A few years ago, I wrote another article about article marketing: “Sell Yourself as an Expert – with Articles.” I’m covering this topic again because article marketing is such a powerful form of marketing (and self-promotion – this year’s theme).
One well-known source of knowledge for SEO –Wordtracker – says that during the years since the Internet came on the scene, the importance of article marketing has grown tenfold. That’s because this type of marketing is a practical, effective way to create inbound links for your website. And it’s far less time-consuming than other link-building strategies.
In this issue, I’ll be listing four reasons article marketing should be something you consider using in promoting your business. You’ll also find several tips for making your article marketing more effective.
If you’d like to explore article marketing even more, take a look at the articles and book I’ve listed below, under “Resources.”
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People love to read stories, especially when they’re well-written and relevant to their own experiences. The stories don’t have to be fiction, either. Nonfiction stories (sometimes called articles) can be just as fascinating as ones that are made up.
Also known as “creative nonfiction,” articles are fairly short pieces of information that have a theme, as well as a definite structure (i.e., beginning, middle, and end).
The first step is to decide which style you’re going to use in your writing – whether fact-filled white papers, “man-on-the-street” interviews, or behind-the-scene case studies about your most satisfied customers.
For the sake of variety (and holding your readers’ interest), be sure to switch the format frequently. Some of your readers may enjoy reading interviews more than product reviews. And although most people enjoy reading about others’ experiences (as in case studies), throwing in a few “how-to” or “tips” articles can be very helpful for customers who may be struggling with problems in their business.
Sit down before writing your first article, and write out a list of possible topics. Organizing your articles by theme can be very helpful (speaking from personal experience with this newsletter!).
Listed below are some tips to keep in mind with your own article marketing, along with reasons to try this type of marketing in the first place.
4 Reasons to Try Article Marketing
1. You will automatically be viewed as an expert on the topics you’re writing about. As your credibility goes up, so does your potential for attracting new clients.
2. Your online content is out there for the world to see for a long time – basically forever. That is, as long as the website on which it’s displayed (whether yours or someone else’s) hasn’t deleted it!
9 Tips for Effective Email Marketing
1. Start a blog to help customers become more “engaged” with your company. Seeing frequent posts from you will cause readers to begin considering you as a “thought leader” in your industry.
2. Add new articles as often as possible. Search engines measure the frequency of newly posted information, and rank websites accordingly.
3. Keep paragraphs short, interesting, and relevant. These help to hold your readers’ interest.
4. Write in a conversational manner. Formal, wordy articles are almost guaranteed to turn readers off. Articles shared online (aka “interesting articles”) will result in more traffic. And including search engine-friendly keyword phrases is much easier when you’re not trying to stick to strict AP (Associated Press) standards.
5. Use a call to action. This could include something as simple as sending readers to your website. Calls to action are most effective when included near the end of your article, through links to pages where they can follow through with the action you’d like them to take.
6. Place articles on directories. More people will learn about you, speeding up the time it takes for you to “get the word out” about your business.
7. Take advantage of social media. Each time you post to your blog or publish a new article, mention it on Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or your Facebook business page. Encourage readers to share your articles with their friends, too.
8. Be sure all of your articles are high-quality. Using low-priced writing services to generate a high volume of content for your website or marketing is a mistake, since many of these articles include improper grammar and spelling errors … which, in turn, can affect your reputation.
9. Read, read, read!! There are so many reasons to make time for reading. Not only will your writing improve, it will also boost your comprehension and help you come up with new ideas more easily.
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RESOURCES
What Is Article Marketing? The Ultimate Guide and Tips (by Ivan Kovonenko)
I found this on a website that focuses on digital marketing — RGray Marketing. I think the article does a good job of describing the concept of article marketing — a “specialty within a specialty.”
6 Steps to Free Publicity (pages 115-117) by Marcia Yudkin.
“Syndication Services, Article Banks, and Do-It-Yourself Syndication” is the name of the section in a chapter titled “Advertorials That Don’t Cost You a Cent,” in which Yudkin includes detailed information on three different methods article marketers can use to distribute their articles.
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HEALTH TIP
TAKE A PICTURE.
Taking photos is something most of us do all the time – even if it’s just with our phones.
One local photographer I know takes the most amazing pictures of his family – true pieces of art. This one of his son flying a kite is especially amazing – almost like an abstract watercolor.
If looking at pictures is something you enjoy, you might want to subscribe to Dewitt Jones’ website:
Celebrate What’s Right With the World
BENEFITS: Stress relief, uplifted spirit, a glimpse of natural wonders you might not otherwise see, and maybe even a smile on your face!
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I’m sharing two quotes this time, they’re both so good. Of course they are … consider the source!
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” – Ansel Adams
