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
tidy up service Glenview ..As of July 1st, the year was half over! July... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More
In order to sell your article must do three things:1.... Read More
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More
If you are starving for traffic, can't seem to consistently... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
If your business has a website, you're probably searching for... Read More
Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More
There are times when I want to write an article... Read More
Many internet home business owners today have learnt that one... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
Articles are a fantastic source of links and additional traffic... Read More
Two important factors that play a part in the rankings... Read More
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
There are many schools of thought on how to build... Read More
When I was first advised to start writing articles, this... Read More
Writing can be fraught at the best of times but... Read More
If you have writing skills and want to use your... Read More
I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More
Finding something to write about can be frustrating for all... Read More
1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More
If you're writer, I am sure sometimes you may have... Read More
Want your articles to get picked up and reprinted by... Read More
maid service near Winnetka ..Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about... Read More
If you are starving for traffic, can't seem to consistently... Read More
I am sure that there would have been a moment... Read More
Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More
One of my subscribers writes 'I can't hold my tongue... Read More
Lately, there seems to be some confusion between Article Marketing... Read More
Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you... Read More
Chances are good that the next article or book you... Read More
When you frequently post articles on ezines, you might be... Read More
We all know that online publishers earn revenue from our... Read More
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
MS: Bob, how important have Ezine Articles been in achieving... Read More
If you are an article writer, you may have been... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
You have probably heard that writing articles is one of... Read More
The goal of free publicity is to get your name... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
A "Thought Leader" is someone recognized as an authority in... Read More
Many internet home business owners today have learnt that one... Read More
Okay, I admit it: I'm a keen people-watcher. (Most writers... Read More
Article Writing |