traffic to your site, and in turn your sales and income.

How can article writing boost traffic and income?

When you submit your articles to the article directories, you’ll include a resource box or an about the author box. You need to make sure that the link to your website is in that box. If your reader likes what they read they may just click on the link in your resource box and pay you a visit. Because they are listed in the article directories, they are also available for other webmasters to publish on their sites increasing your exposure.

When someone takes an article from the directory, they are required to include the full article, unedited, with the resource box included. Therefore, you’ll have another link back to your site. Yet another opportunity for someone to click on your link.

My rule of thumb is one article a week per site. Does this always happen? No. However, I want to get these articles out because as my list of published articles grows, the total number of links back to my site grows. Most major search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN are placing a lot of significance on incoming, one way links to websites. This is one way that they determine the importance of the site and in turn, boosts your search engine rankings.

The more articles you have the more one way inbound links you have and the greater search engine results. This makes it easier for people to find your site. Buying on the internet grows more and more popular as time goes on and you want to be infront of them.

Is Article Marketing Really Free?

I say that it is, and in essence, it is. The actual writing of the articles is free if you do it yourself. If you hire a ghostwriter because you just don’t want to write, can’t write, or don’t have time to write, then that will cost money. There are private label sites that will sell you articles that you can do with what you want, but you’ll still need to make significant changes to them before you can submit them on your own.

To submit the articles can be free as well if you do it manually. If you hire a Virtual Assistant or use a distribution service to distribute that can cost money as well. There are some distribution sites that charges as little as $2 per article. Others charge a monthly fee or per article.

Give it the old college try. You’re not going to hurt anything by hashing out a few ideas. If you’re curious to see how it works, add a link in your resource box that’s not accessible from your home page and that you don’t promote anywhere else. See how much comes to it.

Just last week I submitted a new article for a new website I started. I started getting subscribers that same day. I can tell you that it works.
About the Author:

Heather Jacobson doesn’t pay for marketing if she doesn’t have to and uses the power of article marketing to elevate her business. Sign up for the free 5 day eCourse on article marketing at http://www.valleyva.net/article-ecourse.html and discover how you too can market your business with articles!

What Do You Mean You Don’t Have Anything To Write About?

Published by Heather on November 18, 2007 in Article Marketing and Articles. 0 Comments

One of the questions I’m repeatedly asked is how to use article marketing when you’re not a writer and don’t have anything to write about. If you say you have nothing to write about, I think you’re wrong. I’m willing to bet you have more topics to write about than you have time. But, here are a few suggestions to help you get over that writers block.

First, don’t stare at a blank computer screen waiting for an idea to come to you. You’re probably putting too much pressure on yourself. What I want you to do is first think of your target market. What do they want to know? Take a blank piece of paper or that blank Word document and just start brainstorming. List topics that you think your target market wants to know about. Just keep writing them down.

Here are some examples for you:

If you are a dog trainer, you’re going to want to talk about how to housebreak a dog, how to teach a dog to sit, stay, fetch, etc. There are at least four article topics.

If you’re a virtual assistant, your target market probably wants to know how a VA will benefit them, the cost savings of a virtual assistant or the various tasks that a business owner can delegate to a VA. There are at least three topics for a virtual assistant.

Next, I want you to think of business related books that you’ve read, services you’ve subscribed to, or informational products you’ve bought. Were they beneficial to you? Yes? Write a review! Do you use Stamps.com? How does it work for you? What are the benefits? Is it worth the monthly fees?

On a separate sheet of paper I want you to list all of the products that have helped you succeed in business, either by increasing your knowledge or helping you to run an effective and efficient business. Keep writing until you’re all out of ideas, but keep the sheet handy, because I guarantee you that you’re going to think of another one while you’re trying to fall asleep tonight.

Do you still feel like you need some more ideas to write articles?

Ok, here we go.

Visit every forum and message board that you are a member of. Yes, every single one of them. Look at the posts that you’ve written. Have you taken time to post a lengthy response to someone else’s question? Great! You now have the start of an article. Flesh it out and use it to market your knowledge and expertise.

Here’s the last idea for you and it’s by far one of my favorites. Interview someone. That’s right, I said interview someone. If you’re a virtual assistant, ask your clients if they would mind taking 15 minutes out of their day so that you can interview them. Ask them about how they use a VA. Ask them how a VA benefits their business. Come up with some additional questions to ask. When you’re done, draft it in to an article and use it!

If you have 10 clients, you’ve got 10 articles! (Even better, you could put it together for potential clients to download from your site as a bonus for signing up for your newsletter.)

There are many more ideas on how to come up with article content and then how to recycle your content so that you get the most out of it!

For the record, this article started out as a response to one of my subscribers. Before you knew it, I had an article. See how simple that was?

About the Author:

Heather Jacobson doesn’t pay for marketing if she doesn’t have to and uses the power of article marketing to elevate her business. Sign up for the free 5 day eCourse on article marketing at http://www.valleyva.net/article-ecourse.html and discover how you too can market your business with articles!

6 Red Hot Tips To Get Your Article Read

Published by Heather on November 18, 2007 in Article Marketing and Articles. 0 Comments

Let’s face it…you struggle with writing papers. You didn’t like it in high school and college and you don’t like it now. You’re not alone! Why is it that you don’t like to write? Is it because you think no one will read it; that there are too many articles out there on the ‘net? Are you someone who doesn’t read articles so you don’t think others will? Here’s the deal – articles are supposed to be read, but they won’t be unless you make it worth the time to read. If you don’t then writing articles is a waste of time and effort.

At the same time, you have to write articles that are meant to be read. It’s just a matter of making them good and that doesn’t have to be strenuous and straining. There are guides to follow and points that need to be made and once you get the hang of it, you’ll see the benefit and value of articles.

Now, before you go off writing articles, let’s make a few things clear. You must write about something you know. Chances are you’re promoting your website or area of expertise so look for things that tie into that. When you write about something you know you won’t have as hard of a time coming up with the topics. Once you have the topic it’s just a matter of making your articles creative and interesting.

Are you ready to learn how to write your articles so that they are read? Here are 6 easy ways to do just that!

1) Use shorter paragraphs.

When the paragraphs are longer, it looks like it’s hard to read. Your readers will skim, if that, and won’t digest what you’re trying to say. With all the information out there we’ve all become skimmers. Make it easy for your reader. Forget what your English teacher taught you. Paragraphs can now be one sentence or even one word. I’m giving you permission to do this!

2) Use numbers and bullet points wherever possible.

The numbers and bullet point emphasis importance. It draws the readers’ attention to what you really want to tell them. I’m willing to bet that with this article, you skimmed the introduction and you read the numbered lines and then skimmed the descriptions.

That’s okay. What I really want you to know is the sentence that’s attached to the number. Even if you read nothing else, you know 6 easy ways to make people read your articles

3) Use Sub-headings

Use subheadings to direct your reader. Much like bullet points, they emphasize what you really want your reader to know and the transition from one point to the next is smooth and easy for the reader.

4) Provide a good attention-grabbing title or header.

Your headline is key! If you don’t grab them with your title you might as well forget it. Don’t place stress on yourself over this.

There are many “formulas” you can use for headlines and titles. People like numbers – “Lose 30lbs in 30 days”, “Increase your traffic by 500% in 7 days!”.
Play on emotion. That’s what people are looking for. Are your tips “simple” or “easy”? Are they “quick”? Think about keywords that your readers are searching for. Your title should be short, sweet and do the point but it also needs to describe what your article is about.

5) Use real life situations.

Have you ever noticed that you’re drawn to things that you can relate to? Why would your readers be any different? If you’re talking about starting your own virtual assistant business, your reader probably wants to know what happened to you. What snags did you come across? How did you over come them? What mistakes did you make and how can they learn from them?

As long as you don’t over do it, descriptions and metaphors also make for a good article. Put them in the article. They’ll stick with it to see how it all turns out.

6) Use facts and figures that you can back up

Make your article authoritative by using facts and figures. While this is a good tactic, don’t turn your article into a formal report. Do you like reading formal reports?

Here’s an example. Recently there was a news scandal in our area. The affidavit was posted online along with the article. Because I had never seen an affidavit before, I decided to look at it but it was so dry and boring (even though it was a scandal!). I got more out of, and read the entire article next to the affidavit. Why? The reporter put it into my terms, made it not so formal, and something that I could relate to.

Consider yourself a teacher and you’re explaining the topic to your students.

Using the above six tips, you’re well on your way to not only grabbing your reader’s attention, but keeping them with you from start to finish. You main goal is to write an informative, readable article that others will see value in and post on their web site. Set yourself up as an expert and you’ll have followers waiting for your next literary work!

About the Author:

Heather Jacobson doesn’t pay for marketing if she doesn’t have to and uses the power of article marketing to elevate her business. Sign up for the free 5 day eCourse on article marketing at http://www.valleyva.net/article-ecourse.html and discover how you too can market your business with articles!