One challenge of running an online business is getting noticed. Like in the concrete world, everyone is jockeying for position to increase their customer base. In your marketing plan, include article marketing in the equation for better results.
Have you seen the content on some websites? All of it didn’t come from the mind of the website owner. Articles can be found for free on the Internet for the express purpose of being used as content on other websites. It is a time-saving technique to keep your website fresh and up-to-date for your customers and readers.
What is article marketing?
Article marketing is the process of creating articles for the express purpose of being used by others. There is no compensation for writing these articles on the front end, but if they are well-written, other websites will want to feature them and that could get you and your business noticed.
Article marketing is a great way to increase visibility with very little upfront cost. If you are a fair writer, you can do the work yourself to start the ball rolling. You may even have a dozen or so articles lying around on your computer gathering digital dust at this moment.
How does it work?
The articles you write (or have written for you if you use a ghostwriter), are then submitted to article directories. These directories host thousands of articles on a variety of topics. You may have heard of some of them:
• Ezinearticles.com
• Ehow.com
• ArticlesBase.com
• Helium.com
• Articlealley.com
The list goes on. Some specialize in certain topics. You can find a list of the top 50 at www.vretoolbar.com/articles/directories.php.
Here’s how it works. Each article directory has its own set of guidelines for submissions. Read them carefully so that you don’t get a reputation as a troublemaker. You need to create a username and password to be able to submit articles to the directories.
Once you submit an article, the directory will either accept or reject it. So, you’ll want your articles to be well-written. To make then search engine friendly, consider optimizing them with popular keywords.
The most important thing for you in any article you submit is the resource box. This is where you can add a link to your website and other information about yourself. Most directories don’t allow affiliate or other links within the text so this is your chance to drive traffic to you.
Article marketing serves two purposes. First, you are providing well-crafted content to other websites. Secondly, you are driving traffic to your website. The more places your work appears, the greater your visibility and credibility will be in the online world.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
