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.

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Writing Internet Marketing Articles

Writers of internet marketing articles have three objectives.

1. To get themselves recognized as experts in their field
2. To get people to visit their web sites/blogs
3. To get back links to their web sites/blogs

To achieve these goals they need to get their articles:

1. Published by the article directories
2. Republished by eZine editors
3. Read by interested readers

Thus the articles must appeal to all parties, if they are to have their desired effects.

This article will cover 6 hints to getting your internet marketing articles accepted, published and read.

Grab The Readers Attention

The sole purpose of your headline is to grab the readers attention and get them to read the first paragraph of your text . This is the most important single element of your article. If you don’t get the readers attention, you can’t tell or sell them anything else.

You want to appeal to their emotions .  Whenever possible, use the keywords you want your article to rank for. Use strong statements, ask questions, challenge their preconceived notions.

Once You Got Them Don’t Let Them Go

If the object of your headline is to get them to read the first paragraph, the object of the first paragraph is to get them to read the next one and so on.

Create a flow within your article. Tell anecdotes, use good examples, and colorful descriptions.

Try to create word pictures using the words “like” or “as.”  Make your article flow as if it were a child’s sled streaking down a snowy hill.

In general, it’s best to focus on action verbs rather than descriptive adjectives. Verbs are powerful.  In the sentence above “streaking” was more powerful than “snowy”, although snowy belonged to make the sentence make sense.

Use Short Paragraphs

Forget what you learned in school.

Today for internet marketing purposes, you need to use very short paragraphs.

The objective is to streamline the appearance of the page. To make it easy and quick to read. Short paragraphs appear to be easy to read, and will avoid scaring some readers away.

Paragraphs can be a single sentence, even a single word.

Got it?

Make Use of Bullet Points and/or Numbers

Bullet Points and/or numbers makes each point stand out.

While they tend to equalize the value of the points itemized, it establishes the range of points to be considered.  If weighting is important, put the more important items to the top of the list.

One advantage to numbers over bullets is that they psychologically compel the reader to continue down the list to the end.

It’s always a good idea to indent the numbers or bullets. This adds texture and white space to the layout of your article.

Use Subheadings to Break Up and Define Your Page

Subheadings break up your page into chunks.  The heading tells the reader what each section is about.  Particularly online, many readers will skim an article. The subheadings serve to identify the content for these skimmers.

They may stop and read those sections that matter to them and speed past the rest.

Many professional copy writers ensure that their main message is fully conveyed in the subheadings. That way if a reader read nothing else they would still get the major points of the article.

Authoritative Numbers

Facts and figures add authority to an article. But make sure you don’t over do it and destroy its readability.

A precise number like 17,234 is more authoritative than writing “over 17,000.”   This is particularly true in headlines and subheadings.

Use facts and figures but keep the overall tone of your article light and airy unless you are specifically aiming at a professional audience.

Technorati Tags: bullet points, paragraphs, subheadings, titles