Quick-Start Article Marketing Course FREE!

One of the better ways to build an email list
or generate website traffic is by writing articles.

But just as important as writing the articles
is WHERE they are distributed and used.

HOW they are promoted.

That’s going to be the KEY to getting
traffic to your site and building your list.

So, to help you succeed with Article Marketing
here is my…

Totally free…

QUICK-START ARTICLE MARKETING COURSE

Just for you!

Let’s get started.

Why People Fail With Article Marketing:

The reason most people fail at Article Marketing
is in how they attempt to get readers of their
articles to..

…Take Action.

You want your readers to do TWO THINGS:

1) Visit your website and..
2) Opt-in to your list.

Those are your goals.

And it will take PLANNING & WORK on your part
to make this happen.

* Writing your article takes time and effort.

* Getting someone to publish your article in
their ezine takes more effort.

* Getting people to read your published article
takes even more effort.

* It takes additional effort to get people to
visit your website after reading the article.

* And finally, it takes effort on top of that to
get your website visitors to opt in to your list.

You are competing with many other marketers
who are trying to do the SAME thing.

So, the odds are stacked against you.

In addition, there are MANY places along the way
where potential subscribers could SLIP through the cracks.

So …

Let Me Give You An Edge:

Here are some techniques to significantly
improve your odds.

Techniques 95 percent of all article authors
are NOT using.

If you use these techniques and actually put them
to the test you WILL see results.

First, let me talk about some of the basics of
writing your article.

If you go to article directories, you’ll find that
too many of the articles you see there don’t even
incorporate basic..

Response-Boosting Tactics.

Your Title Is Crucial:

One example problem area is in the titles you find.

The TITLE of your article is KEY.

You have to choose it wisely because it is the HEADLINE
for your article.

The purpose of the headline is to get your article READ.

You want people to STOP what they’re doing and read
your article — right then and there.

That means titles that are BENEFIT-driven
will outperform those that are not.

Your readers want to know what is in it for THEM.

So you need to craft your title accordingly.

Never be vague.
And avoid being clever.

Before You Choose Your Title:

Before you choose your title you need to know a bit
about your target audience.

Their wants, desires, needs and problems.

i.e.,

What Is On Their Minds?

You want to fit the MESSAGE of your article,
and your title in particular, to…

… WHAT YOUR TARGET MARKET WANTS!

Your title should…

* Address something DESIRABLE
* Be SPECIFIC
* Convey a sense of URGENCY
* Make a PROMISE
* And be INTRIGUING

The more of these points you include in your title,
the better you can generally expect your readership to be.

Look At These Examples:

– The Top 5 Ways To Lose 5 Pounds in a Week.

– The Top 10 Ways To Knock 5 Strokes Off Your Next Round of Golf.

– How To Make the Lottery Pay Off - Even If You Never Invest a Dime.

– The Quick and Easy Formula for Finding That Special Someone.

– 7 Little Known Tips for Training Your Labrador.

– The 10 Hidden Costs of Buying Your New Home.

– The Sneaky Hidden Costs of Renting a Car on Your Next Vacation.

– Direct Mail: The Proven Way to Reactivate Former Customers.

One Final Word About Titles:

Remember that when someone is browsing an article directory,
they are seeing your article title alongside TONS OF OTHERS.

You definitely need to — STAND OUT — from the clutter.

Your title should be about your prospect.

THEIR needs, wants, and desires.

It should be about the PERSON reading the article.
Not the article itself.

This becomes even more critical when a publisher looking for
content is browsing an article directory.

After all ..

Which do you think will bring you more exposure?

* A reader browsing articles…

OR

* A publisher with a 100,000-person subscriber list
who publishes your article?

Obvious right?

Well..

Your FIRST PARAGRAPH will keep them reading — or not.

After your title, your OPENING PARAGRAPH guides them
into the main body of your article.

You want the opening paragraph to be INTERESTING!
And an extension of your title.

Some good ways to keep that interest going are to:

* Present a problem…
* Set the stage with a story, anecdote, or quote…
* Ask a question…
* Reveal an interesting or startling fact…
* Present an overview…
* Paint an emotional picture…

Use Proven Formulas:

Just like a sales letter, proven formulas
boost readership and response in articles too.

Here are 5 standard formulas you could follow:

1. Problem-Agitate-Solution

You present a problem, then agitate it further.

Finally the solution is hinted at towards
the END of the article …

(with an INCENTIVE for them to go to your website
to get the full picture).

2. Before and After

I was fat, now I’m thin.

I was poor, now I’m rich.

I was a hack, now I’m a scratch golfer.

3. Useful, but Incomplete

Give just enough information to entice them,
but leave them wanting more..

(Which your website will provide.)

4. Frequently asked questions

Include some great ones.

BUT leave some out to be placed on your website.

Be sure to let them know in your resource box
at the end of the article…

…that there are MORE at your site.

5. Share a specific set of points

– 5 Steps to Making a Fortune on eBay
– How to Speed Up Your Metabolism in 3 Easy Steps
– 10 Ways to Write Better Ads
– 3 Keys to a Greener Lawn
– 7 Quick Tips for Self-Defense

Position Yourself As An Expert:

Position yourself as an expert without being condescending.

You want to be seen as an authority on the subject.

You do NOT want to come across as arrogant or a know-it-all.

If you offend the people reading your article, you lose them.

So, avoid off-color or offensive remarks.

When in doubt, leave it out.

About Your Resource Box:

Your Resource Box should present itself as the next logical
step. The article should transition nicely right into the
Resource Box.

You want the reader to go to your website.

So .. your resource box should HINT at more information to be
found on the topic.

Give Them An Ethical Bribe:

Your Resource Box should also give a No-Brainer Offer.

An ethical bribe … designed to ENTICE them.

Just like you need a Premium to get them to opt-in to
your list, you also need a Premium of sorts to get them to your
website in the first place.

Here Are Even More Secrets:

First:

Give your best tip AT THE END of the article
and — your second best tip at the start.

In a Sales Letter, we’d usually - start off - with our strongest
benefit or point and work our way down to the lesser benefits
from there.

In an article, you often want that BIG BANG at the end,
just before they get to your resource box.

Second:

Your last tip can carry the greatest weight if you LEAD UP TO IT,
by making all other tips DEPENDENT on the final one, and by
foreshadowing the final tip to come.

Third:

Your resource box should OFFER SOMETHING RELATED to your
final point. All they have to do is head over to your website.

Design your Resource Box like you would a headline.

Similar to the effort you must put into your article title and
the headline on your squeeze page, your Resource Box needs to
contain a … Sense of Urgency.

It must tap anticipation, desire, curiosity, and/or other
– Emotional Hot Buttons.

And it must have a … Call-to-Action.

The GOAL of a Resource Box is to get them to go TO YOUR WEBSITE.

Now..

Not tomorrow or next week.

Make your message consistent & congruent ..

The message and offer in your Resource Box needs to MATCH
the message conveyed in the headline of your Squeeze Page.

So…

If your Resource Box looked like the following:

About the Author

Jane Doe is a certified massage therapist, author, speaker and
consultant. Watch her conduct her stress reduction workshop
each month on video. Jane is giving free access to this private
site, but only while charter memberships last. Join today at
JaneDoeMassage.com.

The headline on your squeeze page should tie into that offer.

Maybe:

Jump to the Head of the Line and Get FREE Access To Jane Doe’s
Private Membership Forum - Before All Charter Memberships are
Gone!

Or something like that.
You get the idea…

Here is another example of a resource box with a good
Call-to-Action:

John Smith is the author of the free 36-page report, How to
Turn Your Hobby into Your Own Personal ATM Machine. Head over
to somethinghere.com for your free copy while supplies
last.

Remember…

Everything in your article is designed to get them to
GO TO YOUR SITE.

And everything at your SITE is designed to get
them to SUBSCRIBE to your list.

So you really need TWO — Calls to Action.

TWO INCENTIVES:

* One to get them to go to your website..
* Another to get them to subscribe.

Article Distribution:

You want your articles to be distributed
as widely as possible…

– Online.
– AND offline.

A great place to start distributing is at online
Article Directories.

Many newsletter authors and publishers frequent
Article Directories to get content for their publications.

By letting others publish your articles
in their ezines, YOUR website can gain greater exposure.

This is a small list of popular directories
you can submit your articles to …

http://ezinearticles.com
http://www.articledashboard.com
http://www.articlealley.com
http://www.goarticles.com
http://www.articlecity.com
http://www.ideamarketers.com
http://www.marketing-seek.com

Leverage Your Article Wherever Possible:

There are MANY other places. So find as many
as you can…

You want your article REUSED as much as possible.

Blogs, websites, forums, the works…

Wherever you have an opportunity to reach people
that may be interested in your niche.

* Submit it to search engines.

* Encourage others to publish it in their ezines.

* Include your article in viral ebooks to be passed
around the web.

* Offer your article as a Premium Report for other
products. Expand on the article, if necessary,
to make it a content-packed report.

* Offer it for others to use on their content sites
(e.g. Adwords), membership sites, as part of a mini-course.

* Offer it to your affiliates.

In short, you want your articles posted ANYWHERE
your target market could be exposed to them.

That should get you started on the right track with your
Article Marketing. And put you way ahead of your competitors!

Be sure to drop me an email about your successes.

Sincerely,

Tom Washington

Publisher, The Internet Business Insider Newsletter

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 5:27 am and is filed under Article Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.