Hey! Who's that I see, typing feverishly as brilliant ideas flow from furious typing fingers to the article submission box? Is that YOU??
Well, aren't you the dickens! You found out about article marketing, and that is exciting and inspiring indeed. Now let me ask you a question, dear Article Writing Friend:
Do you know what you're trying to achieve by writing web articles?
Why, of course you do! Silly question, yes? You want people read your article, decide you're cool, witty, interesting, brilliant, etc.- because you are. Then you want them to visit your website.
Now, how will you get them to visit your website? You're already managed to divert their attention to what you have to say in that dazzling style that's you and you alone. But how will you get them to go all the way down, down, down to the bottom of that article, and click your URL?
1. You will stop thinking of your article bio as your resume.
A potential web client or customer does not care to see your list of credentials at the end of an article. As they read your article, they may love what they see, but you're still a stranger. They just want to be entertained, informed, or gratified in some way. It's all about THEM, not YOU. They just want to know who out there can help them. So if you start trumpeting about your vast successes, you'll get them to react, but not in the way that you want. Their reaction will be to CLICK AWAY. So for your business's sake, don't laundry-list your accomplishments in your author bio.
2. You will start thinking of your author bio as the gateway to prosperity.
Where does your fortune grow? It grows right in the website that is the home base for what you sell. How are people going to get there? By reading your articles, becoming interested in what you can offer them, and then letting you shuttle them there via your website URL. How will you shuttle them? Tell them what to do! Call the reader to action: Visit http://wordfeeder.com for more information. They're reading that bio box as fast as a finger-snap. If you don't want to lose the customer, tell them what to do and do it quickly.
3. You WILL NOT include more than one URL on your article bio.
Ever hear of Bio Boxing? Probably not, because I just made it up. Bio Boxing is what happens when two URLs fight for attention in your bio box. If you read two URLs in one author's bio box, what do you do? Look at one. Look at the other. It's a fifty-fifty shot at finding the answer you need. So you take a deep breath, pick and click. Ohhh!! You crapped out. That website was not even remotely close to what you hoped to find. What do you do now? Get up, get a glass of iced tea, and forget about this whole incident. In article boxing, nobody wins the fight. So don't include more than one URL in your bio box.
4. You will write one bio for each article category that you write to.
If you haven't noticed, article websites are ingeniously laid out by industry. In one article, you can be a religious muse, and lead your readers to a spiritual website. You would classify this article in the spiritual section, of course. In another article, you can write to the foodie crowd and lure people to your site where you sell chocolate chip cookies. Note that each of these articles requires its own uniquely-written bio box and corresponding URL link. I'll say it another way: don't mix and match your article categories in your bio box!
5. You will start thinking about your bio as FREE advertising.
You've bought ad space before, right? Okay, suppose you sell keyboard cleaners, and one day Staples.com comes by and offers you free ad space on their site. In this space, would you also include a link to that other website where you sell donut holes?? Of course you would not! Likewise, use each bio box as your FREE ADVERTISING for ONE website that attracts ONE AUDIENCE that you just spoke to in your article. Consider the world's biggest corporations; Old Navy, for example. Old Navy is owned by the Gap. Do you EVER hear a reference to Old Navy in Gap ads, or vice-versa? No, NEVER!
One of the biggest rules in advertising is to not distract or confuse the customer. Remember the points mentioned above, as a way to ensure that the elusive article reader won't slip right through your nimble typing fingers. Make each article work for you. Target your audience throughout the cohesive package of the article submission form, from beginning to end.
Remember that in each article, you will write to ONE audience within ONE category, and the goal is ONE click destination. Pay special attention to the largely ignored author bio, as this is the spot that either makes you or breaks you. Use that author bio box to your advantage while you still have the chance!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Find out how crisp, targeted copywriting can make a world of difference for your business. Dina Giolitto is a Copywriting Consultant with ten years of experience. Visit http://wordfeeder.com for free tips on branding, copywriting, article marketing, and more.
insured cleaning company Deerfield ..A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing... Read More
The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More
The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More
Take a look around the Web and you'll find thousands... Read More
Writing a great deal of articles myself, I see a... Read More
Selling books online means that you need to get interested... Read More
It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
There is probably no easier way of earning extra money... Read More
Recycling your work is a lot like doing your part... Read More
Last time on "Because your articles suck" ? we discussed... Read More
The biggest challenge facing any online business today is how... Read More
If you are using articles to promote your business then... Read More
Here's a depressing fact if you sell anything on the... Read More
1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More
I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More
Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More
Writing articles related to your business is a great way... Read More
Articles are a fantastic source of links and additional traffic... Read More
You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More
If you are not creating articles for your website and... Read More
Whatever you're selling, writing articles to distribute freely amongst webmasters... Read More
Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt... Read More
If you're writer, I am sure sometimes you may have... Read More
top rated cleaning service Bannockburn ..Get the Facts you need to start promoting you free... Read More
Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More
Do you know the difference between simultaneous article submissions and... Read More
By now you probably understand how important writing for trade... Read More
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Gathering information from interviews is really simple. You ask the... Read More
Chances are good that the next article or book you... Read More
If you are going to be writing articles to promote... Read More
A huge problem for many people who are working on... Read More
Evaluation of a Home-Run ArticleI've been writing articles and posting... Read More
You, too, can become a recognized expert in your specialized... Read More
This is a perennial question among writers and wannabe's. Many... Read More
Feeling uninspired? Like you're stuck in a rut with your... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
I get asked all the time, "Lorrie, how can I... Read More
Selling books online means that you need to get interested... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
There's a new sort of ghost stalking the digital landscape.They... Read More
Find definitions from Q to Z... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Q ~~~~~~~~~~~ Query... Read More
Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful... Read More
Writing articles is one of the most powerful, if not... Read More
Search Engines are constantly on the "look out" for freshly... Read More
Here's a depressing fact if you sell anything on the... Read More
Article Writing |