The following article is one of a series of articles which focus on Affiliate, Article and Internet Marketing. All of the articles are based on real experiences and research done over twenty years as a personal and business coach. They are also written in response to questions which I have been asked as well as address common challenges that people have with affiliate marketing, article marketing, internet marketing or running an online business in general. I sincerely hope that you find the following information of value. One idea, one tip, one clue can make all the difference.
Site Promotion - How Successful Are Your Articles At Promoting Your Website?
Health Promotion
Getting our articles published is truly one of the most powerful methods of creating awareness of who we are and what we do. Our articles help to build credibility and trust. They are the means by which we are recognized as an expert in our chosen field or niche.
The bigger, potential benefit is the additional free exposure we can get for websites and our online business.
There is, however, one slight problem. More people are realizing the power of article publishing. The internet is absolutely drenched by the daily article downpour and, no matter what niche or topic is being covered, there are loads of articles to choose from.
Does this make it tougher for our articles to get noticed? Are our articles the ones which will be read, never mind remembered?
Of course it's tougher but I actually see that working to our advantage. For those of us who are prepared to offer high quality, informative and well researched content, we will win hands down every time.
We win because there is a far greater chance that our readers will then take the suggested action in our resource box, we get the exposure we are seeking which, hopefully, leads to increased profits.
So...what is critical to writing successful articles?
how do we get them noticed?
how do we get them read?
how do we get them remembered?
how do we encourage our readers to take action?
Do Your Homework and Research
If you have an established customer base already, it is highly likely that you know what your target market is interested in, what they want to read about. If you don't have that base or you don't know what interests your chosen market or niche, it's time to find out.
Don't assume (because it makes an ass of u and me) that you know and write articles based on that assumption. The only chance you will have of writing successful articles is by choosing topics that are hot within your niche or market segment and that takes homework and that takes research.
Subscribe to relevant newsletters, join relevant forums and discussion groups that cover your target audience. Find out what's being written about, what's being discussed. What's getting people's backs up, what problems are driving people crazy? What challenges do people have and what solutions can you offer?
Now, write your article.
I hope you will see that already you are raising the stakes. You are giving yourself that competitive edge, strengthening your credibility and recognition as an authority. Why?
Because you are a solution provider. Provide solutions to the hot problems that exist in your target market and you will leave the others standing as you start to generate more profits.
O.K. you now know what topic to write about. How are you going to get the article noticed? How are you going to get the article read?
Create A Compelling Article Title
No matter how strong or great you may think your article content is, it is mega important that it is introduced with an attention grabbing and compelling title. This determines whether your article is read or not.
Deciding on your title is one of the most important decisions to make but it doesn't have to be made first.
To illustrate the point, I have changed the title to this article three times. If you are reading this sentence then it must have had some effect.
I usually start with a general idea for the title but then I allow the article content to guide me. What is the benefit I wish my readers to get by reading the article? What is the biggest benefit or the strongest point I am trying to make? What is the best way to tell my readers what that benefit or point is?
Experiment by writing down a few titles. See what parts are compelling. Then create the title that you know will intrigue the reader so much that they will wish to read your article immediately.
(Stay with me and you'll find out how to get 101 awesome profit pulling titles and headlines).
Write High Quality, Informative Content
Although the internet is saturated with articles and so-called value-added content, sadly, the majority of this material is nothing more than a sales pitch.
Hey, don't get me wrong - I use sales pitches - I run a business after all. The point is your readers want to be enlightened, educated and entertained. I have actually written an e-book with that title containing 101 writing tips. Maybe I should think about selling it online!
Inform and educate your readers, guide them, provide the value-added information they are looking for. If your article describes an identified problem or challenge, provide the solution and your articles will be read time and time again. If you can't do this, don't publish the article. Why?
Think of the potential damage you can do to your credibility, your website traffic, your business if your articles are poorly written. Some may be read but discerning readers know who the "good" writers are and whose articles they will look out for.
Get Your Reader To Take Your Call To Action
The critical element here is relevance.
Whether you wish to promote your website, a particular product or increase you list of subscribers, it must be totally relevant to your article. Makes sense? Well, don't be surprised when I tell you that a great many writers still get this wrong.
How many of you just had a look at what was in my resource box?
If you did, you'll see that it relates directly to being a success at writing articles. How many click through actions do you think I would get if I was promoting my health and fitness website?
If you are promoting a product, or even an affiliate program that corresponds with the article, your chances of getting a click through are high. If you don't have a product or service that relates directly to your article, make it part of your initial research to select one that does. This can provide a very useful residual income.
If you do promote affiliate programs, please remember that some directories do not like affiliate links. I don't like them either. It makes a lot more sense to create a quality content page on your site that relates directly to your article, pre-sell by detailing the benefits and then link to the affiliate program.
Watch out for more articles on writing great articles.
Site Promotion - How Successful Are Your Articles At Promoting Your Website?