Writing articles, and promoting them for publication, is one of the most productive long-term promotional tactics available. Well researched and written articles... which provide valuable, useable information, are highly sought after by newsletter publishers, magazines, ezines, etc.
It is a marketing truth that "Content Is King". Good, keyword rich, content is what drives online traffic through search engines and gives the visitor a reason to keep coming back to a website. This is often referred to as "sticky content". As a traffic-generation tool it is unsurpassed.
Webmasters and publication editors have an insatiable appetite for tightly written "niched" articles that are relevant to their web sites or publications themes.
This need is your opportunity...
An editor of an ezine, newsletter or magazine has a never-ending need for good content. Each issue they publish must be filled with useful, relevant content that will appeal to their readers or subscribers self-interest. A publication that cannot provide great content will not long survive.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"An editor of an ezine, newsletter or magazine has a never-ending need for good content."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By regularly supplying the media with well written articles, you build a never-ending supply of links and traffic to your own websites.
How?... Well, the secret is in the bio. Each article you submit for publication has your own "authors bio" that gives full attribution and links to your site. This is the payment you receive for having supplied the articles... it is a payment which gives you long-term dividends!
Not only will your article be presented to many thousands of subscribers initially... but those same articles (with your bio and links) will be archived on the publications websites. Those archived articles become fodder for search engines which not only provide on-going traffic to the publishing site... but to YOU as well. It is truly a Win/Win proposition.
NOT A WRITER?... NO PROBLEM...
There are countless freelance writers who will "ghost write" articles for you and... give you the copyrights. I know of many well-known names in the industry who have articles plastered all over the internet...and they have never written a word themselves. I know this because I have written some of their articles. :-)
If you need such services try www.elance.com, or do a Google search for "ghost writing" or "freelance writers". There are many highly educated, english speaking, foreign-based professionals who will write articles for very nominal fees.
OK... YOU HAVE AN ARTICLE... NOW WHAT?
Having a good article is only the first part of the equation... now you need to get the articles distributed to those editors and publications who will welcome your contribution... and publish your work.
There are three primary means of promoting your articles:
==> Article Directories
==> Article Announcment Lists
==> Your Internal List
Here is a breakdown of each... and a list of resources to get you started...
ARTICLE DIRECTORIES...
Article directories are websites which categorize and archive your articles... and promote them to editors and publishers. Most are free... but some are fee based. They all provide a submission system for you to provide your articles to them. In addition, most have their own internal list of editors and publishers that they announce your new article to.
TIP: The simple act of listing your articles in the directory archives will provide you instant incoming links to your website which could increase your site traffic and page ranks.
Here is a partial list (alphabetical) of article directories. (Please note that companies go out of business occasionally and you may run into a link which no longer works.)
http://www.allmerchants.com/
http://www.allnetarticles.com/
http://amazine s.com/
http://www.articlecity.com/article_submission.shtml
http://articleresponder.com/i ndex.php
http://www.articlesubmissions.com/index.php
http://www.boconline.com/
htt p://www.businesstoolchest.com/
http://www.certificate.net/wwio/index.shtml
http://www.co nnectionteam.com
http://www.dime-co.com/
http://www.ebooksnbytes.com
http://www.ec hievements.com/
http://ezineadhelper.com/cgi-bin/articles/articles.cgi
http://www.ezinea rticles.com
http://www.freestickycontent.com (Thom Reece's articles)
http://www.goarticles.com
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/bb/index.php
http://linksnoop.com/
http://www.mailbiz.com/mailbiz/magcat/
http://www.SimpleSteps2succ ess.biz
http://thewhir.com/find/articlecentral/
http://webmarketingspecialists.com/artic lesubmit.htm
http://www.webmomz.com/users/login.shtml
http://www.zongoo.com/index.php
ARTICLE ANNOUNCEMENT LISTS...
Announcement Lists are email newsletters, lists, or ezines, which allow you to "announce" your new articles to thousands of editors and publishers instantly. Most of these announcement lists are sent out daily to their subscribers. This means that you can have your article circulating to key editors and publishers within hours of completion.
Here are a number of important Article Announcement Lists that will give you a simple and fast mechanism for distribution of your articles...
http://topica.com/lists/articlereview/
http://topica.com/lists/freeezinecont ent/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artic le_announce_list/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles/
http://groups.yah oo.com/group/Free-Content/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free_eContent/
http://groups.ya hoo.com/group/freezinecontent/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet_marketing_articleblaster /
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/netwrite-publish-announce/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group /publisher_network/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QC_Reprint_Articles
http://groups.yaho o.com/group/ReprintArticles-Paradise/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reprintedarticles/
h ttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWriteArticles/
YOUR INTERNAL, IN-HOUSE, DISTRIBUTION LIST...
Over time you will begin to build a list of editors and publishers, who have used your articles in the past, and find them to be relevant. This list is "your private goldmine". Each time you finish an article the first step you want to take is to send it, in a private mailing, to your in-house user list.
You might want to consider doing a "mail merge" to this list and personalize your submission to the specific editor by name.
Remember, this list could be worth thousand of dollars to you over the coming months and years. Do not treat it lightly. This list is truly a center-of-influence list that you will want to spend time and effort nuturing. Remembering them at holidays and on special occasions, goes a long way to building a profitable relationship.
Pick up a phone and call them. Let them know that you appreciate your relationship... and let them know you are available for special writing assignments. (Here is an example of how strong and beneficial this simple act can be... About two years ago I sent a small holiday gift [a screen-saver of tropical Hawaiian images] to a magazine editor who had used a number of my articles in the past.
I waited until the package had time to arrive and then I picked up a phone and called her. She was delighted with the thoughtfulness of the gift and then stunned me with the news that one of her regular columnists had been forced to resign... and "would I be interested in replacing him?". So... that simple telephone call resulted in a regular column in a print magazine that serves one of my niche marketplaces. A marvelous result that may not have happened if I had not "nurtured the relationship".
Ask them "What Articles Do You Need?"... and listen closely to their answers.
By doing so... you will develop a sense of what materials are needed and wanted in your marketplace. Write specifically to those needs and you will develop a strong editorial following that will pay off in huge traffic flow, increased sales and profits, and an enhanced image and reputation. These are pretty hefty benefits for some time spent researching and writing articles!
(c) Copyright 2004-05 Thom Reece All Rights Reserved
Thom Reece, the author of this article, is an experienced direct marketing consultant with 25 years of in-the-trenches experience. Mr. Reece's articles have been widely published in the regular business press (Home Business Magazine, DM News, Opportunity World, Cleaner Times, Profitable Glass Quarterly, Advertising Express [India], Fairfield Business Letter, and is a regular columnist for Money-N-Profits Magazine.) His articles are hosted on dozens of web sites and numerous e-zines. He is a very accomplished platform speaker and seminar/workshop leader.
For additional information on his speaking or consulting services you can visit his company's web site: On-Line Marketing Group at http://www.e-comprofits.com or E-MAIL him at http://www.e-comprofits.com. To subscribe free to "Thom Reece's Web Marketing Strategies & Techniques Newsletter" go to http://www.e-comprofits.com.
For more of Thom's articles go to: http://www.e-comprofits.com
custom home cleaning Winnetka ..Good technical articles are challenging to write. They're time-consuming, demanding... Read More
Finding something to write about can be frustrating for all... Read More
Earlier, I published part 1 of this series, which contained... Read More
1) Don't use all capitals in your title:People don't like... Read More
Knowing exactly what an editor wants.Unfortunately, many new writers struggle... Read More
Everyone that publishes a newsletter or ezine knows that the... Read More
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More
Every time I run a course on Freelance Writing, students... Read More
This is Part 2 of a 2 part article -... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
Evaluation of a Home-Run ArticleI've been writing articles and posting... Read More
You have probably heard that writing articles is one of... Read More
If you market online, whether it be your own information... Read More
In today's busy world, whether your business is large or... Read More
Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More
Have you ever wondered why Ezine Articles have become one... Read More
Article writing can be such an intimate act as you're... Read More
A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
Writing articles for your site and for the use of... Read More
This is the "real" Money Maker in the Mail Order... Read More
Once you learn the benefits of article writing, you may... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
The five essential questions to be answered in your article... Read More
professional home cleaners Glenview ..Every time I run a course on Freelance Writing, students... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
You're Invited... Visualize your article going out like a party... Read More
Writing for the internet requires that you create a large... Read More
I've been involved in publishing for over a decade now... Read More
It is important for all webmasters to realize that if... Read More
A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing... Read More
A "Thought Leader" is someone recognized as an authority in... Read More
It has become common knowledge that the smartest and most... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More
Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article... Read More
There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
Would it be worth it to master a technique that... Read More
Not every web designer has the time ? or skills... Read More
Article marketing works like this. The majority of webmasters are... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
Publicity?you're business can survive without it, but it certainly won't... Read More
Two important factors that play a part in the rankings... Read More
1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience.... Read More
***What is the Resource box?'Resource box' is an information box... Read More
As a follow up to my previous article on the... Read More
I was asked to write an article on a short... Read More
Article Writing |