Article Marketing Secrets for Online Business Success

Attract new targeted visitors to your web site with these article marketing secrets and tips. First, you must learn how to write a feature article that is compelling, easy to read, crisp, clear, and concise.

Online surfers want free information and web content about every subject you can imagine. That includes your own expertise.

When they read your how to articles, problem and solutions articles, myths and truth articles, and many more kinds, they will want more of you through your products and services.

How to Write a Feature Article

1. Keep your article paragraphs short, maybe just a few lines.

Your internet audience doesn't like long paragraphs. With little time to read you need to make your information short and punchy for your target audience. Apply this idea to all of your web site writing, your ezine, and the articles you write and submit.

2. Make your article title and headings compelling.

Using the law of attraction makes your readers want to read your article. Make a list of benefits and good key words for each article you write. That's the first step and the most important one of article writing. Be sure to get a savvy writer to check each article before you publish it. It will be out there on the internet a long time, and you want it to be right the first time.

3. Write a tip article - your audience's favorite kind of article.

Multiply your article's life by writing one article with 10 tips, then 7, then 3 and then 1. Use the "three point" correct tip article format. First, use a command verb such as "Do this." Follow it by noting the cost of not doing it or the benefit of doing it. Third, end with a positive comment and resources. Easy to read and compelling, tip articles get read.

4. Get to the point quickly-in the title and the first line.

In your one to two sentence article introduction grab your reader by the collar to keep reading. Be sure to include five or six key words in your article beginning and conclusion.

5. Give your readers answers to their problems and challenges.

Your audience wants to be richer, healthier, and have better relationships.They await your magic formula to make them richer, healthier, or enjoy great relationships. Make your copy strong, clear, and direct.

6. Target your article to your preferred audience.

Take similar information and slant it. An article focus makes your writing more compelling. In turn, more target visitors find your web site and optimize your ratings in Google and other search engines.

7. Make your articles lean and bold.

Straight forward copy is easy to read. Your audience may want to skim your article. Don't' slow them down--use headlines and eliminate all superfluous words and passive verbs such as "is" and "was." Instead, use bold, specific verbs that give your readers a picture or feeling. .

Writing articles is still the number one way to market yourself online-- They optimize your Web site and sell your products naturally, so be sure to make each one a sparkling jewel.

Small business marketing needs the boost of article marketing that shows you to be the expert in your field, gaining you credibility and profits. Overcome mistakes to make sure your article is written with top key words and phrases and get 10 ways to leverage one article into many. Increase books sales and build business profits with a sure fire way on how to write feature articles.

When you write articles you bring some old writing sins to the table. Overlooked, these writing bad habits will stop your target audience from reading on and visiting your web site. Before you know how to write a feature article, you need to know how you write bad articles.

Three Writing Sins Used by Beginner and Professional Writers

1. Your copy is slow instead of easy to read because of linking verbs.

If we write like we speak we use too many linking verb sentence constructions. Use your Word grammar checker to check the linking verbs. Aim for 2-4% passive verbs. Many of us start sentences with "There is," "There were." Drop the use of is, was, begins, appears, and have.

2. Your copy ambles along like a slow stream because you use so many -ing verb forms.

To shorten your sentences put your subject at the front of the sentence, followed by an active verb-either in present or past tense to avoid this and other passive constructions. Remember, the standard sentence length contains 15-17 words only. Long sentences are harder to read and slow your reader down.

3. Your copy is full of adverbs.

"Suddenly," he ran out the door." tells and doesn't show the reader the why behind the action. Replace with, "When the tarantula crawled over his foot, he ran out the door." Replace the adverb "very" thin with a one word synonym such as skinny.

Include These Skills in Your Next Writing Project

1. Know why your audience reads your articles.

• They want their problem or challenges solved.
• They want your article easy to read.
• They want benefits of your article subject near the beginning.

2. Think shorter sentences rather than longer.

Your audience wants your information fast and easy. Cut your words in half for online copy.

3. Create clear, concise, compelling copy.

Your audience wants only one main point per article and short paragraphs that focus on one main point each. They won't appreciate pompous words such as "utilize" instead of "use" or jargon.

4. Add punch, but not hype in your articles.

Just a pinch of cayenne will do. A short phrase in CAPS here, an explanation point there! Write to satisfy your audience, not yourself. More conservative businesses such as solo professionals, speakers, and consultants or coaches don't appreciate "Killer Copy."

5. Use bullets and numbers in your article's body.

For example, "Seven Solutions to Conquer Clutter" Your readers can keep track of essential points easier with the short copy after the number. Readers who love to skim for the nuggets will appreciate your bulleted points.

6. Use keywords and keyword phrases in your article's title.

Search engines judge you and rate you by this information, and your readers are attracted by them. Remember what words and phrases do they Google to get to information on your topic? Do some research at Googletrends.

10 Ways to Leverage Your Articles

1. Rewrite your articles.

Change your article title to bring more targeted traffic to your Web site. Search engines like certain key words and phrases. These mirror what people Google to find information on a particular topic. Include mostly benefits in your article title like this one.

2. Position your articles well.

Only submit to the top article directories such as www.ezinearticles.com and social blogs. Since Google has changed the rules, when you submit your articles to too many sites, it's considered plagerism and duplication.

3. Limit uploading articles to your web site.

You'll get far more targeted traffic to your web site, building business profits and credibility when you offer an RSS (really simple sydication) feed to blogs where your visitors can get your updated articles that will market you virally with no end to your product and service profits.

4. Transform questions.

Gather queries from your ezine subscribers and potential clients into a three-part article including three questions and your answers in one topic each. You can also submit these to the top article directories and blogs. Make sure the title has key words or benefits. For example, one of mine: "Article Marketing - Three Questions and Answers."

5. Leverage one article into a bonus report.

You can offer the report in email promotions to keep your small business visible. Offer the report as part of a bigger package. Either long or short reports may be why your targeted audience will buy larger packages. In Write your eBook or Other Book Fast, most buyers wanted the free report, "How to Get Testimonials from the Rich and Famous." Save your articles in folders such as "Article Submission" and also in "Bonus Reports" to multiply your profits.

Change your articles to fit their purpose. Add a new story, add web site resources, and shorten them for blogs to be from 400-600 words.

6. Combine short tips into a new article that have a focus on one topic.

You can share the tips separately with other ezine publishers and then use the tips in an article to submit as a new article.

7. Sell information products from your articles.

Include an ad for a book or product from AmazonAssociates or ClickBank. Link to your web site. Some blogs accept this commercialism while other article directories do not.

8. Make more affiliate sales.

Write and give articles to your affiliates, especially the benefit-driven ones. "Why do this" articles are like a mini sales letter. They don't need to be long, maybe a half a page, around 500 words.

9. Be a guest article contributor to other ezines.

They want your articles and will come to your site to get them. Often, an email will come announcing your article was enjoyed by these ezines. That makes your own list of subscribers go way up.

10. Submit your articles first to the top rated article directories and blogs.

Send 1 or 2 articles a week to them. This change has evolved from Google's new rules of plagiarism. Even if you are the expert they consider it plagiarism when you submit the same article to many places. Writing articles and submitting them boosts your ezine subscribers many times, increases your targeted visitors, and boosts your sales.

Article marketing is still the number 1 way to market online. Take a little time and bypass mistakes with the newest, up-to-the minute information from a respected article marketer who has taken the path and already succeeded. Now you can have over the moon product sales and establish yourself as the savvy expert-gaining all the clients you want.

Top Article Marketing Mistakes

Increase sales, attract your target audience and raise your web ranking while keeping up with Google and market changes. Article marketing mistakes include your personal mistakes as well.

The first step is to be aware you are making these mistakes that cost you product sales as well as clients. You need to begin your marketing article review before you lose your potential profits in business.

1.You aren't consistent with article marketing.

You send out a few articles to article directories, post some articles on your web site and then you stop marketing because you don't see immediate results.

2. You use traditional, offline marketing submitting long articles to print media.

Perhaps, you don't know the value of internet marketing with writing and submitting articles online..

You can reach a far bigger target audience on the internet, so shorten your articles to 500-800 words and stop wasting time on small print markets.

3. You fear online marketing in general.

Perhaps you don't know how to write a great article, you think it's too big a project, you're not a writer and you think it's too difficult.

4. You trusted an article directory submitting company to article market.

These companies' programs contain glitches that frustrate you and slow your article marketing down. Since Google keeps changing the game in what's acceptable in article marketing, you may get blackballed and lose your web status with Google.

5. You think you can't get enough ideas for articles and quit.

One client discovered after some article marketing coaching, she had the articles in her client files and didn't realize it.She then wrote a series of articles aimed at combating stress at the workplace.

6. You don't know where to submit your articles that will be the best use of your time.

Resources are available for beginners and pros to keep you up on industry changes - perhaps you need submit only one or two articles a week to only a few sources..

7. Your article is not good enough to pass article blogs and article directories' changing rules.

You need to be aware of the article marketing game before you submit.

You no longer need to waste article marketing time and effort. Read books on article marketing. Learn from a professional article marketing person who has already succeeded and knows the changing ways of the internet.

For additional online promotion tips, download Judy's free article marketing report.

Please leave a question below so Judy can share more tips and insight with you!

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