The Benefits of Article Directory Submissions
Before we can discuss the benefits of an article directory submission, we must know what an article directory is. An article directory is a clearinghouse for writers to submit original articles that will provide them with a by-line and exposure. It also provides a one-stop shop for publishers to find material to publish on their website to promote their product or service.
One of the first benefits of an article directory, is that it will give you exposure. If they are looking in an resource directory and find that you have written several articles on a given subject, you have become an expert on that subject. They publish your articles on their websites and you become their resident expert on that subject.
The article directory has the benefit of promoting your knowledge, experience, website and product to more people than you could otherwise reach. The next benefit of an article directory is that you are in fact targeting your audience because of the nature of the websites that will publish your articles and the people that will be reading your articles. The people that click the link in your article and go to your website will be more likely to review your product or service.
This is because the people that have been reading your articles now trust what you have to say and look at you as someone they can trust. This will also increase their willingness to try your product or service, which will mean an increase in exposure for you. Article directories can also benefit you by helping you get a higher ranking on many of the search engines. The establishment of backlinks achieves this. A backlink is when someone links back to you and your website.
One of the main points looked at in deciding search engine ranking is how many people have linked to your website. The idea behind any online business is the same as any other type of business – to make money. Article directory submissions and resource sites such as talkinmince are great places to promote your business. You benefit from the degree of exposure you can gain in a relatively short period of time. You benefit from their ability to market you to a wide variety of people that have an interest in what you have to say.
You gain all the benefits from any directory submission that you put out there. You will gain even more benefit by keeping in mind keyword density when you write your articles. This will make them more appealing to the publishers. They will be looking to article directories for articles that will rank high on the search engines and not sound spammy in the process. Your articles benefit them by increasing their ranking and they in turn benefit you by increasing your ranking.
Talkinmince article directory submissions, to find more articles and resources go to http://www.talkinmince.com and our blog http://www.talkinmince.com/tmblog/ for more information.
The Secret To Good Article Writing
But is the article writing job really for you? Just because you are a good writer does not mean that it is. Read on to see if you should pursue it, or find another niche.
Of course, you can always use article writing to create e-books, which can be given away or sold.
You can also spin short stories into worthy articles. You can use your creative impulse to weave some magic and entertainment into your articles. You will find that you can also appeal to a wider audience by using a story telling technique, children especially love a good story. As a writer, you can imagine that I love the fact that my children are interested in the arts and literature.
Here are a few tips for good article writing:
Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. Your article needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Most articles will be between four hundred and six hundred words long.
NO errors. Spelling mistakes are simply not accepted.
If you’re a freelance writer looking for work, many times you’ll see job ads that ask for writing samples. Well what better way to get in some practice and good exposure than write a few articles on writing?
To Start Writing is also a great tip. It is so easy to come up with an excuse to NOT write. But once you are seated, you will find it is easier than you thought. Don’t worry too much about the quality initially, the important thing is get something down on paper. You can always tidy up things later.
People don’t necessarily write about something because they understand it already. They often start writing about something because they want to understand it, and the process of writing is what brings about their understanding. Why not start article writing today and improve your thinking skills by writing?
Save photos or clip pictures from magazines. One way to start writing is to view something that gives you a scene or some action that will lead to a story.
Make a list of the stories that you most like. Start with any story you really like, and think about how you could weave that into an article.
Then start writing and see if the article “grabs” you. Bible stories have been successfully retold a hundred ways in books and movies, under many titles. Why not find a formula you like, which has been proven to work, and write your own updated version?
Oh yes, by now you may be asking, what is The Secret To Good Article Writing? Well, it is simple really, sit down and write them.
Allen Jesson writes for several sites including http://www.internet-marketing-sense.com and http://www.m1in365.com and then of course, http://www.allenjesson.com
Write a List – Grab the Cash!
Famous List Makers. Did you happen to read Nick Hornby’s novel, “High Fidelity,” or see the movie by the same name? In the film, John Cusack’s character, record store owner Rob Gordon, is a list-making fiend. He has lists of the Top 5 Episodes of “Cheers,” the Top 5 Pop Songs About Death, the Top 5 Elvis Costello Songs – and even the trite Top 5 Movies. In fact, his list of the Top 5 Worst Breakups is the central plot point for the story.
And unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20-plus years, you know that David Letterman has immemorialized the Top 10 List. We are a culture that has come to love lists. New Year’s resolution lists. To-do lists. Grocery lists. “What I’m looking for in my next mate” lists. Goal lists. “Honey do” lists.
Can All This Listmania Benefit You?
You bet it can! Let’s start by reexamining that Top 10 List again. Do you have one – or could you make one – about your business? If you’re in the printing industry, how about a list of the top 10 things to consider when pricing a large printing job? Let’s say you’re in the mortgage industry. Could you enumerate the 10 biggest mistakes first-time home buyers often make? A chef could easily pen a list of ways to make a kitchen more useful and efficient. A personal trainer could create a list of exercises to do while traveling. A financial advisor could compile a series of money personality types. A photographer could suggest ways to appear more photogenic. The possibilities are endless.
Still don’t know what to put on your list? Think about the questions you repeatedly hear that relate to your business or industry. Or consider for a moment the questions that make you think to yourself, “I thought everyone knew that!” If you’re in business, you’re an expert, and if you’re an expert, you probably have scads of material for lists.
So why are these lists are important? Because they’re fodder for articles and books and info products.
Why You Need to Start Writing Lists
If you have a list, you have, at the very least, the outline for some demonstration of your expert knowledge. Chances are that if you thought about it, you could take that list, expand on it, and develop enough material for an article or a teleclass. Dig deeply enough into your storehouse of intellectual property, and you likely could further enhance the information to form the chapters of a book, an eBook, a workshop, or some sort of information product.
Whatever business you’re in – you’re actually in two businesses: the business of your product or service, and the business of marketing and selling your product or service. There’s no better way to market and promote yourself than by developing and selling information related to your product or service. Doing so accomplishes two things: (1) it helps promote you as an expert in your field, and (2) it can give you a great passive revenue stream.
List-Writing Exercise
So hurry up – grab a pen or open a new Word document. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Number the paper from 1 to 10. Now, think of a subject around which to build your list. Your subject could be as broad as your industry, or as specific as answers to a particular question related to a niche market within your industry. Choose whichever subject feels appropriate to you, start the timer, and begin writing. Write quickly, fluidly. Do not stop to hesitate or filter. Just put down anything and everything that comes to mind with respect to your subject.
If you get to 10 with little effort, continue writing 10 more list items. Don’t stop until the timer goes off, or you have completely exhausted your list of ideas. And then, just when you think you’ve done all you can do . . . reset the timer for an additional three minutes, and add five more items to your list. Really. Get as creative as you can. Bust that ol’ box wide open! Then, once you’ve really finished your list, be it 10 or 20 or 100 items long, you can start to organize it and shape it into something useful.
Begin by grouping like items together. Chances are – if you really did the exercise without filtering – that you have some repeats and redundancies. The language may be a little different, but the gist of several items is likely the same. Group similar things together, and delete items that are simply repetitions of previous items. Prioritize your list, putting the most important or most-often addressed issues at the top. Slowly, you will pull together a list that truly represents your depth of knowledge and provides a good overview of your product or service. It might be five items long, or it might contain a dozen things. Remember, there’s no right or wrong here – it’s your list!
You Have a List – Now Use It!
Now it’s up to you to do something with your list. Use it as a springboard to some further demonstration of your expert knowledge. Begin with one list . . . or article or eBook . . . and expand to another. Soon you will be able to claim the status of a knowledgeable expert in your field. People will begin to think of you first when it comes to questions about your industry. When they think of you first, they will call you first. And as copywriter extraordinaire Michele PW says, “When you’re the expert, you can charge more!”
If a simple list can add zeroes to your bank balance, isn’t it time you start compiling yours now?
Scott White is an SEO specialist and SEO consultant in Arizona who has designed a program to teach you how to rank your website:
http://www.seotutorialprogram.com/SEO_Simple_Secrets_book.htm
http://www.personalloanprogram.com
http://www.wordsmadeeasy.com
Magazine Articles: The Ten Golden Rules
Most magazines, especially women’s magazines, are full of feature articles. If your aim is to write this kind of article, here are ten rules that will help put your work at the top of the pile!
For most people, magazines are a treat, a small indulgence that they buy for themselves as a little luxury. For some it’s a contented lunch or evening read. These readers expect to be entertained, informed and amused so features need to be sharp and to the point whilst still being readable and interesting. The following ten points will help you, as a writer, craft your features to fit almost any niche in any magazine feature article.
1. Do your own research. Magazine editors are savvy creatures and they’ll spot a composite, internet-trawled piece a mile off. I’m not saying don’t use the web for research – just make very sure that the article your write is truly yours and in your own ‘voice’.
2. Study the trends of the magazine you’re writing for. A good place to look is in the ads columns – who are they targeted at? What kinds of products do they feature? This can give an you an excellent idea of both the magazine’s typical reader and what style of writing you may have to adopt.
3. Use the first paragraph to tell the reader just why they should read your feature article. Explain the core of your article here and get all the article benefits in as early as possible.
4. Don’t leave any questions hanging in the air. This article is yours – you are the expert of the moment and your reader will expect everything you say to be accurate and informative. Don’t be vague on any points – do more research and find the answer!
5. If you are reviewing a product, try and test it personally. Rather than give sterile specifications and measurements, include your opinion – but make it clear that it is your opinion. If you have had a product on test, give a verdict. People will expect it.
6. Keep your writing style as simple as possible. This may not be easy if your article is all about particle physics or celestial mechanics but avoid using flowery language and overlong words. Your readers don’t want to have to refer to a dictionary to understand what they’re reading!
7. Give some thought to what the people feel who buy the magazine your article will appear in when they pick it up from the newsstand. Most readers say that a magazine is definitely a form of diversion and some comfort they’re seeking. It’s up to you to help fulfil that need.
8. Try to be as much like your readers as possible. If they can’t identify with you as a person, they’re unlikely to have any great interest in what you write, no matter how topical or potentially interesting it may be. Also – don’t brag. Even if you’re fortunate enough to have a second home and an ocean-going yacht – don’t boast. Readers need to feel empathy with the writer, not be alienated by their snobbery or smugness.
9. If you are lucky enough to be writing your feature article about a celebrity you have interviewed, try to throw in one or two surprise questions. Not embarrassing ones, of course – more along the lines of ‘If someone stole your handbag/wallet, what would you miss most?’ Such questions give an insight into the person being interviewed and add a great deal of interest. Avoid shallow, meaningless questions such as ‘Do you prefer tea or coffee?’ – they tell the reader nothing about the subject.
10. If you find yourself being asked to write on a well-known theme, try to surprise your reader with some little-known fact about the subject. Readers love surprises! Here the internet can be a boon, with such sites as Wikepedia providing some truly obscure facts about the commonest subjects. However, it’s always a good idea to validate your facts by checking with at least one other source – you don’t wish to be known as the writer who got their facts wrong on their chosen subject!
The above points aren’t an exhaustive by any means but, if you adhere to them when writing your feature article you won’t wander far from the mark and the magazine editor will appreciate it too!
Steve Dempster writes informative articles such as the one above as part of his working day. Learn more about feature article writing at http://www.howtobeawriter.co.uk/featurearticles.html – and he’d also be delighted if you would pay his writing website a visit at http://www.iwanttowrite.co.uk
Real Estate Article Marketing; Ka ching! Ka ching!
Real Estate Articles are a great way of promoting your products and services. In many instances it can be accomplished at relativly little cost, and is a proven method of boosting your sales; doubling and even tripling it in some instances.
Here’s how it works!
Write articles relating to your website and submit them to “free content” submission sites. It’s easy to do, takes little time and can increase your website traffic, sales and of course, your income.
How can this be?
Well, your articles on free content sites contain links to your own website. Readers, after reading your articles, may choose to click on the link and pay you an unexpected visit.
Having them on the free content sites also makes them available to other webmasters who may wish to publish your articles on their sites. If they do, your article will include a link back to your site. And anyone who reads the article on that site can still click on the link to visit your site.
As the list of your published articles grows, and more and more of them are appearing on different websites, the total number of links to your site increases, too!
Major search engines are placing a lot of significance on incoming links to websites to determine the importance of the sites.
The more incoming links your website has, the more importance search engines will attach to it. This will then increase your website’s placement in the search results.
If you promote listings and other real estate services the links that your articles achieve will mean more potential customers for you. Even if visitors only browse through, you never know when they might be in need of what you are offering in the future.
There are also those who already have specific things they need on their mind but cannot decide yet between the many choices online. Chances are, they may stumble upon one of your articles, get interested by the content you wrote, go to your site and became enticed by your promotions. See how easy that is?
Search engines do not just index the websites, they also index published articles. They also index any article that is written about your website’s topic. So, once someone searches for that same topic, the list of results will have your site or may even show the articles that you have written.
And to think, no effort on your part was used to bring them to your site. Just your published articles and the search engines.
It is no wonder why many webmasters are suddenly reviving their old writing styles and taking time to write more articles about their sites than other means of promotion.
Getting their site known is easier if they have articles increasing their links and traffic and making it accessible for visitors searching the internet. Since many people are now taking their buying needs online, having your site on the search engines through your articles is one way of letting them know about you and your business.
The good thing with articles is that you can write about things that people would want to know about. This can be achieved in the lightest mood but professional manner, with a little not-so-obvious sales pitch added.
If you think about it, only a few minutes of your time is spent on writing one article and submitting to free content site. In the shortest span of time also, those are distributed to more sites than you can think of. Even before you know what is happening, you are getting more visitors than you previously had.
If you think you are wasting your time writing articles, fast forward to the time when you will see them printed and wide-spread on the internet. Not to mention the sudden attention and interest that people are giving your website and your products or services.
Try writing some articles and you will be assured of the sudden surge in site traffic, link popularity and interest. Before you know it you could be doubling and even tripling your earnings.
Lanard Perry shows Realtors how to Average 1 or More Listings a Week. Find out how at http://www.farmingexpiredlistings.com and http://www.real-estate-marketing-talk.com.