By
Bill Platt on September 2nd, 2008
Posted in Article Marketing, Article Writing | 1 Comment »
Haha! I got you to read this post didn’t I? But really, Geraldo Rivera can teach you something about article marketing… He can teach you “what not to do”.
I don’t know if you took the opportunity to follow the Hurricane Coverage on Fox News or not, but I did. Everytime I watch Geraldo, I am torn between trying to appreciate what he does right, cringing at his commentary, screaming at my TV when he is being a moron, and frankly, being embarrassed for the poor folks he interviews sometimes.
Today’s “Geraldo At Large” program was one that left me embarrassed for Billy (the Corp of Engineers fellow who dove into the Industrial Canal to retrieve the diesel tank floating in the canal at the height of the storm).
Geraldo was simply gushing about how Billy was the newest superhero, while Billy tried to play down his comments. Geraldo talked too much, as usual, and he tooted horns to the point of utter embarrassment, suggesting that he would recommend to President Bush that Billy be given a medal by the President.
The lessons are two-fold.
One, when your audience is too embarrassed to keep paying attention, then you have gone too far. Your audience should never squirm to read what you have written or to listen to what you say. There comes a time in every article where the best thing you can do is to shut up.
Two, no one wants to hear you toot your own horn for the entirety of your presentation, as Geraldo is always quick to do.
The third lesson has nothing at all to do with article marketing. The third lesson is that if you have any sense at all or any fear at all, then you should say “no”, when Geraldo asks you to be his guide or camera man or anything else. Did you see how he sent his camera man right to the edge of the canal, when water was blowing heavily over the wall? OMG. I feel for his support team… That guy is flat nuts! It is one thing when he is a danger to himself in the field, but he pushes his crew into the danger zone far too often.
—
Bill Platt
P.S. Read some of Bill’s other blogs at: Karma SEO and The Phantom Writers Article Marketing Blog.
By
allen on August 27th, 2008
Posted in Article SEO, Article Writing | No Comments »
Keywords, keywords, keywords. Everyone knows what they are, but very few article marketers really know how to make them work. You don’t want to stuff your articles with keywords. Too many article writers are doing that. Instead, you want to stuff your articles with great content and pepper that content with the rose doses of keywords.
What’s that mean exactly?
There’s no optimal keyword density. Let’s just shatter that myth right now. There are good articles and there are lousy articles. Most articles online today are lousy. But just a little bit of work can turn most of those lousy articles into good ones. But how?
First, stop putting your keyword into every sentence. That doesn’t help. If you can’t write a good article without keywords then you’ll write a good one with keywords. The most important thing for any article you write is for it to be a good article with valuable content aimed at your target market. Keywords are there for optimal performance in the search engines.
I’m not saying don’t include keywords at all. I’m saying use them sparingly, but aggressively. Make sure every instance of your keyword counts. Instead of using your exact keyword phrase every time you plop one down, alter it just a little so that you give a variation on the keyword. The search engines will still recognize it as a keyword and your human readers will enjoy the article more. It’s called semantic language optimization, or semantic search metrics. Whatever you call it, it works.
By
allen on August 26th, 2008
Posted in Article Marketing, Article Writing | No Comments »
It may come as a surprise to some readers that the most important aspect of article marketing is not your list of keywords. Yes, keywords are important of course. You’ve got to optimize your articles to make them useful to publishers. But that’s not where the magic is.
The best articles in the world are articles that convey a sense of authority. The magic is in your authority. The voice behind the words. That’s why it’s always best if you can write your own articles. But what if you don’t have the time or you don’t consider yourself a writer? Well, you can still market yourself through articles.
A quality ghostwriter can help you hone your voice. You can actually enjoy success as an article marketer by having someone else write your articles for you, which you approve before distributing. You get to look over the articles to make sure that they reflect your philosophy. By giving ghostwritten articles your stamp of approval, you are essentially signing off on those articles and every word is an extension of your authority. Successful article marketers understand that and that’s why our business is growing.
By
allen on August 21st, 2008
Posted in Article Marketing, Article Writing | No Comments »
This is what we’ve been teaching for years:
4 Easy Ways You Can Optimize Your Written Articles Besides Article Directories
By Kelvin Lee
Do you know that they are so many things you can do with your articles to drive you traffic?
Do you know that your articles are the most original content provided by you and only you?
Is your articles resting in your computer now after they are submitted to various article directories? (I bet it is for most of you)
Why don’t you put them to best use if it is your most original content created through your hardwork.
Here are the 4 Ways you can optimize the use of your articles
1) Small Reports: You can in fact select some of your articles that are related and compile them into small reports that can be given away to your prospects if they opt-in to your list. All you have to do is to create some links in your report and it will boost your website traffic like crazy.
2) Newsletter: You can also add your articles into your autoresponder as newsletter for your subscribers as it can provide them with great value and eventually build credibility for you.
3) Blog Post: You can use your articles as blog post and then submit your post to social networking site like digg.com to get more exposure. Do not worry, your blog is not going to be penalized by Google for posting articles that you have submitted to article directories.
4) Your product promotion tools: You can use some of your articles as your product promotional tools for your affiliates. You can instruct your affiliates to add one or two of your articles into their autoresponder and send to their list with their affiliate link on. This can in turn help your affiliate boost their sales.
These is what I usually do to my articles after I have submitted them to the article directories and I think you should do the same.
Now put this into practice and you will see the result soon.
Kelvin Lee is the founder of Internet Success Hub and Internet Product Review Club, a platform that provides informative help for internet marketers of all levels. For more Internet Marketing Strategies, audio mini courses as well as internet product reviews, visit us today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelvin_Lee
Why wait to get started on your article marketing campaign? Drive traffic to your website with well-written articles that are optimized for your keywords.
By
Chris McElroy aka NameCritic on August 18th, 2008
Posted in Article Writer Jobs, Article Writing | No Comments »
Ok, we talk about this all the time. I cannot believe that after all of this time, people are still looking for cheap garbage articles and thinking that distributing that garbage or even putting that garbage in their website will help them rank better or make sales.
This is just dumb. This is a job post at http://www.getafreelancer.com
Hello
I need 100 Articles Of 500 Words - 10 Articles Daily $1 Per 500 Words.
Thank You
Click here to for yourself. It’s real. I’m not joking.
By
allen on August 15th, 2008
Posted in Article Marketing, Article Writing | 2 Comments »
I like finding article marketers who know what they’re talking about. This article from Hendry Lee is a good example of an article that does just what it’s supposed to do:
Article Marketing Secrets - The 4 Components of a Good Article That You Must Not Miss
By Hendry Lee
Not all articles are written the same. Just because you have 1,000 articles submitted around the Internet doesn’t mean that you will get better results than others who only have 500 articles. Lots of factors matter, but here are 4 components that you can’t afford to miss.
I don’t recommend that you sit down in front of the computer trying to make the article perfect so it works better for you. No, far from that, you also need to write lots of articles. Find a balance between quality and quantity. Good article is enough.
My take is you give away good information, one at a time. Here are the 4 criteria for good articles:
1. Good quality
The content must be of good quality. Remember, the key is to have the readers read through the end of the article and see what you have to offer in the resource box. Poor quality content will turn them off before they reach that point.
2. Having personality
Writing conversationally matters. Readers only buy from people they know, like and trust. There are no way you can build that directly online, especially through indirect communication medium such as articles. For that reason, you need to write as if you are having a conversation with the a reader at a time.
This method allows you to build credibility and convey personality instantly via the article.
3. Be able to represent yourself
Articles are your salespersons. They need to be able to represent yourself or your business well. They are communicating with your prospects and customers, so lousy articles are simply not an option.
4. Offer them something to take away
The body content is the place you give away useful information. In the resource box, you offer the readers something to take away when they visit your site. My favorite method is to give them access to special report in exchange for name and email address.
Just because you can sell something in the resource box doesn’t mean you have to do it. Focus on providing value at this point. You want to build the relationship first because that is going to pay multiple times later.
Do you want to learn the secrets about article writing and marketing? If I can drive more than 12,688 unique visitors to my site each month, you can do it too if you know the secrets.
Download your free article marketing strategy guide plus 2 free article templates and other goodies from http://successloop.com/templates.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hendry_Lee
Notice how the title of the article tells you exactly what the article is about. It’s not cute. It’s straightforward, pulls no punches, and you know exactly what you are about to read.
Notice also the writer uses his keyword right off the bat. Right in the first sentence. Then he uses it several times throughout the article. But he always uses his keywords fluently. They aren’t stuffed. They appear in the article naturally. That’s exactly what you want.
Thirdly, the article covers just what the title tells you it will cover. Nothing more. No extraneous excursions into what his pet cat likes or information not related to the article. It’s short enough to hold your attention and not too long. All good qualities of a well-written article.
I also like what the author says about quality versus quantity. You aren’t Ernest Hemingway. Don’t try to write your magnum opus. You are just giving away good information that your reader can use. Giving, then getting. Give before you expect to get and you won’t be disappointed.
Finally, the author doesn’t go for the jugular in the author resource box. He tells you about a free offer. He’s giving you something else before asking you for something. Good marketing. Plain and simple. Article marketing works if you do it the right way.
By
allen on August 13th, 2008
Posted in Article Directories, Article Marketing, Article Writing | No Comments »
When it comes to article marketing, you have to have publishers. Your target market for any article you write should be at least one of these five types of publishers. If you make them happy then they will publish your articles and you’ll see more traffic to your website:
- E-zine / Newsletter Publishers - E-zine and newsletter publishers are constantly on the prowl for new content. By publishing your articles online in article directories you may your articles available to these publishers on a full-time basis. The more e-zines and newsletters that publish your articles, the more traffic you can expect to your website.
- Webmasters - Even website owners with static websites look for articles to publish on their sites and the more of your articles they publish the more links you’ll get back to your website and the more traffic you’ll get.
- Bloggers - Bloggers use articles too. I’ve had more of my articles picked up by bloggers than by any other type of web publisher. Again, this translates into links and traffic.
- Forum Moderators - Some forum moderators will prowl the article directories for articles that will benefit their forum members. You’ll get more links and traffic when your articles are published in forums.
- Off Line Publishers - Yes, even offline publishers will use your articles and give you credit. While you don’t get the link juice you get from online publishers, you will get your URL published and print readers do visit websites. That’s more traffic for you.
Learn more about article marketing from a pro who has been there.
By
allen on August 12th, 2008
Posted in Article Marketing, Article Writing | No Comments »
When you conduct article marketing for your business, should you quote third parties or stick to your business philosophy. I personally think most articles can be improved with third party quotes, but it takes a bit of research to get the right quotes.
Remember, the purpose for marketing through articles in the first place is to drive traffic to your website and establish yourself as a recognized authority in your field. Would an authority quote others? Yes. Quoting reputable sources has long been a best practice of any authority in any field. That’s why quoting third party sources in your article marketing articles can be a good way to establish your credibility, get more articles published, and drive more traffic to your own website.
Learn more about Article Marketing Best Practices.
By
allen on August 9th, 2008
Posted in Article Writing | No Comments »
Do you get writer’s block? I don’t.
Quite frankly, I don’t know what writer’s block is. I think it has something to do with some writers not having anything to say. But if you know me, I’m never at a loss. I always have something to say.
When it comes to article marketing, you can’t afford to have writer’s block. You have to say something. You have to say something about something. So why not just get going with it? The best thing to do if you are drawing a blank is to simply start writing.
I said I don’t have writer’s block. I never have. In over 30 years, I’ve always had something to write about. That doesn’t mean that I just sat down and the words started flowing. I have had moments where I had to “kick start” the creative juices, and I’ve learned to do that over the years pretty quickly. If I have a hard time figuring out what to write about, I just start writing.
Yep, that’s it. I just start writing. About anything. Then, when I get to the end, I look back and see what I’ve written that might be interesting. If I can’t find anything then I keep writing until something strikes me. Eventually, and usually pretty quickly, I find a topic just spill right out. I toss all the fluff and pick up on that topic that suddenly attracted my interest. I never have writer’s block.
Hire a writer without writer’s block.
By
allen on August 5th, 2008
Posted in Article Writing | No Comments »
We had a query this past week from a client who wanted to resell our article content to an Indian company. The Indian client of our potential client wanted an American company to write his articles because he wanted to ensure he got the highest quality article. He wanted the English to be above par and he wanted it to be American English.
This is not discriminatory. It is just smart business. Many American writers cannot even write English well. English is, after all, a very challenging language to learn. The problem with Indian writers is not that they do not know how to speak English. Many of them speak it very well, but there are compositional differences between the English language and Sanskrit, or Indian languages. And to add to the mix that most Indians are more familiar with British English than American English, the Indian businessman’s request for an American writer made a lot of sense.
At Article Content Provider, we use only the best American writers. We do not use foreign writers unless they specialize in a particular type of article where they could add a benefit. We do use UK or British writers as many of our clients are from Europe and those writers can write from a unique perspective. We even have an Australian writer on our team. But we tend to use people whose first language is not English for other tasks such as social bookmarking where writing skills are not a primary concern.
Another thing we do that is different than many content providers is we make sure every article is seen by an editor and tested against Copyscape for content theft. Writers that borrow content from other websites and sources are cut loose. We don’t need them. Our quality control is unique and benefits our clients greatly. That’s why they keep coming back to us. They know they are getting their money’s worth.
