Publicity?you're business can survive without it, but it certainly won't thrive without it. Maybe you've seen your competition at it - their website was featured on a major newspaper or television show. Or perhaps you heard them mentioned on your favorite morning radio show on the way to the office. The point is, when it comes to publicity, some businesses are getting it. And here comes the real shocker - some of them are getting it for free! Yep, there really is such a thing as free publicity, and we're going to show you a very simple way that you can start getting it.
But first, let's take a moment to discuss what publicity is. According to www.dictionary.com, publicity is "Information that concerns a person, group, event, or product and that is disseminated through various media to attract public notice." Did you see what I just did? Through this article, www.dictionary.com just got free publicity (they'll need it, so you can look up "disseminated"). Articles are just one of many ways that you can spread the word about your business, but it's the one of the easiest to use.
Free Online Articles
The number one way to get free publicity (and to establish yourself as an expert in your field) is through writing and submitting free online articles that relate in some way to your business. Now before you throw your hands up in disgust, saying something like "I'm not a writer, I'm a business owner!" just wait a minute. The chances are, your business's new or existing product, service or upcoming event is something that the rest of the world cares about (otherwise, you wouldn't BE in business). As obscure as it may be, you'd be amazed at the number of people out there who are yearning to learn more about something that your business makes you an expert about.
If you don't believe me, narrow your business down to a list of ten keywords that come to mind when you describe your profession. Now, do a Google search on each of those ten keywords (see, I slipped in yet another instance of free publicity, and through your articles, you can do the same!) The top ten or twenty results are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sites that could be featuring your articles.
You may be asking yourself "Sure, the readers get something out of these free articles, but what about me?" Well, despite the fact that no one is paying you to publish your articles, free articles come with an incredibly valuable thing?it's known as the resource box.
The resource box is where you get to promote yourself and your business! You can include a brief biography about yourself or business along with a link to your website or affiliate program, your address, phone number, email address,? whatever! The point is, when your readers get done with your article and they want to know more, the first place they'll go to is your resource box! The next place they go is?well, where ever you want them to!
What Do You Write About?
Well, just about anything. The first place you should go for inspiration is your Frequently Asked Questions. If you don't have a FAQ section of your website, check out your competitor's sites (really, it's okay, as long as you don't copy it down word for word?) If your FAQ's are truly that, and not just a list of questions that you hope and pray that people would ask but they never do, then you'll have plenty of possibilities.
Whatever you write about, make sure it's something that people are genuinely interested in. Because if it's something people are interested in, then it's something that the websites that cater to those people will be interested in. And don't worry, there's no need to write a novel, nearly all web content articles are within a 300-1000 word range.
Also, make sure to follow the basic rules of grammar and spelling. Even if your article is worthy of a Pulitzer, it'll never earn one if it's full of careless mistakes and spelling errors.
Once you've checked your spelling and grammar make sure to read the article aloud. This will give you a chance to make sure that the article flows smoothly and logically.
Getting Your Article Published
Once you've written and edited your article, the next step is to get the word out. And unlike articles that are written for pay, it's really not that hard to find webmasters and ezine editors willing to publish your piece. Since they don't have to pay you for the content, they're more than happy to provide you with free publicity.
If you have a lot of professional and Internet connections in your industry, don't be afraid to take advantage of them at this point. Not only will it give you more exposure, you'll be doing your friends a favor! Once you've contacted them, you're next stop will be to submit your article to free online article databases. Here are a few to help you get started:
? www.articlecity.com
? www.ezinearticles.com (requires free membership)
? www.thewhir.com/find/articlecentral/
? www.businessknowhow.com/newsletter/articleguidelines.htm
? www.expertarticles.com (requires free membership)
? Or, just go here www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12838.asp for an extensive list of places willing to publish your work on their site or publication!
Now, you're armed with all you need to know to start getting the free publicity that you've been dreaming of. Better yet, no one will be able to pinch and wake you up!
About the Author:
If your website could use some fresh, custom content but you don't have the extra money in your budget, there's no need to worry. Jennifer Gibbs (http://www.jennifergibbs.com), a 5 star freelance professional from South Georgia is more than happy to provide your site with original, tailored and EXCLUSIVE content in exchange for free products, services and/or membership access. For more information, send your request (along with your website URL) to: http://www.jennifergibbs.com.
Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune,... Read More
Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More
Congratulations! You've written your first article (or possibly your 10th... Read More
It is amazing to see how much we all still... Read More
If you are going to be writing articles to promote... Read More
Are you looking for a better way to promote your... Read More
A few years ago as a webmaster with no money,... Read More
You want your business to be noticed by thousands daily.... Read More
How is it possible to turn an idea into the... Read More
Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful... Read More
This free way to promote or publicize your book or... Read More
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
You have decided on a great idea and researched a... Read More
Writing for websites -- content, as it is called --... Read More
Most business owners are overwhelmed with the day to day... Read More
A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
I once wrote an article in which I offered the... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
One of the most tried and true methods of self-promotion... Read More
"But I've only been on the Internet 3 months! How... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Writing for the internet requires that you create a large... Read More
Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More
What should be in your article summary? It's otherwise known... Read More
no-contract cleaning service Lincolnshire ..Article marketing is becoming more and more popular, especially as... Read More
If you market online, whether it be your own information... Read More
The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More
Most business owners are overwhelmed with the day to day... Read More
You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More
Every webmaster knows that to gain ranking positions in search... Read More
Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful... Read More
A lot of great ideas happen when two or more... Read More
There's a new sort of ghost stalking the digital landscape.They... Read More
Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
If you are not creating articles for your website and... Read More
By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks (... Read More
People who have an idea for a website sometimes require... Read More
The first step to getting published is to find your... Read More
Many writers struggle with the decision of whether or not... Read More
Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More
Are you ready to become an internet marketing expert? Are... Read More
We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More
I've noticed a disturbing trend recently of articles suggesting that... Read More
As you write the outline for your next article, there... Read More
MS: Shelley, you're an excellent person to talk to about... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
Article Writing |