Market
Your Articles
The Lieurance-King Spring 2009 Article Challenge ended on June 30th.
Congratulations to those of you who met the challenge by completing 30 new articles between May 1st and June 30th and submitting them to article directories!
by Jeff Herring
Article Marketing allows you to create 4 different types of traffic when you submit your articles to Article Directories like EzineArticles.
1. Immediate Traffic
Every time you submit a new article to EzineArticles, you get the benefit of immediate traffic. It’s a fresh article and people are jumping all over it.
What you have at your fingertips with putting out an article is a powerful traffic generation tool. That’s where you get your immediate boost, with new articles, especially once you’ve developed a following. If people want to hear more from you, they’re going to be looking for your articles.
2. Regular, consistent traffic
Think of it this way. Each article - even if you’ve got an article that maybe only gets five new viewers per day, and then you stack another article on top of it that gets five new viewers a day, and then another article and then another article and then another article - and let’s say you’ve got 50 of those articles out there getting five new visitors a day.
That’s 250 new visitors a day, so it stacks upon stacks upon stacks upon. It’s a beautiful thing, folks.
3. Long term traffic
Once you put an article out there, it becomes evergreen. It’s there on the article directories like Ezine Articles to be used by people over and over again.
I have one article that was published in August of 2005 that still gets an average of 1500 unique views a month.
So you can use your articles as evergreen article agents to send people to teleseminars, and long-term evergreen article agents that are out there working for you. They don’t go away, so it just stacks and stacks and stacks.
4. OPT - Other People’s Traffic
The original intention behind having article directories was so people with blogs, websites, or newsletters could come and get that article and go use it on their website, blog, or newsletter, and that still happens. EzineArticles has gotten so big that people use it simply for research.
However, they still use it to go get content for their websites, blogs or newsletters. Most folks don’t have the ease of creating content like article marketers do, so they’re looking for content.
That’s benefiting from other people’s traffic.
Bottom Line? Get your articles out there to take advantage of these 4 types of traffic. And to help you get started, you can now claim your FREE Instant Access to two of my Instant Article Writing Templates when you visit http://www.TheArticleGuyBonus.com
From Jeff Herring - The Article Marketing Guy & The Great Article Marketing Network.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Herring
If you’ve accepted our current article challenge, by now you should have many new articles posted to various article directories. So what is your purpose in marketing these articles? And where does your purpose come into play? In your resource box, of course. So, before you submit any new articles to article directories, figure out what your purpose is. What do you want readers to do when they click on that link in your resource box?
If your only call to action in your resource box is for readers to visit your blog or website, then you’re probably disappointed that you aren’t getting more clients or customers from your articles.
However, if your call to action says something like “visit my website and find out how to receive two free e-books for writers/widows/nature lovers/you name it here,” then you’re probably thrilled at the way your mailing list is growing, and you’re making good use of your articles.
by Ray Johnson
You might be considering becoming an internet marketer. But I’m sure you have some trepidation. You are probably thinking that you don’t have anything to sell. That’s the easiest problem to solve. You can start with the easiest item to sell, ebooks.
Ebooks belong to a product group called information products. There are several types of information products. Along with ebooks, there are audio products and video products. They are called information products because that is what they contain, information about some subject that a specific group or niche is interested in.
Ebooks are an easy way to start out online for a number of reasons. They are readily available. You can find collections of ebooks that come with resell rights. When you purchase ebooks with resell rights, you can sell them and keep all of the proceeds for your sales. There is no royalty or anything else you have to pay. Whatever you sell them for becomes your money.
Another reason ebooks are a good way to start an online business is because there is no physical inventory. You do not have to store ebooks. They reside on your computer, they are just computer files. Once you have them, you have them, no need to restock. You will never run out no matter how many you sell.
If you were selling a physical product, you would need to ship it out when a sale is made. That means that you would need to pack it, post it and take it to the post office. Ebooks require no effort on your part to deliver to your customers. The entire sales process can be automated so that you don’t have to do anything when a sale is made. The automated system will send an email to the buyer with the ebook attached or the system will send an email with instructions explaining to the buyer how to log on to the internet to download their purchase.
Ebooks can be sold a number of different ways. You can set up your own website, with your own domain, and sell them from there. Just starting out, it might be easier not to have your own site. The easiest way to start selling ebooks is on eBay.
EBay is the largest marketplace in the world. EBay claims that during any month, one third of all internet traffic stops at eBay. Ebay may also be the largest ebook marketplace. Approximately two thousand ebooks are sold on ebay each day. Forty six percent of all ebooks listed sell.
It is very easy to set up an eBay selling account. You can do it in minutes and be online with your ebooks for sale almost instantly. Ebay also makes it easy to set up your own ebook store. You could list literally hundreds of ebooks at practically no cost.
If you really want to get into online marketing, the easiest way to do that is to sell ebooks. The fastest way to get up and running is to sell ebooks on eBay. You can literally have an ebook business up and running in minutes. So what are you waiting for!
To find out how you can INSTANTLY receive your own product, and follow a successful and highly profitable system to making money online, talk with Ray Johnson - Google.com No.1 Ranked eSeller: http://www.ezsellebooks.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Johnson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Ebooks:-The-Easiest-Way-To-Start-Internet-Marketing&id=941590
Today’s tip comes from Dan Goodwin.
Here’s Dan’s Tip:
I’ve recently come across Keyword Discovery which has given me lots of new material in terms of raw keywords in my niches and ideas for article titles.
There are two great tools within Keyword Discovery I use (so far - there’s loads more to it as well) -
1. Keyword Search - http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html
Here you type in your keyword or keyword phrase. For example, “creative writing” is one of mine, which then gives a list of 100’s of keywords. In the free version you get the first 100 keywords, sign up if you want more than 100…
Bonus tip - Remember if for example one of your keyword phrases is “creative writing”, then if you write articles with the phrase “creative writing tips” say, people searching for BOTH of these two phrases will find your articles.
If someone types “creative writing tips” in a search engine, your article should show up.
If someone types “creative writing” in a search engine, your article will also show up, as it contains this phrase.
Of course WHERE your article shows up in both searches obviously depends on how many articles you have written with those keywords, how much competition there is and so on.
2. Top keywords - http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/index.html
This is a very useful feature to dig down into categories and find the top keywords. On the left column, click on Top Keywords and you’ll see the top keywords searched for in all categories. Then click on one of the categories on the left to see the top keywords in that category.
For example, I clicked on “Arts”. Then click on on of the new categories on the left to go deeper and more specialised. I clicked on “Writers Resources”.
Going down another level, I clicked on “Writing Exercises”. You can see here that “creative writing prompts” the top keyword.
The route down through the categories is shown at the top each time so you can go back up a level if you want without going right back to the start.
I’ve only recently come across this keyword tool and think it’s fabulous and very easy to use. Well worth spending an hour or two on doing a little digging and coming up with a list of keywords and then from that a list of possible titles.
Get over there and start researching!
Dan Goodwin
Creativity Coach
web: http://www.CoachCreative.com
blog: http://www.CoachCreative.com/blog
space: http://www.CoachCreativeSpace.com
Gee, Dan. Looks like you’ve written another great article right here! Thanks for the tip!
Okay, all you article writers, time to check in to see how everyone is progressing.
This time the article challenge is a little different. Usually, we have a listserv for all the writers who accept the challenge. But this time we decided to simply ask everyone to leave a comment that lets us know you’ve accepted the challenge, then check back here every day for an article writing or article marketing tip.
I’m not sure this has worked better. We sure haven’t had many comments, which leads me to wonder whether many people have accepted the challenge and stuck with it. I’ll guess we’ll find out because I’d like anyone who has accepted the challenge to leave a comment here today to let us know how much progress you’ve made.
Several weeks ago, my tip for the day was to suggest you write one article a day and write that article FIRST thing each morning, before you do anything else. I find that, for me, that’s the ONLY way I stay on track with a daily article. If I leave the article for later in the day, something always happens that distracts me and I don’t get an article written. So, now I just make it a habit to write a short article and submit it to at least one article directory first thing every morning. I’ve already done it for today - just like I do every day!
Okay - so check in here today. Leave a comment. If you’re having trouble writing an article each day, let us know. Maybe we can help!
by Nelson Tan
The typical form of newsletter is a one-way communication where you provide information to customers, such as product updates and announcements. Creating a successful newsletter can be extremely rewarding. Subscribers and customers respond with glowing feedback, online sales jump and your customer relationships and brand loyalty deepens. Here are some useful tips that might help in creating a successful newsletter.
Define Success
Ask yourself “What is the purpose of your newsletter?” A newsletter is a substantial investment of company resources in terms of time and energy, and you need to define in as tangible terms as possible the purpose of your Newsletter.
Voice and Personality
Establish a voice or editorial personality-whether newsy, serious, gossipy or funny-that is synergistic with the image you want to portray and connects with your audience. Remember that e-mail newsletters aren’t e-mail promotions designed to stimulate immediate action. Sales and promotional copy don’t suit e-newsletters. Nor does the traditional tone of broadcast corporate communications. Think of your newsletter as a one-on-one conversation. Just imagine sitting in a coffee shop talking informally with a customer. That’s the starting point for your approach-a more personable and appropriate “human” voice will come naturally. Drop the jargon, drop the sales pitch, be as honest as you can, and talk like a human being. You can have as much or as little personality as is appropriate. Consider adding a brief editorial, a comment or two, an editor’s note, a couple of lines of commentary, a touch of opinion; adding a little human element here and there. Sign editorials, give authors a byline, or list some names down in the administrative section of each issue to which your readers can relate to.
“From” Line
Whether it’s a person’s name, name of the newsletter or company name, determine what will resonate best with your readers and stay with it.
“Subject” Line
“Vol. 1, Issue #8″ or “Company News” are not enticing subject lines. They are certainly consistent and simple, but they don’t tell your readers anything that will motivate them to open your e-mail. Your subject line is your calling card-entice your readers with the most interesting or intriguing information in your Newsletter. Use attractive headlines as a means to summarize a section of content.
Style/Format
Establish a format and layout of your Newsletter that is clean and simple, with elements of the Newsletter (table of contents, “Tips”, subscription information, etc. located in the same spot each issue).
Content and Relevancy
Figure out what your readers want and give it to them. Seek continuous improvement by obtaining reader feedback and monitoring click-through rates to determine what types of articles are most popular. Another dilemma that we all confront is too much information and too little time. The newsletter’s job is to keep readers on top of trends and the latest developments in the industry. Aim for articles and feature stories to meet one of the following criteria by including either: major industry occurrences, forward thinking industry ideas, education on issues or new techniques, or business opportunities.
Whether your customers work out of a corporate or home office, or employees need answers to questions and tips for improving business activities, e-newsletters provide you with an opportunity to point out work inefficiencies, and share relevant best practice. When you create a newsletter, try changing your focus from selling products and services to solving your customers’ problems. Think about what they need and give options they don’t know exist.
The greatest thing about the electronic medium is that you can quickly add new hyperlinks and include updates on old material should new information surface without incurring another round of cost for a new issue (that happens in the real world).
Don’t Wait Till the Last Minute
Begin compiling newsletter information in advance. Ask fellow marketers to contribute articles. One great source of information is none other than your inbox where you can quickly search for worthy nuggets from the past week and relay the same essence in your own words.
Quality Sources
Where can you get quality content for your newsletter?
Graphics
Use graphics that print well on your printer. Using a good mix of photographs and art work makes for interesting copy. Too many graphics can leave the newsletter looking cluttered.
Frequency
Determine how frequently your readers want to hear from you/receive your newsletter-and what you can commit to. As a rule, a weekly newsletter is ideal. However, don’t launch a weekly newsletter if you are not absolutely certain that you can distribute a quality Newsletter every week. A fortnightly newsletter is a good option too.
Length
A newsletter should be a quick read. Readers expect to finish reading it in 4 to 5 minutes. Short articles increase the probability that your reader will find something of interest to them.
Timing
Test and pick a day and time that works best…and stick to it. Readers should almost be able to set their watches by the receipt time of your Newsletter.
Penetration
You have the option of formatting your e-mail by including colorized text and a variety of fonts, but not all e-mail software supports HTML mail. Consider writing your newsletter in plain text or offer two mailing lists-one for plain text mailings and the other for HTML e-mail.
Make it Viral
Provide information readers can act on or that stimulates reaction-forwarding it to friends and peers, stimulating purchases or requests for additional information. Make it easy for readers to forward articles and information to peers and friends. Provide a “Tell a Friend” link that enables readers to forward the Newsletter with a personalized note.
Search
Make it easy to find articles of interest and back issues. Provide a table of contents and links to articles within the newsletter and to resources and past articles on your site.
Printability
If you want to give readers an option to print, consider providing “printer-friendly formats” on your website. Make sure your newsletter is physically readable. Avoid anything less than 12 point fonts for the article text. Fancy fonts may look good but can be hard to read when printed. Heading and text fonts should be consistent throughout the newsletter.
If you lack experience in print media, seek out assistance if you know someone in the field. If not, don’t worry-the abovementioned basic principles apply. Plan to research your material thoroughly and avoid factual or editing errors, as they will make you seem less credible.
Personalize
At the very least, address the reader by name. The most successful newsletters have a human being associated with them…and a personality. If possible, your Newsletter should be “written by a person” at your company…not the company.
Language
Not everyone has the range and depth of vocabulary as teachers and linguists do. Use words that are easy to understand, and if you do use technical terms, provide a definition that people can relate to. There is nothing more frustrating then a definition that makes less sense than the word itself. Just write in layman terms and keep it short, simple and straightforward.
Spelling and Grammar Check
Sending out copy with numerous errors creates a negative image to your readers. Aside from using a spell checker, have an outsider edit your final copy for readability, grammar and content.
Test and Track
Test the newsletter on few e-mail addresses to check for errors and other issues before sending to the entire distribution list. Keep track of results and reactions to your newsletter to come to an understanding for further tweaks and corrections.
Lastly, to summarise the key fundamental features of an e-newsletter, make sure you include:
E-newsletters can take up a good amount of time if not managed correctly. The use of a list server (a piece of software that runs on your Internet provider’s computer or on your own web server) is a good option. It will automatically manage a list of e-mail addresses. Once you send your newsletter to the list server, it distributes the letter to the stored addresses. For more information on list servers, contact your Internet service provider. If you opt to use another method, make sure you have a plan for handling incoming and outgoing mail when your customer base increases.
In conclusion, your newsletter can serve as an extension of your business that will reach out to your customers. It will allow you to maintain regular contact with them and serve as an effective and rewarding addition to your marketing arsenal. These tips should help you put it all together and help you create an exceptional newsletter.
Nelson Tan is the webmaster behind Internet Mastery Center. Download $347 worth of FREE Internet Marketing gifts at http://www.internetmasterycenter.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nelson_Tan
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Create-An-Effective-Newsletter&id=892729
Tags: LK article challenge, suzanne lieurance, kristen king, article marketing, monetization, information products, email newsletters, viral marketing
You already know that one way to monetize your article marketing efforts is by creating and promoting ebooks with your articles. Another easy and inexpensive means of monetizing your work is through an e-mail newsletter.
Do you have an e-mail newsletter? I publish a twice-a-week ezine called Build Your Business Write, with tips to help freelance writers, coaches, and other solopreneurs write their way to business success. You can subscribe for free at www.fearlessfreelancewriting.com.
Leave the link to your newsletter subscription page in the comments! And keep your eyes on the blog all week long for great tips on improving your newsletter for maximum results.
Article Writing Secrets - A Simple 4 Step Formula
for Writing Lots of Great Articles
, by Jeff Herring
Many people wonder, “How am I going to write my first article? How am I going to write enough to make this worthwhile to get enough traffic?”
Here’s how. I’m going to give you five simple words. It’s a four-step formula. The first step has one word. The second step has one word. The third step has two words. The fourth step has one word.
Step 1: Begin
Remember, I told you this was simple and powerful and profound when you use it. Just begin, start. Write your first article and get it out there. So start, begin. You’ve got to if you’re going to do anything with this.
Write this down, especially you perfectionists out there.
You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
Get going!
Step 2: Continue
After you’ve begun, continue. What I have found to be very very true now that I’ve been doing it for many years is that writing is not hard. It’s sitting down to write that can be difficult, in the midst of everything else going on and how good we are at putting things off. That’s the other twin of the two P’s - perfectionism and procrastination. So after you’ve started, continue. That’s why when I send out those emails about write your first article, the subject line is “Write your first or next article this weekend or today.”
So begin…continue (that means you stay in the flow). Here’s what will happen to you. I want you to watch for it. I want you to trust that it’s coming. I want you to anticipate it and I want you to grin when it comes.
Once you’ve begun and once you continue to stay in the flow, here’s Step 3.
Step 3: Article eyes
You will begin to see, if not the entire world and everything in it that you experience, but at least your niche through article eyes.
Once you get into the flow of this - you don’t have to do it full time and live it, eat it, breathe it, living like I do - just start and just stay in the flow, continue, and you’ll begin to see at least your niche, your area of expertise, through article eyes.
Step 4: Article-ize
Step 4 is a little corny but it works, because when you start and when you continue and when you’ve been able to see the world through article eyes, you’re able to do Step 4, which is article-ize your experiences, your niche, what people say to you, what people ask you.
I challenge you, I dare you to take me up on this and do this - begin, continue - and watch what happens when you start to see things and think “I can write an article about that.” I want you to grin when it comes and send me an email.