"BizWeb eGazette... Your Secret Source for Internet Marketing Know-How."

"Article Marketing"

Wait! Before you assume this is not for you, read the rest of this newsletter.

I'll prove to you that this is a super-effective, grass roots Internet marketing strategy. Not only can this strategy build you a loyal following and establish you as an expert in any niche, it can deliver targeted visitors, increase your search engine rankings and ultimately, boost sales.

The problem with this strategy is that it sounds like too much like work.

I agree, that at first glance, it is easy to equate article writing with days of high school or university paper deadlines, and those dreadful all-nighters. Those stressful memories can make article writing seem like hard work, and keep you from taking advantage of this powerful strategy.

Here's How To Get Started...

One of the biggest hurdles most new writers face is finding ideas to write about. The easiest way to begin is to write about things you are interested in and preferably passionate about. Most likely, you already have plenty of knowledge in these areas which can be shared with others.

It is easy to underestimate your own abilities in areas you are experienced in. Talented people are often surprised by the level of questions novices ask (it is important to remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question - only stupid answers).

Once you have decided on a general area, a good way to narrow the topic down is to focus on the problems that people have. Typically, people read articles because they want to be entertained or they want information. While making your articles entertaining can take time, writing informative articles can be as simple as sharing tips that you have learned. A guiding principle is to expect the readers to be looking for "What's in it for me".

You may already know the common problems that people have in your particular field, but if not, a good source of information is to look at related online forums and note the most common questions asked. Try a search for your niche at http://groups.google.com/ and you'll find some active discussions from real people.

Oh, and if you don't have all the answers, a small bit of research can assist. Often the answers are readily available with a Google search which the readers could do themselves. However, you are adding value and convenience by providing a range of answers in a single document.

Short and Simple is the Rule Online...

Most people don't like to read large documents from the Web, so unlike long essays, articles for the web can be as short as 500-700 words. If you break the article into an introduction, a small number of sub-headings and a conclusion you may only have to write about 100 words in each section. You'd be surprised how fast the words add up.

The first draft should be for your eyes only. Don't try to produce a final copy as you write. It tends to be much quicker to get your thoughts down and come back to edit later. The final step in the writing process is to proofread your article making sure that the writing flows and would be interesting to the reader. Ask yourself, 'does the article provide information the potential reader is looking for?’ Also ask yourself if you can you get your message across using less words.

Finally, if possible, have someone else proofread the article, not only looking for spelling and grammatical errors, but helping you cut out the "fluff".

Do You Lack Time or Writing Skills? Here's a Shortcut...

If you are simply too busy to write your own articles, or you lack the skills necessary, there are many solutions which can make the process easier.

Many private label article sites you can join let you literally "steal" their articles and claim them as your own.

My favorite is InfoGoRound™ which has articles in more than a dozen popular niches, and adds fresh content regularly.

What To Do With Your Articles (Getting Website Traffic)...

Once you have an article completed, it's time to implement the most important task involved with article marketing -- turning each article into traffic and sales.

Here's a short checklist you can use each time you complete an article. (I urge you to save this checklist!) If you take all four of these steps each time, you'll be maximizing the use of your articles.

Step 1. Add the article to your own website.

Search engines love original content and the more you add to your site, the better your ranking will be in your niche.

Step 2. Add an 'About the Author' section after your article, with a link to your website, then submit it to article directories.

As other websites publish your article you receive another thing that search engines look for, one-way back links. There are lots of article directories on the web, with the busiest being ezinearticles.com - a must-submit site.

Step 3. Publish the article in your own newsletter and send it to your email subscriber list.

If you do not have an email subscriber list, you need to start growing one right away. You can do that by converting your best articles into an ebook and giving it away at your site via an opt-in list subscribe form. Opt-in forms take just a few seconds to set up and everything from that moment on can be completely automated. This includes the opt-ins, the ebook downloads, your email broadcasts and any unsubscribe requests. (Here's the web-based tool I use to automate the entire process.)

Step 4. Keep a list of the "10 best" email newsletters in your niche and send the article to each editor via a personal email.

Every niche has at least 10 great email newsletters available. Nearly all of them are free and you should be subscribed to all of the best newsletters in your niche. Each time you write a new article, send it to those editors with permission for them to use it at no cost. You'll get lots of traffic via your "about the author" section at the end of the article. Do this once a month and you'll be surprised at how much traffic it brings.

In Closing...

After writing and promoting your first few articles you will find that it is not nearly as daunting as it first appears. You never know, you may even want to offer your services as a freelance writer on the Internet as a way to make some extra income.

But one thing's for sure, you'll never find a better "grass roots" strategy for marketing on the Internet. In fact, it won't cost you a penny and if you do it right you may see an increase of thousands of website visitors a month -- not to mention a sharp increase in sales.

I can personally attest to the power of this strategy, as I've used it extensively to build my income well into the six-figure a year range. And you can do it too!

Jim Daniels - JDD Publishing Co.

P.S. If you think you might need a little hand holding, here's an excellent report on article marketing. I mentioned this report to my readers last week and 223 smart marketers have already read it.