So what is all the talk about having a lot of "content" on my website? And what is "content" exactly? And how will it help my business grow and prosper? I get these questions from my internet students all of the time. Let me say this?Having a lot of great content is one of the key ingredients to those websites that are successful and profitable.
Once I explain the value of content to my students they almost always chime back with "but I can't write!" Never fear, there is always an answer for the creative mind.
1. Don't Like to Write - Find Those that Do
One of the simplest solutions if you don't like to write is to find those that do. Where? Elance.com is a good place to start. They have all kinds of writers that write on all subjects. Sign up for an account and post a job. Try to be as specific as possible as to your writing needs. For example, topic, style, word count and so on. You will receive back bids from a numbers of authors. Read what they have to say and read their sample works. A little tip: if you go with the cheapest guy on the block, you will probably get poor work. So it is better to at least go middle of the road in terms of pricing. Expect to pay a minimum of $15 an article for about 400 words or so. Another little tip is to give 2 authors the same project and see which one produces the better work.
2. Press Release - Hear all About It!
There is a fine company called PRWeb.com that will distribute your press releases. It's not free and depending upon what kind of "contribution" you want to make, it will cost anywhere from $10 to $80. The key here is to study their website and learn. A Press release is not a sales letter and they post guidelines and even have a teleconference to let you know how to get the most out of your press release campaign. I highly recommend it. I would recommend doing a $10 press release to get started as a way of walking before you run. The first time I used the service I made a few blunders unknowingly and was glad I hadn't spent the $80! This tool can be invaluable to get your information out to thousands of resources with your website address on it.
3. OPA - Other People's Articles
You can go to any number of article directories and use their articles for FREE. But remember to use the author's resource box at the end of the article or you are violating copyright laws. A resource box has the author's name, small bio and their website address. Go to Google, type in 'Article Directories' and a whole slew of them will appear. I like to go with the better known ones that have quality content. I have all of my articles at tops directories like www.articlecity.com and www.ezinearticles.com. Those are two good resources and of course, there are about two dozen more or so. Most article directories are organized by subject matter or expert authors and you can do your searches quite easily. If you find an author you really enjoy, it would be wise for you to make contact with them. Let them know you would like to be on their update list when they produce new articles.
4. Clubs, Organizations and Trade Magazines
Let's say that you need content for your gardening website that specializes in perennial gardens. There are probably thousands of gardening clubs, organizations and trade magazines that have newsletters or materials you can reprint. Contact them and let them know you are looking for quality articles, newsletters, tips, secrets, ideas on perennial gardens. You might just be surprised how much information they would be willing to share as long as you give them credit for their work and publish their website address in return.
5. Start a Blog - Never-ending content
Try blogspot.com and set up your free blogger on your website. If you don't know how to do it, just get your favorite webmaster to set it up. It isn't that complicated but it can be invaluable. You can get it going by making your own posts. You can share your own information like " 3 Easy ways to keep your gardens bug free this summer" or you may have read something in a magazine that says " Ortho has come out with Zappit bug spray that will keep your gardens beautiful all summer long?I have used it and here is what I found that maybe useful to you." You can comment, question, inform on a blog. Keep your blog useful and people will come to visit and hopefully contribute regularly.
6. Testimonials - Why people should do business with you?
The more testimonials you can get the better. You may have to offer an incentive for people to take the time to write you a testimonial longer than a sentence or two. Let's say you sell custom made cowboy hats. You know people love them because they come back and buy more than one. You could offer an incentive such as "If you love our cowboy hats, we would love to hear about it. When we receive your letter telling us why you love our hats so much, we will send you a coupon for 20% off your next hat purchase." And then you have a testimonials section flooded with letters from your customers. If you can scan them in so people can see the originals, all the better for credibility.
7. Reviews - Your opinion counts!
Let's say you sell high end power tools to the custom furniture builder. You could write reviews on the different products pointing out the positive and negative features. Trade journals in this field probably have reviews of products as well and the companies who manufacture them. You can re-word them to fit accordingly. Or better yet, if you have used the tools, you are skilled enough to let people know what features are great and why they should buy it.
Hopefully, you now understand how to get great content on your site without picking up a pen or pounding away on the keyboard. Our next article will discuss why content is so important and how it can help you with your search engine rankings and ultimately result in sales.
Jan Peterson founder of http://www.goldstarreview.com researches and reviews business opportunities including internet marketing, real estate investing, affiliate marketing, financial investing and more. Over 400 FREE reports available.
elite cleaning services Des Plaines ..Free For All Links Pages have been given a bad... Read More
What is web-marketing? Why does your business need it?The best... Read More
Do you know how your web site fits into the... Read More
How many competitions are there running on the net at... Read More
Over the past couple of months it has been quite... Read More
(but also one of the most crucial part)It is time... Read More
If you are not getting traffic at your website and... Read More
Promote your website using articles - Internet is all about... Read More
Here are some simple and easy tips on how to... Read More
In many cases when you start a new website you... Read More
Some "experts" say they don't exist. Apparently we have become... Read More
With the increase competition on the Internet, it can be... Read More
The Google patent application submitted in March, 2005 has generated... Read More
Do you know why your website is not making money... Read More
Acquiring relevant backlinks to your website is one of the... Read More
Keeping in touch with other sites like Amazon.com, Buy.com and... Read More
Promoting your website might seem like an enormous task that... Read More
Accessibility: Is your website causing you to loose potential clients?With... Read More
I feel the most effective way to get people to... Read More
On a regular basis I receive e-mail through all my... Read More
I doubt that anyone reading this article hasn't at one... Read More
Writing articles and submitting them to free content sites is... Read More
How can one get a good ranking in the major... Read More
Record keeping measurements for Internet marketing Record keeping tracks money... Read More
Link Value is the perceived value another site will derive... Read More
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..How to market your business? It needs your continual effort.... Read More
This article explains in detail the various issues related to... Read More
Viral marketing can work wonders for any business, web site... Read More
Stop wasting your time and having your energy sucked dry!... Read More
Writing effective web copy begins with an understanding of what... Read More
Search engine optimisation ? it's the holy grail of website... Read More
This author's open-source marketing plan, as announced on June 29,... Read More
The Google patent application submitted in March, 2005 has generated... Read More
Quickly making money with a website is the dream of... Read More
Here are 5 questions to flex your mental muscle to.... Read More
Writing and distributing articles is fast becoming a popular method... Read More
Personalized search is a hot topic especially since Yahoo! and... Read More
Creating a new website is only the first stage in... Read More
1. Generate Targeted Traffic from Online Discussion Forums.Online discussion forums... Read More
If you've subscribed to an seo newsletter for longer than... Read More
Do you want to reach millions of potential customers for... Read More
Directories are the best means for getting related links and... Read More
Here are 10 power secrets to help your website promotion... Read More
Measuring and understanding your Website's success is a critical process... Read More
I feel the most effective way to get people to... Read More
Search engine optimization by some is considered a science and... Read More
If you desire to succeed in internet promotion, you must... Read More
Are you happy with your website? (Does your business even... Read More
1. Start your own internet radio station. It could be... Read More
You may already have thought about the following 3 ways... Read More
Web Site Promotion |