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copywriting :: Internet Marketing :: Copywriting
A Dozen Tips for Writing Good Articles
If you have even a passing interest in
the topic of articles and content, then you should take a look at the
following information. This enlightening article presents some of the
latest news on the subject of articles and content. If you don't have
accurate details regarding articles and content, then you might make a
bad choice on the subject.
With the explosion of the Internet there is an ever-growing list of websites where you can publish articles. Very few sites will pay you for your content,
so why would you want to do go to all this work? For publicity reasons,
to drive traffic to your website, and to increase your search-engine
rankings, that's why!
Here's how it works:
You write an article about something that is within your area of
expertise, e.g., if you are an expert in sales, you would write about
sales topics. Then you either publish your article to a portal,
distribution site, or an individual website.
Within the copy, you offer a free ebook or special report to
readers who visit your website and subscribe to your ezine, and voila!
you've just created a link to your website that can generate big
traffic for you. Of course, you would create a special landing page on
your website for this link. That allows you to track where your traffic
comes from. And at the end of your article you also include a
one-paragraph (5 lines or so) description of who you are and how to
sign up for your free e-newsletter by visiting your website (same URL
as previously).
Here are a few tips for writing a good article:
1. Write for your audience.
There's no point attracting soccer moms to your website if you
don't sell anything that would interest them, right? Instead, develop
the content
of your article so that your best client would just love to read it. My
audience is women business owners and small business owners who need
marketing advice. I write three free e-newsletters that anyone can
subscribe to:
1. "Brainy Tidbits" is a marketing newsletter published each
Tuesday by email. To sign up for this electronic newsletter, simply
visit my website ( http://www.marketingideashop.com
) and subscribe in the box provided. New subscribers can download my
"67 Ways to Promote Your Business" (a $9 value) as a free subscriber
gift.
2. "Brainy Flash" is a very short (one topic) newsletter, published
on Fridays, focusing on one marketing resource or topic each week. To
subscribe, send a blank email to mailto:carterfay-74692@autocontactor.com. New subscribers receive a free 3-chapter excerpt of the ebook "Sales Success! Strategies for Women." (a $12 value)
3. Finally, my "Meet Success!" ezine will begin in September and it
profiles one woman business owner each Monday, listing her top five
tips for creating a successful business. New subscribers receive this
special report (“A Dozen Tips for Writing Good articles Plus the Top Sites to Publish Your articles”) (a $9 value) when they sign up by sending a blank email to mailto:carterfay-75523@autocontactor.com.
2. Tell stories whenever you can.
Stories are what interest people. Dry, boring writing puts people
asleep, especially on the web. If you make it personal, you can create
a rapport with your reader. They'll be nodding their heads while they
read and clicking your links as they come to them. And your ultimate
goal is to get people to sign up for your e-newsletter or purchase your
products or services, so you want them predisposed to say, "Yes!"
Whenever I've done this, I've been much more successful. If you
read the writings of the great direct-response writers, like Yanik
Silver, you'll see that they do this, too. And they make bundles of
money.
3. Provide useful information.
Try to provide something that is unique in your article. I know. I
know. There's not a lot of original thought out there. Most things have
already been invented and considered. It's very hard to be original,
but everyone has "flashes of brilliance." Pay attention when you have
these flashes and write an article or a special report discussing your
idea! Make sure the information is helpful and will stand out in a
crowd.
4. Include a summary at the beginning of the article that is
enticing and "salesy." It will pump up your reader and get them to
continue reading.
5. Write a great headline and compelling copy.
The purpose of the headline is to get the reader to read the next
line. And that line's purpose is to get you reader to read the next
one, and the next one, and so on. Be sure to use words that everyone
will understand. Avoid the jargon and abbreviations!
6. Use an active voice.
Don't write stuffy, boring copy using the third person. Use "you" and "we" in the article to speak directly to your reader.
7. Make it succinct.
The fewer the words, the better...unless you are writing a sales
letter. Top marketers swear that long copy, discussing every little
benefit, sells better. But most people don't have time to read oodles
and oodles of words, so keep your articles short and sweet.
8. And while you're at it, write in parallel tracks.
This means that you should write for the reader who likes to read
every single word and know every little detail, as well as the people
like me who like to simply scan an article to get the essential parts.
I like bullets. The other folks like complete sentences.
9. Answer the editor's questions, "Who, what, when, where, how, and why."
Does your article give enough meat to make it worthwhile for
someone to read it? Don't leave things hanging, connect the dots for
your reader.
10. Proofread! Then do it again!
Typos, grammar errors and misinformation are the biggest
turn offs for most readers. There's no point writing an article with
terrific content
if it makes you look illiterate. If you aren't a good writer or
proofreader, hire someone to ghostwrite the piece for you or contract
with a proofreader to review each piece you write before you distribute
it. Try reading it aloud or proofreading it backwards. You'll be amazed
at the errors you find.
11. Submit your article.
There are lots of places online that welcome a variety of articles.
You can use Google to find more by searching on the words "submit
article" (without the quotes). Another way to find places to send your articles is to do a search for articles written by your competitors. articles they have written will lead you to sites that accept articles about your subject matter. Then write articles and submit them to the same sites that publish stories written by your competitors.
Here are a few sites that accept contributed articles (and you'll find lots of great content to read on these sites, too!):
* http://www.authorconnection.com (This one's cool because it is a distribution service that sends your articles to other sites.)
* http://www.articlecentral.com
* http://www.articlecity.com
* http://www.powerhomebiz.com
* http://www.ideamarketers.com
* http://www.businessknowledge.com
* http://www.webpronews.com
* http://www.goarticles.com
* http://www.baconline.com
* http://www.certificate.net
* http://www.phillyimc.org/submit.pl
* http://www.marketingprofs.com/about/article_submissions.asp
* http://www.businesstoolchest.com/?10007
* http://www.marketingideashop.com/freestuff.html
* http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/dtb.shtml
* http://www.prweb.com (this is a news release distribution site, but it's also a great place to release newsy articles)
12. Don't forget newsletters.
Another great place to submit your articles
and get tons of exposure is other people's newsletters. People who
write and publish weekly or monthly email newsletters are ALWAYS
looking for good content. Submit short articles (generally 400 words or less) to the editors of your favorite ezines and ask them to print the articles
in their newsletters. If you target your audience well, you should get
lots of subscribers to your newsletters and plenty of visitors to your
website.
About The Author
Lois Carter Fay is the author of "Marketing Plan Essentials: Online
& Off" and co-author with Jim Wilson of "52 Ready-to-Go Sales
Meetings: 52 Ways to Help Your Salespeople (and Yourself) Win at the
Game of Sales." Her free "BRAINY Tidbits" email newsletter is filled
with tons of marketing ideas and resources and is distributed weekly to
a growing list of subscribers. Immediately download "67 Ways to Promote
Your Business" (a $9 value) free when you subscribe to Brainy Tidbits
at http://www.marketingideashop.com
editor@marketingideashop.com
Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.
We hope you found the information on this page useful and will return often to browse
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