Effective business email writing starts with a solid understanding of your prospective customer.

Before you begin an email campaign you need to stop and think about who it is you are writing to and why they are interested in your product.  The key to any single email is to address it to one specific “Hot Button” reason that motivates a distinct section of your market place.

Thus for example, if you are writing an email to a list of people who you know are interested in kitchen utensils and you want to market a new frying pan you may have more than one motivation operating.

Some of your prospects may be interested because they like copper bottomed pans like yours that heat evenly.  Others may be as interested in how nice the pan will look hanging from its hook over their butcher block table.

It’s your job to understand these as well as possible, and then to create a title to your email that directly addresses their motivation.  Properly done, the portion of your list who shares that motivation are far more likely to open your email.

Once they have opened it, you then need to connect with them around that motivation on a personal level. Talk about how you hated frying pans that looked so ugly you hid them beneath the stove.

Then keep the body of your email short. Generally no more than 3-5 paragraphs. And do not sell your frying pan. Instead talk about it positively, but somewhat indirectly. Your goal with your email is to send them to your sales page.  People do not want to read long emails and they do not want to be sold by email.

But if you can scratch their itch, and get them to take action and go to your sales page, you stand a far greater chance of the sales page actually converting.

Business email writing is not that difficult if you follow these simple how to write business email tips.

For more tips effective email marketing grab a free copy of Profitable Email Copywriting, and for other internet marketing advice visit the authors blog at http://MicroBusinessSpecialist.com

Feel free to republish this article on your blog or ezine or to link to it. Just do me the favor of keeping the link to my free ebook and blog in the post.

Technorati Tags: business email writing, writing effective emails, effective business email, how to write business email, writing email,

Technorati Tags: business email writing, effective business email, how to write business email, writing effective emails, writing email

The primary goal of writing articles for SEO purposes is to generate as many backlinks as possible to your web site or blog post.

Creating articles for backlinks is a long term strategy that will generate traffic to your site from people who happen to read your articles and come to your site for more information. This traffic can be substantial, if your article is attractive enough to get a lot of people, or even just one person with a large following to reprint your article on their site.

More powerful in the long run is the value of the backlinks these reprints generate. Every article directory that carries your article will generate a backlink to you, and thus help raise your sites ranking on the search engines. That’s why some people use article submission services like Content Crooner to get their article posted on as many different article directories as possible.

Since many of these article directories have moderate to high page rank status, these are often valuable links.

The better the article itself, the more likely that it will then be reprinted on other blogs, ezines, etc. And that is where writing articles for SEO really pays off.

Whether you have posted in many or few article directories, your goal is to get as many of these other blogs and ezines to post your article as possible. To do so, you need to provide interesting topics for people to read. Seems simple, and yet a lot of articles people post online are BORING, or pointless.

People go to the internet most frequently to find information. And while you may be mostly interested in selling them something as part of your business, that’s not what your article should be about.

For example, if you are a building contractor that specializes in remodeling bathrooms, you would be better off writing about new trends in barrier free tubs and showers for the graying baby boomer population. An anecdote about Mrs. Brown who was having trouble getting into and out of the tub, will be interesting to thousands of Mrs. Browns and their children.

This potential interest by potential readers is the secret to getting other people to reprint your article. The editors and bloggers you want to reprint your articles are looking for material their readers will appreciate.

While your market may be local, the interest in your topic is more global, so you may get reprints from bloggers around the world. Their readers may be thousands of miles away from your market, but since you are writing articles for SEO purposes that doesn’t matter to you.

Your targeted web site is getting the backlinks you want, and they in turn will help you raise your standing in the search engines. Since you compete locally, you don’t need to have more backlinks than anyone else, you need to have more backlinks than your local competitors.

And in most fields, that is still relatively easy to do. Thus when a local Mrs. Brown starts searching for a barrier free shower or tub, the odds are better that your website will appear on the first page, where she may actually see it. And that’s when the payoff of creating articles for backlinks begins.

Technorati Tags: articles for seo, articles for backlinks, seo, article marketing, more backlinks, backlinks, Content Crooner, article submission, article submission services,

Technorati Tags: Article Marketing, article submission, article submission services, articles for backlinks, articles for seo, backlinks, Content Crooner, more backlinks, SEO

Free Article Marketing Help

Effective article marketing can be a major source of traffic to anyone’s website or blog.

In an effort to assist as many people as possible to learn the basics of article marketing I have released a free report called Article Power.

In the report I discuss the two key ingredients of an effective article marketing campaign, namely Quality and Quantity.

I point out that articles generate traffic directly from people who read your articles and also discuss how backlinks from article directories and the republishing of your articles serves to drive search engine traffic to your site as well.

In fact, it’s this backlink power that I appreciate most, as it effectively builds traffic over the long haul.

Of course an effective article marketing campaign needs to be focused on appropriate keywords so I do discuss a bit about keyword selection as well.

The trickiest part of article writing for many people is the creation of their resource boxes, which is the paycheck for an article marketing campaign.

To finish up I list some of the top article marketing sites or directories, and provide a page of resources that could be of value to anyone seriously pursing an article marketing strategy.

As I said above, I am interested in sharing the message of article marketing near and far,  so I have included giveaway rights to all who download it.  That means you will be able to share it with your friends, your twitter or facebook followers etc.

The resource page includes a variety of affiliate links, so I do hope to make a few bucks here and there as well.  But I have also made it possible for you to re-brand this report so that you can earn those commissions.

Get your copy of Article Power now.

Also please let me know what questions or issues you have about article marketing, and I will answer them here in an upcoming post.

Feel free to republish this blog post in its entirety on your blog or newsletter.

Technorati Tags: Article Marketing Help, effective article marketing, easy article marketing, article marketing sites, an article marketing,

Technorati Tags: an article marketing, Article Marketing Help, article marketing sites, easy article marketing, effective article marketing

I write a blog dedicated to people in the Home Staging Industry, advising them how best to use the internet to market their businesses.  I noticed something lately about how some of them were using article marketing that applies across all markets for locally based businesses.

I have long preached about the power of what I call geographical long tail keywords.

When you are setting up your web pages for your home staging business or any other locally based business for that matter, you want your page text and the invisible meta tags behind your page to include the key geographical keyword terms appropriate for your market.

This helps the search engine know that your site is and should be shown to people in your area, and will help get your web page to the top of the search engine results for people doing a search in your community.

In smaller markets this alone, when done properly will get you to the first page of results.  However, in most markets you need to go beyond this.

You need to generate backlinks to your site.

One of my favorite ways to do so is through article writing.  I encourage you to create short meaningful articles and post them to article directories. Perhaps the most important of which is www.ezinearticles.com

I recently checked them for articles on Homestaging and noted several that included geographical references in their titles.  There’s something good and bad to be said about that idea.

The good first. Article Directories like ezinearticles have high page ranks on their own. An article that includes your town name and home staging in it may well show up on the search engines by itself.

Being a published author online in a Google Search will certainly aid in your perceived credibility in the eyes of the reader, which is certainly good.

The downside is that far fewer newsletter, blog or ezine editors are likely to use the article.  For example in one article the author’s title was: 5 ways to homestage PEI (Prince Edward Island) real estate.  Since it mentions PEI, its not likely a California or Florida or Australian site on homestaging or realestate is likely to repost it.

People who reprint articles from these directories are not allowed to edit them, and thus most will just pass them by.

It’s important to understand that the widespread reposting is the primary goal of article marketing.  For each republishing of your article counts in your total backlink tally.  The reason to write articles is to gain this backlink power to raise your ranking on the search engines.  And that would be my focus, so I would tend to say do not put geopraphy in your article titles.

That said, if you have a number of good articles written, it may be worth an experiment to see if you can’t get some of them ranked.

Now what I did like about the article was that the author did create anchor text linking his site to the term “PEI real estate.”   This will help him rank higher in anyone’s search for that term. And that is what article marketing is all about from a local business perspective.

Technorati Tags: article marketing, backlinks, geographical keywords, long tail keywords, seo, search engine ranking

Technorati Tags: Article Marketing, backlinks, geographical keywords, long tail keywords, search engine ranking, SEO

Get your copy of Marlon Sanders 7 Rules of Selling right here, right now.

http://askearlabout.com/MarlonSanders/Marlon7rules.pdf

Here’s me just after a recent camping trip talking about this free report. Clearly a bad hair day.

Again, here is the link: Go get it now.

http://askearlabout.com/MarlonSanders/Marlon7rules.pdf

Don’t forget Marlon’s holding a QUICK START conference call next week so check  it out ASAP because this is one call you do NOT want to miss!

Quick Sign Up Here Now

Technorati Tags: Marlon Sanders, 7 rules of selling, rules of selling,

Technorati Tags: 7 rules of selling, Marlon Sanders, rules of selling

Marlon Sanders has just released a brand new PDF called
“How To Get People To Buy Your Product or Service
Using the 7 New Rules of Selling In 2010″

You can snag it here:
http://askearlabout.com/MarlonSanders/Marlon7rules.pdf

If you have a product or service and want to get someone
to buy it, then this report will be of great value to you.

Here’s why:

The things you did in the past to get people to buy aren’t
sufficient in 2010. The rules of the game have changed
and this report explains why this happened and what the
new rules are. You won’t find this idea or method
being taught anywhere else.

And best of all, you can apply it immediately to your:

Emails
Facebook status updates
Twitter posts
Article marketing
Bog posts
Teleseminars
Webinars

To grab the PDF just go to:
http://askearlabout.com/MarlonSanders/Marlon7rules.pdf

The information in this PDF is brand new and I haven’t heard anyone talk about it before, including Marlon. You won’t find this information anywhere else. So I know you’ll benefit from it greatly.

I don’t know how long Marlon will have this PDF available so you should snag it right now while you can:

To grab the PDF just go to:

http://askearlabout.com/MarlonSanders/Marlon7rules.pdf

Technorati Tags: copywriting, Sales writing, persuasive writing, selling online, rules of selling, Marlon Sanders, free pdf, get people to buy,

Technorati Tags: copywriting, free pdf, get people to buy, Marlon Sanders, persuasive writing, rules of selling, Sales writing, selling online

Who Else Wants Killer

Sales Copy —

Without Having to Write It From Scratch?

Invest a little in this product and Save Tons of Time! Even when you know the secret system to creating powerful cash sucking sales letters, the fact is that it takes time. There is a shortcut though that is well worth the small investment. It’s Marlon Sander’s Push Button Sales Letters. What’s your time worth?Even when you’ve mastered the art of copywriting, the standard sales letter will take hours for each and everyone. Sure you will get faster with experience, but with Push Button Salesletters you will slash that time to next to nothing.

Click Here to Get Sizzling Copy That Sells Now

Click Here to Get Sizzling Copy That Sells Now

Technorati Tags: Sales Letters, Copywrting, copy writing, Marlon Sanders, Push Button Sales Letters

Are You Costing Yourself Money With This Common Article Marketing Mistake?

There is one article marketing mistake that constantly tops the list. It’s horrific. This single mistake made by an author can ensure that the article isn’t published as widely as it otherwise might be. It’s a deal killer.

Every week I meet with the Article Marketer editorial team to discuss the major editorial concerns surrounding the articles submitted during the week. Our editors have reviewed articles from over a thousand authors, so they’ve pretty much seen it all. In preparation for our weekly meeting, they gather and report on the most common mistakes being made by authors. Our editors work with these authors to correct errors and ensure that their articles get more widely published.

Every week many of the same issues are on the list:

* Sales letters posing as ads.

* Resource box information within the article body.

* Spelling and grammatical errors.

Even these egregious (and frequent) issues pale in comparison to the most widespread and insidious problem facing publishers seeking high quality content:

The Biggest Problem: Off Topic Articles

Off topic articles target the wrong audience. Off topic articles contain content that doesn’t match the chosen category. The Article Marketer editorial team tells me that they spend most of their time helping authors and internet marketers properly categorize their articles so that they reach the right audience. It’s all about results.

How do articles get incorrectly categorized?
It’s generally an innocent mistake. After all, it’s certainly no shock to internet marketers that free reprint articles are about educating readers and providing good content to webmasters and publishers. Everyone knows that “content is king” on the web. The Google spiders go crazy when they find relevant content. Internet marketers provide content-rich, royalty free articles in exchange for that all important resource box that contains a relevant back link and entices a reader back to the author’s website. It’s a win-win situation.

Imagine an author or internet marketer who has gone to great lengths to provide wonderful information about, oh… say, “Cats”. The article teaches the reader about which grooming tools to use, provides a history of the domestication of cats, and explains some of the time-honored traditions and techniques of the breeding guild.

It’s absolutely perfect content for publishers with newsletters or sites about cats. It’s even a good match for “pets” or “small furry things”. It’s going to be a spectacularly popular article. The readers of cat newsletters are going to love this article. And it reaches a perfectly matched target market for the author – a cat toy merchant. Everything is wonderful. Until the author makes a critical error.

When submitting the article to thousands of editors and publishers, the author selects not the “pets” or “cats” categories – but selects the “Education” category, because the article is educational.

OH NO!

What might otherwise have been a dazzlingly successful article will now flop. The article might be “educational”, but it isn’t a good match for someone who publishes an “education” newsletter.

Choose the correct categories for your articles.
There’s a mixture of art and science to selecting the appropriate categories for a free reprint article. It requires that an author change focus and step into the other guy’s shoes for a bit. From the author’s perspective, the article itself is an education, and so it’s a good fit for the education category.

But take a moment and imagine that you’re a publisher, interested in receiving articles in the “education” category. You’ve got a niche newsletter or content site focused on the education market. When you look for articles in the “education” category, what kinds of articles would you like to see?

You probably want tips for teachers, student management techniques, grading strategies, articles related to the process of teaching, how to be a more effective educator, how to get your point across to a group of unruly students, etc. Imagine that you’re looking through the “education” articles and you come across an article about grooming a cat. Huh? This isn’t about education. It’s SPAM!

That’s the crux of the problem. So many people are writing articles these days that the problem of “article spam” is spreading like wildfire.

Publishers are hypersensitive to article spam. Some will just delete the offending article, but others will take dramatic steps to prevent getting more spam – even up to the point of banning an author from submitting further articles.

In our meetings, the editors tell me that they spend the bulk of their time working with authors to make sure that their articles meet the guidelines. A big part of that effort is focused on categorization.

Real World Example
So lets watch as the rubber meets the road. This is an article about “mistakes in categorizing royalty free reprint articles”, written for publishers all around the web. How should it be categorized? Which newsletters would be interested? Which article directory categories would be an appropriate fit?

The article is written for writers and internet marketers, so that’s where I’ll start. The fist thing to figure out is how to best reach that audience. it’s not hard to decide that the “Internet Marketing” category will be on the list. Article marketing is a highly effective form of internet marketing. Internet marketers would be interested in this article.

Because this article provides tips and tricks on getting articles more widely published, the “Writing” category makes sense. Authors with a desire to get their articles published will find this article helpful. An editor who publishes a newsletter for writers would like this article for that newsletter, because serving the needs of subscribers is what this is all about.

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably reading it in a newsletter or on a website for writers or internet marketers. It is likely that you’re interested in royalty free articles, writing, or internet marketing.

Now it’s up to you. What are you doing to properly categorize the royalty free articles you provide to editors? Are you making things easy for them? Are you giving them the right information to ensure that your articles show up in the right places? It’s a good strategy for you. Your articles gain wider exposure by laser targeting your audience.

Chris Ellington founded DistributeYourArticles to make royalty free article submission easier for internet marketers. DistributeYourArticles has helped over 1000 authors get published. Visit http://distributeyourarticles.com to submit your article to thousands of publishers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ellington

In 1986 Milo Frank wrote a short book called, “How to get your point across in 30 seconds or less.”  This idea applies to articles as well as to speeches and other presentations.

That’s not to say everything needs be communicated in that 30 seconds, but the key concept, justification and call to action, can and should be.

Below this article you will find a link to Amazon where you can buy the book if you want to read  his justification and suggested techniques to accomplish this seemingly extravagant goal.

I want you to consider applying the idea to your articles, starting today, because you need to if you are going to get your message across before your reader skips past your article and goes on to the next.

Already, 10-20% of the people who started to read this article have stopped and gone elsewhere.  This is particularly easy to do online.

Even “hot” media like videos get clicked past at an alarmingly fast rate.   Tube Mogul, the video service which makes its business by monitoring and quantifying video viewers behavior, indicates that fully 50% or more of video viewers click away from the average video within 30 seconds. Twelve percent are gone in the first ten seconds.

The attention span of the general public has been short for a long time. No wonder politics is done in 10 second sound bites. And that reality applies to you and your articles as well.

That doesn’t mean you can’t take the time to develop your thoughts in detail. It just means that you need to grab their attention and tell them what you are going to tell them and what they should do about it in your introduction up front.  And don’t be too disappointed if a lot of people don’t read your entire article.

Just imagine how many more have left the written word in the same amount of time compared to a video presentation.  Now some of that is probably because the viewer discovered that the video was not relevant to their interests and or needs.

As such, maybe we shouldn’t get too upset that they left before we get around to our point.  But it could be that they made a mistake. Had they waited they may have discovered our cleverly designed plot to draw them into our proposition was just what they needed.  If only they would have waited to see or read our sales pitch and dynamite close.

If you really want your readers to get your point, make it upfront and quick.  Elaborate and explain id depth later to those hangers on who are interested in more detail.

How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less

Technorati Tags: Introductions, Milo Frank

I just created a new report to give away on my newest blog on Public Speaking. It’s called An Anatomy of a Speech.

In it I provide some solid tips on how to go about writing a speech or business presentation. To help promote it I also created a new Flip camera video which is below.

I’ve recently become quite aware of the need to keep these videos short. This one is well under two minutes. I like my little Flip camera, even though it doesn’t like my “Es’s”

Some day I will upgrade, but for now it’s adequate. (at least I hope it is.)

Go to Top Public Speaking Tips to get your copy.

Technorati Tags: crafting a speech, speech craft, Writing a speech

A writers life means different things to different people.

Personally, I like Marlon Sander’s idea of the Writer’s Life.  He’s been practicing it since 1998 and has gotten it down to an art form. The best part of it is that he avoids the feast and famine routine of so many writers and internet entrepreneurs.

Instead of aiming for the “Big Launch” he focuses on creating products that he writes once and then gets paid on, over and over. Now he doesn’t usually get any of the super big paydays, but he does derive a very respectable, to be sought after, stream of steady income that allows him to do what ever he wants. And most days, that’s to go to his neighborhood Starbucks and spend some time writing and relaxing.  He’s all about eliminating stress from his life.  Sounds good to me.

As he explains it, his approach is not rocket science.  He creates products that are “evergreen” and useful to people, and then markets them in a sensible manner that guarantees himself a nice steady income for life. Not too shabby.

His newest product is called the Writer’s Life, and it’s a blueprint you and I can use to propel ourselves forward as writers and product creators.  So that we too can share in the security of a stable income while enjoying a writer’s life.

It’s a “money getting” cookie cutter.  Marlon Sanders has done it 122x since Dec. 3, 1998.  You can read his 155-page brand spankin’ new guide written 100% by Marlon himself and get started in 2 hours and 58 minutes, according to Marlon’s calculations.

Just Click on the image below.

Technorati Tags: Marlon Sanders, writers life, Writing, Writing for Profit

It doesn’t matter what you are trying to sell; reaching people who share your precise interests will greatly increase your odds of success.

Many people who want to advertise their business online make the mistake of thinking the more traffic they can drive to their website; the better. Of course you want as many shoppers as possible coming to your website to check out your wares. But it is better by far to use your advertising budget to attract customers who are more likely to buy your products or services rather than those who are simply stopping by out of curiosity.

A target audience is one that is specifically interested in your business. For example, if you sell a line of clothing for children, you want to attract parents with younger kids. If you sell swimming pool supplies, you want to make contact with pool owners. When you bring a target audience to your website, you get a crowd who is interested in your specific business. Because they share your interests, they will be more likely to buy what you have to offer.

So how do you find this target audience? One of the easiest ways is by using ezine marketing. Ezines are online newsletters that are sent to subscribers on a regular basis. The ezine is usually geared toward a specific interest, such as health, beauty or golf. By advertising in these ezines, you get the advantage of reaching an audience that is mostly interested in your business. They are getting the information from the ezine because they asked for it, and they are more likely to click on your link to shop than to simply browse. For more information about ezine marketing, click here:

Click Here To Download Your Free Ezine Marketing Report

Ezines are an excellent way to expand your customer base. Whether you choose to purchase an ad, write an article or form a partnership with the publisher, ezines are an excellent way to take your business to the next level.

Click Here To Download Your Free Ezine Marketing Report

Technorati Tags: eZine, eZine marketing, Targeted marketing

There are a variety of ways to distribute articles, you can do it your self, one by one, you can find a variety of soft ware packages, and there are a number of article distribution services.

I’ve used all three of the above approaches, and I got to tell you that I’m happy I finally invested in a quality distribution service. While at first I thought it was a cost, its turned out to be a significant savings, particularly in terms of time, but even more so in terms of results.

The following article discusses 7 features of a quality Content distribution service.  -etn

—

Seven Service Features a Quality Content Distribution Service Offers

Have you just completed a stint of article writing with an article campaign in mind? If so, you may be unsure of what route to take next to promote your content. The Web abounds with article distribution options. However, you need to choose a quality content distribution service that fits your budget and delivers results.

The selection of a service entails investigating their main attributes. A host of services trumpets the fact that they distribute your articles. The thing is do you know how often and to how many publishers? In addition, do they offer the human element that’s so crucial to article marketing success?

These, and other points, are things to consider before you engage in article submission. Taking the time to investigate service features can save you much grief later on. With that in mind, here are seven service features a quality content distribution service offers:

Comprehensive Distribution List

A significant list of publishers in a myriad of niches is crucial to your article distribution success. You want targeted distribution of your articles. You receive relevant backlinks when your articles reach audiences who already have an interest in your topics.

Look for a service that has a comprehensive distribution list across a multitude of categories. They get your articles to the niches and even sub-niches you desire to reach. Your articles are in effect preaching to the converted. These readers seek out specific publications hoping to find quality information of the kind you deliver.

Personalized Coaching and Advice

This is the human element alluded to earlier. A quality content distribution service offers live article review. This ensures your articles meet the guidelines that online publishers set forth. From this review, the editor also offers advice, tips, and general “how-to” information. This helps you create higher quality articles for your next campaign.

This is especially critical if you’re new to article writing. Writing a set of articles for distribution is a lot of work. It’s great to have support from a real person. They can help you avoid the pitfalls that can lead to article rejection.

Unlimited Article Distribution

This is the budget element mentioned earlier. Unlimited article distribution means submitting as many articles as you wish in a subscription period. You pay a one-time fee for your subscription. Hidden fees or extra charges are not part of the equation from a quality service.

They tell you their subscription fee upfront and stick to it. You know the exact fee you must pay and therefore budget accordingly. You never have to worry about paying again until it’s time to renew. This gives you great freedom to write and submit as much as you are able.

Always Distributing

A quality content distribution service engages in constant and ongoing distribution. Your articles circulate and garner you backlinks while you’re performing other marketing activities. A good service keeps up-to-date on new publishers entering the marketplace. They ensure your previously submitted articles go out to these new publications as well. This allows you to pick up a new set of backlinks.

Auto-Pilot Distribution

Article marketing automation is one element that helps you streamline your internet marketing activities. You write your articles and then schedule when they distribute. You don’t have to set aside time each week to send them out.

With your distribution on auto-pilot you have a constant stream of articles reaching your niche. This builds your online exposure and reputation. Of course, auto-pilot distribution means having more free time for other work, or leisure activities.

Reports

As an online businessperson, you want to know how your articles are doing. You want to know your article writing efforts are worth it. You can track if they are garnering you an audience through distribution and exposure reports.

These reports tell you when your articles are going out. They also tell you how many views they’re receiving. This aids you in monitoring which articles are the most popular and which are less so. This is information you need so you can gear your writing to topics that readers want.

Mobile Distribution

A quality content distribution service lets you be mobile. They do not require that you download special software. They make it so you just log in to their system and submit. You can do this from a remote location or a mobile device. You are not limited to only submitting via your home PC.

Make sure the distribution service you choose has the above seven features. Let them run with these features to get you the broadest exposure for your articles. A quality content distribution service is a sound foundation to build your article marketing campaign on.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Kenneth Vogt is CEO of Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is an established internet marketing professional and respected Web expert.

The Quality Customer Support System at Content Crooner has your back.

Follow Us on Twitter: ContentCrooner

—

I recommend Content Crooner, and think you should give them a serious try.

-etn

Technorati Tags: article marketing automation, article submission, quality content distribution service

When I publish an articles, I am hoping to get both backlinks and traffic to my sites or offers. That’s what its all about for me. But to be successful in that quest, I need to be aware of what both Publishers and Readers are looking for. Once again I defer to the master and share Ken Vogt take on the topic. I think you will find it worth a quick read. -etn
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What do Publishers and Readers Want from Your Articles?

The art and craft of article writing involves the creation of a distinct piece of communication. Through the medium of the article, you hope to make a connection with your reader. You must also make a connection with a publisher. They do the initial work of placing your work in front of interested readers.

Therefore, successful article writers take a two-pronged approach to their craft. They study both what publishers and readers want, and then compose accordingly. This does not stifle their creativity in any way.

In fact, knowing exactly what these two groups want enhances their efforts. They learn to say things in new and varied ways to conform to the parameters both groups set. With that in mind, we’re going to look at what each group wants from a writer.

What a Publisher Wants from Your Articles

Upon article submission to an article distribution service, an editor goes over your work. Of course, this is providing you choose an article marketing enterprise that employs live reviewers. Many do not. This input from an experienced reviewer ensures your articles are suitable for the viewing public.

What exactly are they looking for? Reviewers look for 100 percent original content. This content must be informative, useful and practical. Publishers want value in articles. They have a readership base to satisfy. This is why they love a steady stream of fresh, new useful content heading their way.

Another thing publishers want is objective, interesting, non-sales hype content. Yes, there’s a time and place to promote your business, products and services. Articles intended for distribution online to a myriad of publishers’ are not the vehicle for doing so.

Your articles facilitate your target market finding you through linking back to your website. There you can engage them further and blatantly promote. Publishers don’t want articles in their publications to read like late night infomercials.

Publishers also want the “mechanisms” in your article in tip-top shape. This involves format, grammar, spelling and tone. These are the basics, common to every good article. They are the basic building blocks that keeping an article humming along smoothly.

Think of a car and its mechanisms, ensuring that the car moves properly. Your article won’t read smoothly if the reader becomes annoyed with grammar, spelling and other errors. You hasten the publication of your articles when you submit them free of these types of errors. You gain the respect of publishers by taking this professional approach to article submission.

What a Reader Wants from Your Articles

Readers are the true end-user of your content. When you embark on an article campaign, you direct your articles to a certain niche. This niche has specific wants and needs.

Primarily, they want timely, relevant articles. Readers searching the Internet look for articles relevant to what’s going on in their lives now. They do not want a rehash of trite fluff that doesn’t offer them anything new.

This doesn’t mean you cannot present historical data or concepts with a rich tradition of use. It does mean you present this foundational information in a new and fresh way. You make this information uniquely your own.

This involves updating the information with new facts, statistics, and data. It also involves presenting the information from a different viewpoint, with a new twist on the subject. Information you give readers must satisfy their need for a fresh perspective on the topic. If they wanted the same old, same old, they would consult an encyclopedia.

Your readers also want an easy read as they learn. This involves proper construction of sentences and paragraphs. Long rambling sentences and huge block of unbroken text do not make an easy read. Your readers will abandon your articles quickly if it’s a chore to read them.

In addition, your readers want complex subjects presented clearly. Attractively formatted content means nothing if the meaning of the content isn’t clear. Clarity of thought and logical presentation of information is the order of the day in article writing.

Readers of online articles want to “get in and get out.” They look to access information quickly, read it quickly, absorb knowledge, and move on. They want the reading experience to be enjoyable and in no way confusing.

You owe it to publishers, readers and yourself to submit articles that meet the above requirements. You satisfy the needs of publishers who want to give value to their audience. You satisfy the needs of readers who need useful information that answers questions. You also satisfy your need to gain credibility with both groups and build your online business.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Kenneth Vogt is CEO of Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is an established internet marketing professional and respected Web expert.

Discover how quality content is a driving force behind highly targeted traffic and improved page rank in our Free Report.

Follow Us on Twitter: ContentCrooner

—

I highly recommend Content Crooner to you. Not only is Ken a knowledgeable CEO, the Service they provide is top rate. -etn

Technorati Tags: Article Marketing, content distribution, content submission, editor, live reviewers, products and services, publishers, quality content writing

There are a lot of article spinners and other software approaches that some marketers use to create a lot of articles quickly. These marketers are looking to get a lot of quick back links for the article directories, and these tactics may work to some extent.  But if you really want to put article marketing to work for you you want to do better than that.

A quality article will get you a lot more backlinks over time, because the  article will get picked up by ezine writers and bloggers who want to share quality content with their readers.  They will hold their noses to some of the junk that these automated programs create.

Additionally, you will get traffic to your site from a well written article and in the final analysis that’s what you really want. Eyeballs who come to you to see what you have to offer.

Once again I am sharing an article written by Ken Vogt of Content Crooner. If you are serious about article marketing, you want to create quality articles. In the following Ken tells us just what that means.

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What Constitutes a Well-Written Article?

Engaging in article writing to communicate with your niche involves a commitment to quality. The Worldwide Web abounds with sub-standard writing. Providing useful information within properly constructed articles means setting yourself apart from mediocrity.

Your primary concern as an article writer is your audience. You must focus on two main elements as applies to this audience. The first is the kind of information they want and need. The second is the best way to present this information to them.

Therefore, a well-written article consists of useful content spread over a sound structure. It’s akin to a useful concrete pedestrian walkway spread over a supportive steel grid. Thinking of your articles this way means you present information to your readers in a logical, organized manner.

An effective article marketing campaign depends on using a good article distribution service. They gain you that broad exposure your articles require. However, you don’t want broad exposure for poorly constructed articles. This harms your credibility as a reputable information provider.

What results when you lose, or never ever gain, credibility with information searchers? You lose traffic to the website where you look to promote your particular business. The following are tips to ensure you create well-written articles for your readers and build credibility:

Concentrate on the Actual Content

Before you can utilize your structure, you must have useful information to place within it. It all begins with performing the necessary research. Quality research gives you the data, facts, statistics, opinions, viewpoints and more that you need.

You gather this information in various ways. This can include both offline and online research. You may interview experts in a particular field. You may access research materials in a library or read an online whitepaper.

You accumulate vital knowledge as suits your audience’s needs. Research must focus on what your audience wants, not what interests you. What your audience wants and what you want is not always the same thing.

Concentrate on Classic Article Structure

Now you organize gathered information based on time-tested classic article structure. This involves employing a proper title and an opening or introductory paragraph. You want to pique your reader’s interest right away.

A headline doesn’t have to be funny, trendy, or shocking. It does have to let a reader immediately know what they can expect from your article. An introductory paragraph to open your article presents the focus and intent of your article.

Next is significant main body copy where you disseminate the bulk of your useful information. This main body copy may include sub-headings and bullet points with attendant information. These accomplish two things.

First, they allow readers to scan and hone in quickly on major points. Scanning also gives readers a quick overview of what they are about to read. Second, sub-headings and bullet points break up large blocks of text. This makes an article easier to read.

In the main body of your article, you present, point-by-point, your information. This helps your reader gain knowledge in a systematic fashion. Intelligently presenting vital information, linking paragraphs logically promotes faster learning and knowledge retention.

This organized approach means you, the writer, don’t wander off topic. It also means you hold your reader’s attention. A haphazard approach to presenting information increases the chances you lose your reader’s interest. After the main body copy, you employ a concise conclusion, which ties everything up precisely.

Concentrate on Spelling and Grammar

Of course, you must do all of the above with attention to spelling and grammar. In the rush to get articles online, these two elements often get the short shrift. We often rely too much on spell-check programs and forgo rereading our articles.

Spell-check programs, because of their general nature, don’t always catch unique spelling and grammatical occurrences. Reread your articles and look for these situations. This extra attention to detail ensures your articles are of a higher quality for your readers.

Focused attention to spelling and grammar also present you as a professional. It shows you respect the writing discipline and your readers. In addition, article distribution services and publishers demand this attention to these elements.

On top of all that, articles with proper spelling and grammar are easier to read. You get your points across with clarity when commas, periods, quotation marks and such are in the right places. Additionally, spelling mistakes don’t stand out like sore thumbs, breaking your reader’s concentration. This contributes to enjoyable reading for your audience.

Follow the above tips to create well-written articles. Informative content presented over an organized structure with attention to grammar and spelling enhances your writer reputation. This means a growing audience for your articles, and the websites linked to them.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Kenneth Vogt is CEO of Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is an established internet marketing professional and respected Web expert.

Discover how quality content is a driving force behind highly targeted traffic and improved page rank in our Free Report.

Follow Us on Twitter: ContentCrooner

Technorati Tags: article structure, article writer, bullet points, conclusion, introductory paragraph, main body copy, quality content, sub-headings, title, useful content, well-written article

People who market a website, product or service with articles are
most commonly referred to as "article marketers." We share valuable
information with our readers through the articles we distribute to
hundreds, sometimes thousands, of article directories.

One of the easiest ways to get our articles to thousands of
directories is through a paid article distribution service like
Content Crooner. I've tried several other paid distribution services
but so far none stand up to the quality I've seen through Content
Crooner.

Initial Impression

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Keeping
that thought in mind, my initial impression of Content Crooner was
that it appeared to be a class act. I was immediately drawn to the
lizard mascot on the home page.

The image of the lizard with the microphone immediately made me
think of a real crooner like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra or Bing
Crosby. When those guys started crooning, everyone had to stop and
listen. They are still some of the most well-known voices today.

The color scheme of the Content Crooner website is aesthetically
pleasing. The buttons are nice and glossy, and the layout easy to
follow. 

Account Creation

The account creation process for Content Crooner is a breeze. You
simply type your first and last name, user name; then create a
password and give them your e-mail address. Follow through the
registration process to create your pen name and select the service
you wish to purchase.

Login & Account Page

The login page is very straight-forward. Input your user name,
password and click the button to log in. Click the checkbox that
reads "remember me" if you'd like your browser to remember your
login information for future visits.

Your account page allows you to edit your account information, select
your pen name or create a new one. You may edit each individual pen
name's account information including the website and contact
information associated with each pen name.

A full list of articles you've previously submitted may be found in
your "My Account" page. Here you may view your articles as they've
been published. Pending articles may be edited but any article that
has been distributed cannot.

View your distribution and exposure reports to see exactly where your
articles have been used. View or change the dates your article should
be distributed; schedule articles for distribution up to a year in
advance with ease. Conveniently Tweet your articles with two quick
little mouse clicks.

Article Submission

Article submission with Content Crooner is simple. Click the "Submit
Content" button located at the top of the page and follow the
instructions. Simply copy and paste your article information into
the appropriate text fields.

Choosing Your Article Categories

Content Crooner offers more than 360 individual categories from which
to choose. You may choose to include your article for distribution
in up to three different categories. Choose wisely, the editorial
staff does check to make sure your articles should fit into the
categories you choose. It's all part and parcel of their incredible
review process.

Review Process

Content Crooner's review process is one of the most in depth article
review processes I've ever seen in action. They promise their
publishers quality and they mean to follow through. Don't worry
though, they provide an article checklist to give you a better chance
of passing review the first time, every time.

Overall Opinion

I've been an article marketer for about five years. I've tried the
competition and can honestly say Content Crooner is the most user-
friendly. They also provide the best customer service of other paid
article distribution websites.

I strongly recommend Content Crooner to any article marketer in
search of quality distribution and customer service. They truly are
a class act.

About the Author:

Twixal (http://www.twixal.com) Professional Ghostwriting Service is
dedicated to helping you achieve success with your article marketing
campaign. Professional ghostwriters go the extra mile to provide you
with impressively informative articles and establish you as a
professional in your field. Twixal recommends Content Crooner
article distribution service (http://askearlabout.com/ContentCrooner.php)

Technorati Tags: article distribution service, Article Marketing, distribution service

In business, leverage is the name of the game. Leverage of employees, capital equipment and other resources extend ones ability to generate income far beyond what any one person could do.

Even if you are a one person shop though, you can gain leverage by multiplying your creative article writing efforts by re-purposing copy.

Here is how Content Crooner CEO Ken Vogt explains it.   Now Ken is Article centric, I use the same technique, although I tend to start with blog posts and turn them into emails and articles, but the principle is the same.   -etn

Let Your Articles Work for You in Different Ways

It’s a great feeling when you complete your article writing efforts. You undertook the necessary research and created an effective outline. You then got down to business and churned out words. The result is your personal masterpiece ready to go.

The next step is engaging in article submission to an article distribution service. You spend the time searching out the right one. You look for an article marketing service that allows unlimited article submissions for a one-time fee. You also choose one that has a comprehensive distribution list of fine publishers.

Now your articles are on their way to their new homes. You are finished with them and can move on. However, should you be finished with them? Are there any other areas where you can use the content you worked so hard to create.

There certainly are other areas where you can use your articles. You should put them to work in those areas to gain maximum benefit from them. The following are versatile uses of your articles for other content:

Newsletters

Of course, an article marketing service distributes your articles to numerous newsletter publishers. Why not publish your articles in your own newsletter. You can keep them the same, or modify them.

You can use this newsletter on an opt-in page to gain targeted subscribers. You offer a free informative newsletter in exchange for a subscribers name and e-mail address. This is a great way to build your list.

Useful newsletters are a great benefit to website visitors looking for good information. A newsletter you send out with quality content helps your credibility as an online marketer. They allow you to keep in touch with those of your niche. Newsletters help you convert readers into customers.

Email Campaigns

With your opt-in list in hand or onscreen, you can mount effective e-mail campaigns. Articles you wrote for article distribution purposes are also suitable for e-mailing to your list. Again, you can send the original creation or modify it to suit a specific campaign.

The main thing is to send useful, relevant, current information. People get enough useless junk mail that tells them nothing new. People resent when others waste their time with “hype” e-mails that are of no benefit to them. You know how you feel when you get those kinds of e-mails.

Articles contain quality information that offers benefits to readers. Make them part of your e-mail campaigns. Recipients don’t mind reading e-mails that inform, educate, inspire, and offer solutions.

EBooks

You can also compile a host of articles you wrote on a topic into an EBook. You make each article a chapter or section in your EBook. If the articles are very short, make two or three of them a section of your book.

You can modify the articles as needed to suit the persona of the book you intend to promote. However, you essentially have a ready-made EBook on hand because of your existing articles. In your EBook, you place those vital links back to your web pages. This gains you major relevant traffic.

Your EBook is now a product you can offer as a free giveaway to your website visitors. Alternatively, you can sell the EBook and earn some money from those article-writing efforts. Many programs exist for doing up a professional looking EBook to market.

Blog Posts

Do you have your own blog? Blogs are great for keeping your niche market informed daily or weekly on aspects of your business. You can use your articles as blog posts to inform your readers.

If you typically write short blog posts, just break up your articles. Split one 750-word article into two separate blog posts. Run a series of blog posts based on a set of articles on a certain topic.

Using well-written articles as blog posts offers quality information to your readers. People read blogs for shorter blasts of good information. Turn your well-written articles into well-written blog posts that capture reader’s attention.

Hard Copy Informational Reports for Offline Marketing

Maybe you engage in some offline marketing initiatives. Do you market products and services at home shows, craft shows, trades shows, and such? Why not print your articles as informational reports to hand out in person.

Online marketing is the 21st century way. However, there’s still a time and place for offline marketing done right. Wherever you are promoting your business, excellent articles in hand are great resources to hand to interested observers.

Let your articles work for you in different ways. Don’t limit the ways to gain exposure for your writing. You can build significant backlinks by utilizing your articles across different platforms. It’s a great way to build your author reputation and your business.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Kenneth Vogt is CEO of Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is an established internet marketing professional and respected Web expert.

Discover how quality content is a driving force behind highly targeted traffic and improved page rank in our Free Report.

Follow Us on Twitter: ContentCrooner

Technorati Tags: article campaign, article marketing tips, backlinks, blogs, business, e-mail campaigns, EBook, exposure, newsletters, Offline marketing, publishers, reputation, targeted traffic, website

It shouldn’t be a surprise that I believe in article marketing.  For a long time I struggled to come up with products to sell online, only to discover I had no traffic to sell to.  Since then I have learned that marketing is a multi-faceted game, and have done much better.

I had long known that all the top marketers were telling me to do article marketing, but it wasn’t until I started to both write good articles, and actually get them published in a lot of directories that they really started to drive traffic to me.

Today we are continuing the series by Ken Vogt.  Ken is CEO of Content Crooner which is the article distribution service I now use and recommend.

I hope you enjoy it. -etn

In the world of internet marketing, constant streams of information come your way each year. Much of this is get-rich-quick hype from so-called online experts. However, the only ones getting rich are those ‘gurus’ who seek to line their own pockets. Often their systems aren’t worth the time, effort and money required to obtain and learn them.

What you need as an online businessperson are time-tested systems that provide value. You want the system to be affordable and easy to use. You also want a system that doesn’t involve a huge time commitment to set in motion. On top of that, you want a system that works for you when you are not working.

Think of a typical household appliance that adds a measure of convenience to your life. The typical kitchen refrigerator is a perfect example. It provides value by keeping food fresh and in optimum condition.

A refrigerator is also relatively affordable these days and easy to use. You plug it in, stock it, and enjoy it. There’s no time commitment to running a refrigerator on a daily basis. In addition, a refrigerator is always working for you. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing it keeps working.

You need this efficiency of process and operation when it comes to internet marketing. Article marketing provides this for you and helps you build a successful online business. Here’s how article marketing works:

Article Writing and Article Submission

The first part of the article marketing process involves your initial efforts. You can’t have an article campaign without articles. You can’t gain widespread distribution without engaging in regular article submission.

However, once you or a freelance writer writes articles and submits them, your work is compete. The key is writing articles packed with useful information directed at a specific target market. This sets the rest of the process in motion.

Choose a Good Article Distribution Service

The next stage is to choose an article distribution service that deals with numerous quality publishers. Look for one that has relationships with popular publishers of significant readerships. Classify your articles into the proper categories and sub-categories. Target specialty publications you know your target market reads.

Additionally, choose an article service that employs live editors and reviewers. Make sure they allow unlimited article submission for a one-time fee. Check that they perform ongoing distribution and update their publisher lists frequently.

The Article Distribution Process

The article distribution process is your article marketing service in action. They make your articles available to the publishing community at large. They ensure your articles reach publications exclusive to your niche.

Your articles begin to populate newsletters, ezines, blogs, and web pages. This is significant exposure, which means your target market has a better chance of finding you. The more places people see your articles, the more they take notice of you.

This results in them back linking to your website, provided they found your content informative. Again, quality articles are at the heart of successful article marketing. With increased back linking from widespread article distribution, you gain the attention of search engines.

Article Marketing and Major Search Engines

The search engines take notice of plentiful relevant back links to your website. They deem you as credible and a useful resource for their users. Therefore, they reward you with higher page rankings. This leads to higher search engine results page (SERP) listings.

Higher SERP listings are vital to gaining increased traffic to your website. People tend to look at the first page or two of website listings. If you score in these first pages, you gain significant traffic and improve your chances of getting visitors who convert to customers.

Article Marketing is about Building Trust

Successful article marketing garners you a loyal readership that trusts you as an expert in your field. Through providing useful content, your readers deem you credible, as the search engines do. Your readers then link back to you to find more information on your site.

As you engage them further, you can then recommend products and services to them. They trust you based on your quality articles. There’s a greater chance they will take your product recommendations to heart.

This is how you build an online business with articles. This is how you build that business even when you choose not to work. Article marketing is a way to build relationships through words and linking from those words. All the while, you have time to build your business in other ways.

Article marketing is truly an autopilot system that works to make internet marketing an easier discipline. Much like that household refrigerator, the system operates quietly in the background. As it does, it builds massive back links and your online income.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Discover how quality content is a driving force behind highly targeted traffic and improved page rank in our Free Report.

Follow Us on Twitter: ContentCrooner

Technorati Tags: article campaign, article distribution, Article Marketing, article submission, page ranking, quality content, search engines results page, SERP, trust and credibility

Sometimes you need to write an article and just come up blank, not knowing where to start. Today we continue to “borrow” from the expert Ken Vogt, CEO of Content Crooner. He outlines 7 approaches to article writing that will help you find several angles to pursue on your next article writing effort. I found it useful. I hope you do too. -etn

7 Types of Articles You Can Write for Varied Content

Article writing is a discipline of many facets. Different elements combine to make up a complete and successful piece. These include titles, sub-titles, introductions, body copy, and conclusions. Other elements involve literary, narrative, grammar, spelling and tone concerns.

In addition, under the umbrella “Articles” are the different types of articles you can write. When creating content you select an article type based on the message you wish to convey. You also consider the intended audience for your articles. The article type you choose must be one that presents your topic in the clearest way.

It’s important to consider your overall article marketing campaign as well. Your article distribution service submits your content to different publishers on a regular basis. Publishers love a variety of topics and a variety of article formats for their readerships.

To properly give information to your readers, you need to know the various article types. You can then blend your topic into the article format that best suits the information your audience needs. Here are seven types of articles you can write for varied content:

The “How To” Article

With this type of article you explain a process or system for doing something. This could be anything from how to bake bread, to how to make a kite. Your readers require easy-to-follow instructions that make learning something new stress-free.

It’s important in a “How To” article to clearly delineate the steps for accomplishing a task. Presenting your information with clearly numbered steps helps readers understand a process quickly. The use of sub-titles and bullet points also presents information in an organized fashion.

Your primary concern with a “How To” article is clarity. Your target audience wants simple, concise, logical, knowledgeable instruction. They are looking for the easiest way to do something that saves them time.

The Inspirational Article

Inspirational articles include narrative, and literary essay type pieces. These articles encourage and, of course, inspire readers. They help them to see the positives in life’s circumstances. An inspirational article can help a reader who is going through difficult times feel hopeful.

People from all walks of life often face similar circumstances. Through your articles you can offer advice and point them to additional resources. This aids them in embracing help to overcome the obstacles they face.

The Straight News Article

With a news article you present the five W’s to your audience in a direct way. This is objective who, what, where, when, why writing meant to give facts on a situation, event and such. News articles discuss current or recent news. This is general interest, political, business, industry, organization, sports and other types of news.

The Round-Up Article

Get out your lasso and rein in all the vital information you can. That’s what a round-up article does. You present a variety of opinions, data, statistics, forecasts, advice and the like with this article type.

An example would be an article on the latest marketing techniques for online success. You garner information from various online marketing experts. You’re “rounding up” useful information from different sources so your readers have it all in one article. In this way, there’s no need for them to search all over for this information.

The Review Article

People love review articles presented objectively. A good review article considers three or more products or services and talks about the advantages and disadvantages of each. A good review article helps a reader make an informed buying decision.

With a review article you don’t favor one product or service over another. This is “objectivity” coming into play. In a matter-of-fact manner you present the facts as pertains to each. You give good information and let your reader decide which product or service is best.

The List Article

The article you are reading right now is a list article. You have a list before you of the different types of articles you can write. With a list article you present related information. In essence, you give a brief description of each item on your list.

The “As Told To” Article

Do you know an expert who has an interesting story to tell? Do they cringe at the thought of writing? You can tell their story for them via an “As Told To” piece.

The article presents itself from the point-of-view of the expert, as he or she told it to the writer. The article does indicate that another person actually penned the piece. The reader gets authoritative firsthand knowledge presented effectively by a professional writer.

Familiarize yourself with the different article writing options available to you. Experiment with the different types as suits your diverse topics. Engage in article submission so this varied work reaches your target market. Build your audience through mastering the unique forms that comprise the craft of article writing.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Kenneth Vogt is CEO of Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is an established internet marketing professional and respected Web expert.

Discover how quality content is a driving force behind highly targeted traffic and improved page rank in our Free Report.

Follow Us on Twitter: ContentCrooner

Technorati Tags: Article Writing Tips, As Told To Article, How To Article, Inspirational Article, List Article, News Article, Review Article, Round-Up Article

The payday for your article marketing effort is dependent of several factors, the quality of the article you write and the distribution you are able to get for your article. But even if they are both outstanding, it can all go for naught if you do not have an effective resource box to direct that traffic to your site.

Continuing to borrow from the experts, below is an excellent discussion of the topic by Ken Vogt. I hope you enjoy. -etn

How to Write an Effective Author’s Resource Box

To connect effectively with your target market, it’s important to engage in article marketing. This process allows you to communicate to your audience by offering them useful, relevant information. You create articles, for distribution to popular online publishers.

Publishers know what their readers want and work hard to provide them quality content. They have guidelines for the types of articles they require to satisfy their readers. You, as an internet marketer, follow these guidelines and compose appropriate articles.

Well-written articles of the “non-sales” type offer value to readers. Creating top-notch articles full of useful information is a craft unto itself. It takes practice to write articles that logically get your message across in a clear way to readers. When you do this well, the feeling is a very satisfying one.

Once your articles are ready to go, you still have another task to fulfill. This is the creation of an effective author’s resource box to accompany your well-written article. Your resource box is that precise “About You” text at the bottom of your article.

When you engage in an article campaign via an article distribution service, you want widespread article exposure. However, you also want widespread exposure of your name and website links. This is how you gain that targeted traffic back to your site. The following are the elements of an effective author’s resource box:

A Name

Why spend all that time writing a great article and not take credit for it. Remember to include your name in your resource box to highlight the person behind the writing. People love to know who wrote what they just read. Include any title associated with your name if appropriate.

Are you a doctor, a layer, a certified public accountant, or a PHD? Let your readers know, as this further establishes your authority to write the specific article. Don’t have a title; don’t worry about it. Let your name and good writing speak for you.

A Website Address

You want to promote linking back to your website. Your site is where you further engage your readers. They need to be able to easily click on a link and find their way to you. It’s best to spell out your website address completely. This includes the “http://” at the beginning.

A Concise Description

After your name and website address, you want to include a concise couple of sentences. These sentences let the reader know who you are and what you do. This is where you actually directly promote yourself in a reputable way.

This concise description in effect is a mini-advertisement. It states that you “do this” and have expertise “in that.” It presents you as a valid author of the topic just read. An example would be, “Author John Doe is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He works with small start-up enterprises to ensure their accounting procedures are in order.”

A Call to Action

Here you think like a Madison Avenue executive. You want the reader of your article to do something when they finish reading. Include a line in the resource box that asks your reader to visit your website.

You can ask them to link to a free EBook or report. You can ask them to check out a product or service you offer via a link provided. Whatever you suggest, get the reader interested in connecting with you beyond the confines of the article.

The above are the main elements to include in an author’s resource box. Using these few is an excellent way to encourage further discourse with your readers. Article submission to a good article distribution service has as its goal the gaining of backlinks from your resource box. It’s the reason you write articles in the first place.

Sometimes, authors wish to include other information in an author’s resource box. You can as well, keeping in mind not to overload the box so it becomes tedious to read. You can include a web address to subscribe to a newsletter or ezine.

You can also include a phone number or business address should you choose to give out this information. You may want to include a link to a press release on the web about your business. It all depends on what you deem vital for promoting your business in the best way.

Spend the extra time after article writing, to create a good author’s resource box. Toot your own horn in a dignified way through this tool. Let your readers’ know who and where you are. In this way, they can continue to build their relationship with you.

To your success,

Kenneth Vogt

Kenneth Vogt is CEO of Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is an established internet marketing professional and respected Web expert.

Discover how quality content is a driving force behind highly targeted traffic and improved page rank in our Free Report.

Follow Us on Twitter:

Technorati Tags: article distribution, Article Marketing, article marketing automation, article submission, author's resource box, call to action, quality content, target market