Each week I receive dozens of article submissions to my websites from aspiring authors, website owners, and entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, I can only use a small fraction of the articles I receive because the writers are making one of the crucial mistakes listed below.
KEY POINT: When you submit articles to a newsletter/ezine publisher or a website owner, you have to remember that we aren't going to publish YOUR article for OUR customers and visitors unless it is a high quality article that gives something of value.
If you're writing articles like crazy, but getting very few of them actually published, then you might want to re-evaluate your approach. Are you making one of these crucial mistakes?
1. Poor Subject Matter:
If you're going to bother to write an article, write about something that we're interested in reading about. In other words, address a problem and provide a solution. Articles that approach an old problem in a new way or with a new twist work well too -- you don't have to necessarily discover a whole new problem that no one else has ever though of before (If you discover a whole new problem and have the solution you better be thinking of product creation not just an article!).
2. Write with personality:
No one likes to read text books. Put a little of your own personality into your writing and make it engaging and entertaining as well as informative. If you have a sense of humor, use it. You have a good chance of being published on one of my sites if you make me giggle... Belly laughs are nearly guaranteed to be published.
3. Write for your audience:
Don't send an article about the value of protein in the American diet to a Russian Political website or the publisher of a podiatry newsletter... They don't care.
4. Write a decent sized article:
I would much rather an article be a little bit too long than very short. Four hundred word articles just don't have enough meat in them. I'm not suggesting that you ramble, but you've got to give me some details if you want me to publish your piece.
5. Break up your article:
Don't write your article in three long paragraphs. Break it up into smaller paragraphs with a few single lines, bullets, etc. to make it easier and more enjoyable to read. Again -- no one likes to read text books.
6. Spell Check and Grammar:
I don't mind correcting a couple of mixed up letters now and then, but let's be reasonable -- spell check your articles. Grammar is another thing that bugs me. I know that I don't always get it perfect myself, but your grammar has to be reasonable. Some of the people sending me articles need to take a high school English class.
One last point in this category is word usage -- don't use words in your article unless you actually know what they mean. Using big words doesn't necessarily make you look smarter. Did you know that newspapers are aimed at a sixth grade reading level?
7. Stop sending sales letters:
No one will publish an article that reads like a sales letter... period.
8. Forget about affiliate links:
Use your head... why would anyone use your article if it's full of your affiliate links? Ever hear of the "Golden Rule?" This is kind of the "Golden Rule" of writing articles -- don't expect someone else to do something that you wouldn't do. Would you publish another writer's article if it were full of his affiliate links? I doubt it.
9. Create a reasonable resource box:
A resource box should tell me who you are, what you do, and how I can get in touch with you. It's not unlimited advertising space for you to describe every website you run and each product you sell. Don't bother sending an article where the resource box is half as long as the article itself. That "Golden Rule" thing applies to resource boxes too.
10. Only write about what you know.
Even if you're writing an opinion piece, get your facts straight. Don't write an article filled with advice that you have no business giving.
If you take nothing else away from this article, remember that good copy always answers "What's in it for me?" When you're writing articles to send to newsletter and website publishers, you have to answer that question on two fronts...
What's in it for the publisher? Why should they show your article to their customers and visitors? Does it give something of value?
-- AND --
What's in it for the people who will ultimately be reading your article when it's published?
After all, the idea is to provide some worthy content that compels readers to visit your site, subscribe to your newsletter, or buy your product. So next time you send an article, what's in it for me?
? Chris Yates - All Rights reserved. http://www.yoursitesupport.com
personalized cleaning services Des Plaines ..We get so caught up with internet marketing and "web... Read More
Keeping it clean could give you a boost.By Mark White... Read More
Have you even been to CNN's website? Odds are you... Read More
One of the most frequent questions I get asked by... Read More
Does your website offer visitors a quick and easy way... Read More
How to improve conversion rate for your website? How to... Read More
Who me? Track?Now I realize some turn a blind eye... Read More
Are you interested in empowering your website so it will... Read More
Is your business lagging behind?Are you frustrated?Cheer up.Here are 10... Read More
A prospect's mind is an intimate place... Read More
The beauty of the Internet is that it allows you... Read More
Description: one way of jumpstarting you link campaign is to... Read More
Until recently, audio, video, Flash, and static graphics were all... Read More
If you are a small business owner with a website,... Read More
Do you want to make your website more profitable?If you... Read More
How many competitions are there running on the net at... Read More
Five Nifty Ways to Make Your Site Sticky!'Stickiness' is one... Read More
If you desire to succeed in internet promotion, you must... Read More
Got one? Two? Three?If you have competitors, then you should... Read More
Promote your website using articles - Internet is all about... Read More
Fresh Web Content Yields Better Search Engine ResultsAll too often,... Read More
Being a restaurant owner means you are always interested in... Read More
Submitting your website to the main search engines should be... Read More
How much does an advert in Yellow Pages cost? How... Read More
For the first time internet entrepreneur [newbie] the best ways... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Arlington Heights ..You can learn many things you didn't know about your... Read More
At present there are over 3.3 billion pages indexed by... Read More
If you want to make money on the web, you... Read More
Some Internet marketing experts have claimed that the best way... Read More
The ChallengeWebSiteMarketingPlan.com was to be a companion site to the... Read More
I think you all know that buying pop ups in... Read More
Almost anyone who has tried submitting to free-for-all sites will... Read More
Do you want to make your website more profitable?If you... Read More
The Importance of Page ContentThe content of a page is... Read More
1. Tell people you have a siteThis might seem blindingly... Read More
Links are the main pillar of your website. To navigate... Read More
Web analytics. Don't worry, it's not as boring as it... Read More
Just because you put up a web store doesn't mean... Read More
Interested in boosting your link popularity, raising your Google PR,... Read More
If you haven't visited the Google Labs lately, they have... Read More
If you are a small business owner with a website,... Read More
You have invested your time and money into putting up... Read More
Let's face it, getting (and keeping) a good Google... Read More
If your website sales are down and you desire to... Read More
Link Value is the perceived value another site will derive... Read More
So you've made the perfect web site (in your eyes... Read More
Finding the successful keywords is crucial in order to get... Read More
If you are like most webmasters, your goal is to... Read More
It is estimated that it can take the average consumer... Read More
Website promotion Internet marketing is perhaps the most important part... Read More
Web Site Promotion |