Most Internet marketers worth their salt know how effective articles can be to generate promotion for their web sites. The major problem for many is simply writing the article.
This article shows you the exact steps I usually take to construct an article to achieve maximum publicity for my web site. By following this model you will be able to do the same quickly and easily.
1. The Big Idea
The very first stage is to get the basic theme of your article. The inspiration for my own articles often comes to me when I am 'switched off' and doing something completely different.
The theme for your article should be closely linked to the theme of your web site, in order to attract targeted prospects.
2. Write The Title And Introduction
At first this is only a rough introductory paragraph or two, and I do not worry too much about the exact wording at this stage. My introductory paragraph(s) simply tell the reader what the article is about. I usually write my first idea of a title for the article at this point too.
3. Sketch Out The Content
I brainstorm the major points I want to cover, and write them down, one after the other. I do not worry about their order, my major concern is getting the ideas in my head down on paper. I may even write down the odd sentence or paragraph to back up each point.
Once I've got the basic outline, I look at the order of the points I am making, switch them around if necessary, and make sure I have written down everything I want to cover.
4. Fill In the Content
This is when the real meat of the article is written.
Each of the points I have briefly written down before need filling in. I need to explain what I mean, and go into further depth.
You should not fill your article with affiliate links to sites you want to promote, nor link to your own web site unless absolutely necessary. Publishers do not like it and many will ignore your article. If you want to link to a quality in-context resource, link to the main web site URL instead. You get ample chance to link to your own web site via the resource box at the end of the article (more details below).
Also do not make any part of your article sound like an advert. Publishers are looking for quality articles that will be appreciated by their subscribers, not solo ads for your web site. You have plenty of room to link to your own web site in the resource box.
For the maximum chance of your article getting published, you are looking at an ideal length of around 800 words. I would also ensure it is not less than 600 words, or more than 1000 words - although I must admit I do occasionally write longer ones.
Remember at first this is just a draft. I never expect it to be perfect straight away - I just get my words down and my points across. Once I have got the main body of the article in place, I go back over it and revise as necessary until I am happy with the content.
5. Write Your Resource Box
Many authors struggle with this part, but there really is no need.
The resource box goes right at the end of your article, and provides some information about the author. Think about the reader of the article - they want to know more about who wrote the article.
I include a bit of information about myself, and provide a link to one of my web sites that has some relevance to the article. Ideally a resource box should be brief and contain just two or three sentences. For an example, see the resource box at the end of this article.
Some authors attempt to cram the resource box with more than one link. Rather than achieving more promotional power from their article, it actually has the reverse effect by turning off the publisher, who may have otherwise published your article, and confusing the reader.
6. Leave It Alone
In my experience, this is the most essential stage. I save my article and leave it completely alone for at least a couple of days. So many people are impatient and do not do this, but I find it to be essential in boosting my chances of publication.
The idea is that you come back to it with completely fresh, but critical, eyes. This works like magic for helping to transform a fairly mediocre article with low chances of publication, to a high quality article that is more likely to get picked up by a large number of publishers and reward you with a flood of publicity.
7. The Final Edit
I open up my article again and read it. I usually spot parts of my article that do not flow very well, paragraphs that can be improved or condensed, sentences with words missing, and typos. This is where I polish up my article and ensure it all flows really well.
I have seen many articles that have obviously never gone through this stage, and they will only have a very slim chance of publication. Some minor editing would have improved them immensely. It really is worth that extra bit of effort to get your article up to scratch, otherwise all your hard work in writing the article will be wasted.
Copyright 2004 Steve Shaw
About The Author
Steve Shaw works full time online, creating systems and software for effective e-marketing. His popular e-course provides a lot more information on how you can publish articles for profit, including how to submit them to potential publishers for a flood of publicity to your web site:
=> http://www.takanomi.com/publish-articles.php
quick home cleaning Glenview ..In this article I will show you how to use... Read More
In order to sell your article must do three things:1.... Read More
I am often approached and asked, how do I write... Read More
How are you marketing your articles? As a writer prospecting... Read More
Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More
What should be in your article summary? It's otherwise known... Read More
In order to answer the question I've just asked in... Read More
Writing for the internet requires that you create a large... Read More
Speak to an Audience that Reaches across the GlobeAs a... Read More
By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks (... Read More
Looking for another no cost promotional tool? Your fee will... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
It has become common knowledge that the smartest and most... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
The more you write, the larger your impact. If that's... Read More
Writing and distributing articles on the internet is one of... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
By now most entrepreneurs realize that the most cost effective... Read More
Find definitions from Q to Z... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Q ~~~~~~~~~~~ Query... Read More
MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific... Read More
One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More
Writing articles that are available for reprint is an excellent... Read More
One question I get asked all the time is how... Read More
scheduled maid service Winnetka ..Selling books online means that you need to get interested... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
Often all the Web Surfer will see is your title,... Read More
Writers have one basic need -- readers. We all want... Read More
If you want to really make your article "SELL" then... Read More
Articles are a fantastic source of links and additional traffic... Read More
Understanding the rules of correct formatting for online articles will... Read More
To be successful at any affiliate marketing program, you not... Read More
By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks (... Read More
Here's a depressing fact if you sell anything on the... Read More
What is Anchor Text Optimization?Anchor text optimization consists of the... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Article Marketing Connects you Directly to Readers Even brilliantly-written articles... Read More
If you are using articles to promote your business then... Read More
Submitting well planned articles on-line will increase traffic and can... Read More
Most authors are wasting their time producing dozens to hundreds... Read More
Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of... Read More
Advertisements are one of the biggest indicators of a magazine's... Read More
If you are going to be writing articles to promote... Read More
Whatever you're selling, writing articles to distribute freely amongst webmasters... Read More
Article Writing |