Three Things You Must Do Before You Submit To Article Directories

To all writers and non-writers out there, now is the time to start digging up those creative writing skills.With modern communication technology comes the popularity of information-based marketing, which is one of the oldest and most effective techniques in getting targeted prospects to sites and converting them into buyers. This is

When writing an article, always have your reader in mind. Look at your article with a critical eye and think how your reader would interpret it. Don't think of it as an article, think of it as a sales piece.

Before writing an article, write down your goals for the article. Do you merely want to provide information and let people know you are knowledgeable in the field? Do you want to generate web traffic or would you prefer it if readers click on your links? It is imperative that you develop a goal for each article you write.

1. If your goal is to entice the viewer to click on your links, make sure you give them enough information to pique their curiosity and offer them more detailed information by clicking the link in your Resource Box.

2. Make a list of the main features of the item or service you are promoting in your article. If you are writing about autoresponders, list the features of autoresponders. For each of these features, write how it would benefit the user. For example:
Feature - It can send out thousands of sales presentations simultaneously.
Benefit - Earn thousands of dollars at the push of a button.

3. Paint a picture with your benefits. Make an emotional appeal so the viewers can actually see themselves. In the example above you can change the benefit to: Earn thousands of dollars while you bask in the warm sunshine of a Caribbean beach sipping a cool drink.

4. Select two or three of your strongest features and benefits and write them into your article. Start with the items that would be most attractive to your reader. It is not necessary to go into great detail; you will do that after they click on your link.

5. Write an attention grabbing title that compels the viewer to read further. People tend to skim over the available titles when they are looking for information. Your article has to jump out at them. Your title is the most important part of your article. If you write a great article and give it a boring title, no one will read it. All of your hard work will have been for nothing.

Using these five techniques, you will substantially increase you success rate with articles. I'm sorry, but I've got to go now. You see the tide is coming in and the waves are approaching my beach chair. Anyway, I can use another drink. I'll see you on the beach!

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The heart of any article marketing strategy is the creation of quality content. It can also be the hardest part of the process if you don't know the shortcuts and tricks of the trade. Here are a few inspirations and idea sparkers to help you build a large library of article marketing goodness.

1. It's all in the list

Top Ten lists, check lists, to-do lists - people love lists. And lists are easy to create. Just choose a topic (say, tax preparation) and an angle (mistakes people make) and get started writing down examples. Fill out each list item with a paragraph or two of advice, and then jazz it up with an attention-getting title, such as "Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Doing Their Own Taxes." Before you know it, you've got a winner.

One trick when it comes to lists is to stick with odd numbers, especially 5, 7 and 9. For some reason, the human mind seems to view odd numbers as exciting and attractive, while even numbers come across as flat or incomplete. Less than five seems skimpy, while more than 9 points is simply too much information for one article to cover - in fact, I'd stick with 5 and 7 just to be on the safe side. If you have more vital list items than that, break them up into an article series.

2. Questionable material

Another shortcut to writing an article is to pose a question in the opening paragraph, then use the remainder of the article to answer it. Maybe your friends and colleagues are always asking the same questions about your topic. If so, make a note and use them to spur article ideas. Jot down questions you get from customers, too. These are the best source for business-related Q&A articles.

Also, this is a good time to go through your website's FAQ. In many cases, the questions you have there regarding your business could each be the foundation for an individual article or even a series of articles, depending on how complicated the answer is.

3. Step by step

How-to or other instructional articles are also popular, and easy to write if you know your stuff. Make a quick outline of steps involved in the process, note any tips or hints that might save your reader time and frustration and get to writing. Just to make sure you haven't overlooked anything, ask a friend or colleague who is unfamiliar with your topic review the piece and see if your instructions are clear, complete and easy to understand.

4. Turn on the news

Keep your eye on the news, both in your subject and in general. What is going on in your field of interest? What effect will news items have on your subject? What changes are taking place in the world that will impact your topic?

Look outside the immediate scope of your topic - changes and trends in one industry, field or process can often be applied to others. This is a great opportunity for creative and innovative idea cross-pollination, and doing this will automatically brand you as a cutting-edge thinker in your field of interest.

5. Play it again, Sam

Finally, look around you and see what you can repurpose from existing content. Your blogs, ebooks, workshops and other existing IP (intellectual property) are great sources of inspiration and even directly repurposed content for articles. I'll talk more about this process in Article Marketing Bootcamp: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Content, but the core of the issue is this - why create your article content from scratch when the chances are good that you have enough material laying around you right now to get a great head start with just a little cutting, pasting and editing?

One of the hardest questions for writers to answer is also the most common - where do you get your ideas? Hopefully this article will help give you the inspiration you need to begin creating your own stock of article marketing content. Of course, there are as many ways to come up with content ideas as there are writers, and no doubt you'll stumble upon a few of your own as you gain experience. But these examples should provide you with enough to get you started on the road to successful article marketing.

Author Info:
Soni Pitts is a professional freelance writer and editor, with experience that ranges from short web articles to full-length ebooks and beyond.

"Need professional quality writing, but hate to write - or just don't have the time to do it all yourself? Don't let less-than-perfect writing skills or a tight schedule leave you at a loss for words. Query writer [at] sonipitts.com for a free consultation, samples and a quote."

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Its a jungle out there, so know and use your guerrilla marketing tactics! Jay Conrad Levinson wrote the book that started it all, the popular guerrilla marketing series. He has compiled a list of 100 tactics most of them fr*ee that savvy business leaders use.

One increasingly popular and profitable tactic on Levinsons list is the informative article. Articles are not ads. Articles are written to inform, to educate, and to help people solve problems. Articles you publish, online or off, can help you achieve several worthwhile marketing goals.

ARTICLES ESTABLISH YOUR CREDIBILITY

It is well accepted that consumer confidence is the number one factor affecting purchasing decisions. A potential client who does not trust you will not call you to place an order. He will not access your website and click to purchase. He will not talk to your sales rep.

Through articles you write, you can gain consumer confidence by demonstrating to readers that you understand their needs and that you have the knowledge and ability to deliver what they want.

You feel their pain and can meet their needs, competently and efficiently.

When you communicate this in articles you write, you establish your credibility.

Now when customers need services you provide, they have the confidence to click through to your website, to pick up the phone, or to walk into your store.

ARTICLES POSITION YOU AS THE EXPERT

If you run a business, you are an expert.

You can demonstrate your expertise by sharing your knowledge, experience, and insights with potential clients through your articles. By doing so, you position yourself as the expert.

Now as the credible expert you are the one to go to when its time to make a purchase.

ARTICLES ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ADS

Ads are good for grabbing attention, but well written articles can be much more effective since articles, as mentioned, establish your credibility and your expertise.

ARTICLES ARE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN ADS

Articles can be published in traditional print media, including newspapers and trade magazines, or be widely published and read online in opt-in ezines or newsletters like the ones you read. Or, better yet, the ones your clients read.

Since your articles can provide interesting content for their publications, many ezine and print editors will want to publish them at no cost to you. More effective, less expensive - just what every guerrilla needs.

ARTICLES CAN INCREASE YOUR WEB TRAFFIC, YOUR CLIENT BASE, AND YOUR INCOME

You can learn how to easily publish articles you write and begin to reach a wide audience quickly, especially when you publish electronically. Your helpful articles motivate readers to contact you. Your resource box or bio at the end tells them how to reach you and gives them the links to do so.

Several entrepreneurs who have published a number of articles have begun to get 100 new visitors to their websites each week. Those are targeted visitors. Visitors who chose to click through to their site for a reason - for more information, for a gift offer, or to make a purchase.

With your effectively designed web site, you can convert your new visitors into new clients. You should provide some motivation for people to leave you their contact information. Perhaps they could request one of your fr*ee offers. That could be an ebook or simply another article or special report you have prepared.

Or ask them a question theyll want to respond to. Since you want to understand your customers needs anyway ask, What are your biggest challenges/obstacles/complaints with marketing, writing, investing, or whatever your field of expertise. Better yet, give them a gift for answering the question.

ALL RIGHT! IM CONVINCED

All effective marketing plans must be implemented and must be ongoing. In other words, youve got to start and stick with it. Levinson, the original guerrilla marketer, says this is an area where many businesses drop the ball. They quit working their plan. He says all marketing works, youve just got to give it enough time.

PLAN YOUR WORK, WORK YOUR PLAN

Work into your calendar a time slot for writing an article at least once a month. You should expect to spend 4 to 8 hours writing and submitting a 400 to 1000 word article.

This may seem like a large commitment, but the return on your time investment could be dozens or even hundreds of targeted new contacts each week.

You can learn more about preparing and submitting articles from several websites by searching online for article writing. Opening Doors with Your Articles (at http://www.charliecook.net/) is a helpful ebook written by Charlie Cook explaining the process from writing to formatting to submitting articles.

By searching online for article announce, you can find several sites that make articles you post available to ezine and website editors who are seeking content for their publications.

Yahoo has half a dozen sites used by hundreds of editors and writers. You might begin with http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce/.

DO WHAT YOU DO BEST

If you feel you need to improve your writing skills, you can read books, subscribe to email courses, or study writers websites.

On the other hand, you need to determine the best use of your time. If writing articles takes energy away from doing what you do best, then maybe you should...

HIRE A GUERRILLA!

Smart marketers dont reject an outstanding marketing tactic just because its inconvenient, uncomfortable, or outside their realm of expertise. They find a way to get the job done.

Levinson finds that most business owners are aware of only 5 to 10 of his guerrilla marketing tactics and possibly only use 3 of them. But he says guerrillas are aware of all 100 tactics and use about 40 of them.

You can read Levinsons 100 tactics at http://gmarketingcoach.com/weapons.htm. Over half of these tactics cost nothing, but others are outsourced.

Just like many business owners outsource their website design, their advertising campaigns, or the manufacture of their signs, you can outsource your article writing needs. A search for freelance writer or copywriter turns up links to individuals or to services that connect buyers to writers.

Promote your business like a guerrilla. Theres always more than one way to get a job done. In fact, Levinson tells us that there are at least 100 ways.

Publishing articles in ezines or in print is one tactic that needs to be in your arsenal. So consistently write and publish your articles or hire your own guerrilla and get the job done!

--

PERMISSIONS TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in its entirety free of charge, electronically or in print, provided it appears with the included copyright and authors resource box with live website link. The only changes allowed are to the summary, and you may substitute your affiliate links for mine. Notification by email to cj@BestExpressions.biz of intent to publish is appreciated but not required.

None of the links in this article are submitted as affiliate links, though the ebook author does offer affiliate links.

About The Author

Claire-Jean Korzenewski writes effective content that works hard for you - to improve profits, to enhance your image, to inform, to educate. She is the owner of Best Expressions Writing & Desktop Services at http://www.BestExpressions.biz. Email her at cj@BestExpressions.biz.

Making Money with Your Blog!

A place for finding the Nuts and Bolts for Making Money Online with Affiliate Marketing Business Opportunity!

With Google Universal Search's integration of several types of web content into the main search engine, an opportunity now exists for you to snatch up better search engine results faster, if you're quick. One of those ways is by combining article marketing and Google News. Submitted through the right publication, article contents get into Google News faster, and for the right queries they can rise to the top of results faster.

The first thing that you'll need to do is get your article into a publication that is featured at Google News in your market. This is a lot harder than the hype surrounding the situation would make it seem. Submitting to a publication that shows up in Google news usually means going through a review process for each article - there's no guarantee that you'll get in. You must look at the big picture. You'll need to write an article that has the best odds of getting good placement, showing up for searches on your name as well as your keywords (which becomes vastly more important when you become well-known), and other factors which will affect how far the reach of your article is.

One resource that has a long-standing record of getting published in Google News is American Chronicles. You must apply to be an author, and not everyone gets in. Heighten your chances by writing a great article.

The second thing you'll need to do is write something that would achieve not just appearance in Google News, but circulation beyond it. You want people to be quoting your article and passing it along to their friends and colleagues. In other words, you need a great topic. One tip: test your article at EzineArticles.com. If the editors there won't accept it, then you're not ready. If they do, when people recognize your name, they'll have a place to go to re-publish your work.

The third thing you need in order to get your articles published on high-profile sites like Google News you have to is find a way to tie your piece into a recent event, in a niche youre well versed in, with a style people can learn from and relate to - then if you can bring them from the article to your site, youre pretty much set.

This is building on a tip Ive given before, namely, write about something thats on everyones mind already. Find a way to tie your tip, news, opinion, review, etc, into what everyone is chatting about by the virtual water cooler.

But heres the spin.

Dont just talk about what everyone else is talking about. Go from a different angle, take a different opinion than the prevailing one, use a different style.

For example. You can write about that fact that Google is doing something new, like when the Google Sitemaps program started.

OR you could write about how webmasters can take advantage of Google Sitemaps. And what is the easiest point of entry. Or mistakes to avoid.

With me now? You want your article to be more interesting, compelling and useful than the next persons. As you begin to get more exposure, youll find yourself published in the places that give you much more publicity for the same amount of work.

You can learn from someone who says they know what they're doing, or you can learn from someone who can prove it. Get more free tips at http://www.freetraffictip.com on article marketing, business blogging, blog traffic, RSS, linking, search engine optimization, and podcasting.

Viral marketing is a methods of list building

There are multiple methods of list building, and if you are just getting started, until you have gained mastery over one or two methods, it is advisable to use multiple methods of list building strategies. You’ll see every step of the process, no matter how small, in exacting detail so

When it comes to Search Engine Optimization also known as SEO almost all website technicians have heard of it and wish that they could do it as well. Well guess what, SEO is possible to do to your website, you just have to keep in mind that SEO isnt all the website is made up of. You will also have to keep up with the website in general and not focus too much on the SEO where the web page gets outdated.

First you have to focus on the keywords. A keyword is the word that you will be using a lot in the Web page text. In 250 word texts on your web page use the keyword about 5-15%, You may think that there is no such thing as using a keyword in your web page text too many times, but the truth is that you can. Using the keyword in your web page text too many time can create the negative effect from what you are wanting. You may discourage people away from your web page and they may not be able to find it if you use that keyword too many times.

When it comes to great SEO tips that work something else to concentrate on is maybe to find someone who will compose the SEO text for your website for you, you could pay a friend or family member a little bit of extra money to write the SEO text for you, make sure you tell them exactly what you want and what you are looking for and if the first time they mess up, or perhaps even the second time isnt quit what you want, dont discourage them away from it because at least you have the base of some type of SEO script to go by. Nothing will be the way you want it unless you do it, so of course there will be a bit of editing to do to an SEO if you have someone else do it.

Written by Ross Jonson. Find the latest information on SEO as well as a Web Design Agency.

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As a full-time online marketer and webmaster I try to keep my eyes peeled to what is happening with the search engines. These complex creatures control the Internet. They truly are the heart, soul and brains of the web.

Unfortunately, they also control the faith of many struggling webmasters who are clawing their way to the top of SERPs in organic search. Being listed on these first page results for your chosen keyword phrases is the ultimate goal and it is often the determining factor in the success of your site.

Recently, I have noticed some strange movements with my closely watched keywords, especially in Google. Which shouldn't alarm anyone because there are often sudden movements and adjustments as Google tweaks and refines its algorithm, the complex series of formulas it uses to determine which pages and sites get featured.

(Side note: An excellent resource on Google's Algorithm and ranking factors can be found here: http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors#f41 )

It's way too early to jump to any conclusions but the big question on everyone's mind: Is Google Moving Towards Semantic Search?

Or more precisely will Google have to move to semantic search if it has any chance of surviving in our 'here today gone tomorrow' search world. Most of us old folks can easily recall a pre-Google web. Is a post-Google web possible?

That's very hard to swallow but stranger things have happened on the net. But the real question should be: will Google have to embrace semantic search or perish?

Wikipedia defines Semantic Search or Semantic Web as the evolving process of taking all the content on the world wide web and "expressing it not only in natural language, but also in a form that can be understood, interpreted and used by software agents, thus permitting them to find, share and integrate information more easily."

As can be imagined, finding the formats and framework which all this data can be processed into meaningful responses directly related to a search enquiry is mind boggling. Technologies such as RDF(Resource Description Framework), data interchange formats (e.g. RDF/XML, Turtle, N3, N-Triples), RDFS (RDF Schema) and OWL (Web Ontology Language) will all probably play a role. Many believe microformats will be very important in this evolving semantic web.

New Semantic Search Engine

We now have our first search engine supposedly based on semantics or meaning: Hakia (www.hakia.com). Is it the first in a whole new wave of search engines generated and powered by the Semantic Web which is now tagged as Web 3.0? More importantly, can it compete against a more text based search engine such as Google?

Hakia has some great features such as highlighting potential answers to your posted question. For example, ask it a question like: What is the population of Seattle? And you will get an answer. But you will also get a gallery page featuring all the relevant information about Seattle: How to get there? Local Hotels, Restaurant Guides, Local Weather...

Of course, do the same search in Google and you will also find your information along with images and maps of Seattle. However, using Hakia will show you the relevant information faster because it is highlighted and easier to find. And in my opinion having a whole gallery page of information somehow makes your search more relevant and useful.

Can Google Compete?

Is this a better mousetrap? Maybe, maybe not... but it is definitely pointing the way to a better method of searching on the web.

Granted, this type of search engine has a long way to go to match Google's massive resources and obvious dominance in the search market. But even the most devoted Google user like myself must admit Google's method of ranking pages and content on the web is not without some flaws. Take for example the issue of Google Bombing where different webmasters influenced the listing of the keyword 'miserable failure' to point to President Bush.

Google has now solved that problem but Google is basically an elitist system where sites and content is judged by the PR ranking system and its algorithm and filters. One would like to believe it is a democratic system where the best and highest quality content rises to the top. One would like to...

For information is one thing but opinions and the quality of those opinions is something entirely different. Will the new semantic web/search be able to judge quality content and rank it as good as Google presently does?

Problems For Webmasters

Regardless of how the whole Semantic Web scenario plays out, it may have some consequences for webmasters and marketers. At least in the initial stages until you can adjust or optimize your sites to this new 400 pound Gorilla on the block.

One major concern is how will the literal translation or semantic meaning of your site's title and URL determine your placement in a semantically themed search engine? Although most webmasters know to place their major keywords in their site's domain name but if you cover many topics within your site this is not always possible.

Plus, does a semantic web mean everything will probably have to be tagged to the nth degree as we are seeing in blogs, social media and Web 2.0? Thankfully this can be easily done with free software such as WordPress which has tagging already built into its programming.

If we do get truly semantic search wouldn't on page factors play an even greater role for ranking? Special care would have to be taken as regards to your keywords and keyword variations. Great care will also have to be taken with page Titles, Meta Tags and your URLS.

I notice I am listed in Hakia for certain keywords but those have the direct phrases in the URLS.

Keen observers will also note that Google is now listing five or six related links in the number one SERPs position for certain keyword phrases. All these links come from the same site but are they more semantically related to the search enquiry than traditional links we have seen in Google? Or are they more in line with the gallery pages we see in Hakia?

Of course, jumping to any conclusions based on just one or two examples is foolhardy to say the least. Especially where search engines are concerned.

Brave New Internet

No doubt, Semantic Search or a Semantic Web poses some difficult obstacles and challenges as we seek a more human response from all those bits and bytes. For example, will semantic search mean we will have more closely focused sites strictly sticking to the topic of the url or domain name. Will the semantic web be more restricting than liberating?

When it is all said and done, will we really be able to devise a computer/machine/system that will be able to truly interpret the vast stored knowledge and give us the right meaningful answers to our questions? Will it be able to be programmed so its human enough to not only understand but also interpret the subtle differences and meanings we have for different words in the whole context of a webpage?

Perhaps the most intriguing question, can someone take the present day 'www index' and then apply microformats or even new technology to this massive data and build a supplemental exclusive extension of the present day web? Turn it into a more semantic 'natural language search' accessible index. If such a gigantic feat was even feasible, you would also have to wonder who could have the resources to make such a creature possible!

As we have seen from Google a dance is not necessarily a dance and a slap is not necessarily a slap. Could an index be more than an index? It may be too early to tell but Google will probably be better equipped to quickly adjust than anyone to this new Semantic Web whatever shape or form it takes.

Long Live BackRub!

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The author is a full-time online marketer who has numerous niche websites, including two sites on Internet Marketing. For the latest and most effective web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools Or for the most powerful marketing software try: Internet Marketing Software Copyright 2007 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

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Technical skills and huge marketing budget are no longer the elements that can take your website's popularity to the next level. Today, when everybody craves for valuable information online, content-based marketing solutions are the best ways to promote your ebusiness, your expertise, and your ideas.

One of the best content-based marketing solutions today is article marketing. As you know, it is the process of writing and distributing articles to numerous avenues that include article submission sites, blogs, forums, and even websites to obtain quality inbound links to your own website. This can lead to increased page ranking, improve sales potential, and amazing profits.

1. Quality content. There are numerous elements that can make your article marketing a success. But the most crucial one is the quality of your content. Strive to give your readers useful, informative, fact-based, timely, and well-written articles. When you are able to incorporate all of these on your writing, you can be assured that your articles will be picked up and widely distributed online.

2. Optimize your articles. Keep SEO in mind while writing your content. Knowing how to use and position your keywords on your articles can help you secure better page ranking online.

3. Be consistent not only in delivering quality content but also in submitting your articles to publishing sites on a regular basis. This can tremendously strengthen your online presence and your credibility.

4. Make your resource box compelling. You would want readers to click on your resource box so you can drive them on your website. Make it powerful and convincing by either offering your potential clients incentives or communicating the benefits you can offer once they click on your website's URL.

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