Article Marketing: Make Yours Measures Up

Article marketing is a great tool to develop interest in your company. By writing articles for use in print and online publications, you build credibility for yourself. When you build your reputation as an expert in your field, more people will want to use your services.

 But to use article marketing effectively, you must start by writing an article that will be used. Here are some tips to help you write the articles are looking for.

To do this, we’re going to pretend that you are a veterinarian who wants to use article marketing to drive business to your website. You’ve just introduced laser surgery to your practice and you’ve decided to write an article about it.

 Start with your headline: Make sure it is clear about what information the article has. Article marketing sites require it and it gives them a clear idea about what your article is about. For example, don’t call your article, “A story about my dog, Spike.” This does not tell the user why he or she should read the article (unless of course they know and love Spike). It would be much clearer to call it, “Laser surgery: How it saved my dog, Spike”.

 Make sure the headline is reflected in the opening paragraphs (called the lead). Article marketing follows news reporting style in that you need to focus on facts. Don’t copy your favorite novel in describing a lyrical country setting. Start with something like, “Laser surgery has become a life saver in the animal world. Let me tell you how it saved my dog, Spike.”

 Use a conversational tone. I know, Mrs. Jones told you in third grade to never use contractions and to build your vocabulary by using big words. Well, Mrs. Jones does not run a web site, nor does she run a business. Write how you talk. Use contractions. Use short words and sentences: For example, “use” is much better than “utilize”.

 Keep your article short. Writing for the internet is not like writing a term paper. Attention spans are much shorter. On the other hand, make sure your article is long enough to contain real information. If your article is just a “puff piece” on how great your business is, article marketing sites and users will see that and not use your article. They are looking for a real article with real information.

 Another way writing for the internet is different than other forms of writing: use the subject of your article frequently in the article. For instance, if your article is about laser surgery, use the term often. This helps to build “keyword density” in the article and helps build its “search engine optimization”, meaning search engines will rank your article more highly and users will find and refer to your work more quickly.

 One other tip in writing for the internet: be sure to include helpful links to other sites within your article.  This is helpful for several reasons: it saves you the work of compiling the information into your article. It also shows that you are well-read and know of other experts in your field. It also opens the possibility of your work being linked to their sites in the future.

 If you have written more than one article for marketing purposes, it is perfectly acceptable to link to those other articles in your new article if those are indeed links to helpful information.

 When you have finished your article, proofread it carefully and also use spell checkers. But also have someone else read it. When you write an article, you become “wedded” to your words and won’t necessarily see any glaring errors. It’s better to have someone else make the corrections before an embarrassing mistake goes all over the internet. If you are uncertain of your writing skills, hire a college student to tidy things up a bit.

 When it’s ready, post your article to your own website as well as to popular article marketing sites. If you have several articles, you may eventually want to compile them and offer them as an “ebook” or a brochure or book for your clients.

 By following these tips, you will find Article Marketing is a great tool for growing your business.