People and businesses of all levels use articles to market their products and services. But instead of just dashing off some content to spread all over the web, here are some tips and strategies you can experiment with to see which work best with your niche(s). Some work better during different seasons, too, to give these at try all year long.
Basic Level
Writing basic information about your industry, your products and services is an excellent way to get content built up on your websites and blogs, in your ezines and linked up via article directories. Keep these main points in mind, though:
1) Focus – Keep your piece focused on one main point with a good flow of content that doesn’t bounced around.
2) Break up your content by adding bullets or numbered points for ease on the eyes.
3) Add a call to action in the last paragraph and resource box. Most article directories will not allow you to link inside the body of the article, but you can tell readers to learn more. Then follow up in your resource box, aka byline, and tell them where to click for a free report or other goodie that relates to the article.
4) Use a link to your own site, one you own, and not an affiliate link in your resource box. Affiliate links are not always long term. Yours will be, and even if it redirects to an affiliate link, you can change the redirect at any time.
5) Submit your articles to several top article directories for varied results, not just one place. Maybe send one batch to EzineArticles.com, for example, and another to Isnare.com, and yet another to IdeaMarketers.com. Mix and match.
Intermediate Level
For a little more in-deph internet marketing, get help so you can focus your time with other matters. You can outsource your article writing and submission.
A) You can hire virtual assistants and writing teams at freelance bid sites like Elance.com and at industry forums like the WarriorForum for Internet marketing. You can also buy PLR (private label rights) content and revise it or have a ghostwriter help you revise it, and then submit it.
B) You can purchase software tools that can help you submit your content to multiple places in a more efficient manner like ArticleSubmitterPro.
C) You can hire 3rd party companies to submit your content for you like:
http://thephantomwriters.com run by Bill Platt
http://www.ezinetrendz.com run by Debbie Solomon & Sara Hardy.
Advanced Level
Head to the Small Business Administration (SBA.gov) website for lots of help marketing online with networking, joint ventures, presentations, speaking engagements and much, much more. The site offers free online courses, counseling via their sister site, S.C.O.R.E., a free ezine with great tips, and a lot more.
Learn to reach out to the offline world with your online content and pitch your articles to print and other media (radio, television, etc). Also use it in your own print newsletters, postcards, direct mail and other campaigns.
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