How to write an article that drives traffic to your website

I recently did a poll about writing articles and I came up with the following results:

Out of over 300 people voting, there were:

• 44% of the respondents didn't know what to write about
• 25% of the respondents didn't know how to write an article
• 18% don't have the time.

The rest of the respondents didn't like to write.

So let's look at these numbers... almot 70% of the respondants did know how to get started with writing an article... That is a huge percentage. Article writing is a very powerful way to get your message out there and powerful article writing is a way to build up your brand as an expert and also to get traffic back to your web site.

So how does one get started so they can take advantage of this powerful marketing tool? I have created some powerful steps to how to write an article that will give you a great head start!

These steps will write you a high quality article every time

1. Choose your subject area and Research your market for the subject you have selected.Once you choose your subject, you will need to research your target market to focus in on a specific topic for your article. find out:
   1. What specific questions are people asking?
   2. what specific problems are they experiencing that you can help with?
   Perform a search online in your area of interest and see what they are talking about. You can also so a search for forums and blogs in your target market and see what people are talking about in thes forums and blogs.REMEMBER!!!The easiest way to create an article that real people find valuable is to actually answer questions that real people are asking.
2. Find the keywords the people in your target market are using to search in your subject area.This step is important because it tells you how your target market is looking for the answers and solutions to their questions. You will want to use these keywords in your article.
3. Brainstorm topics for your articles.Once you have the information from the previous steps, brainstorm some specific topics you can write about. This process is vital because this is where the creative juices begin to flow. Just start writing down a bunch of words and phrases that relate to some of the problems people are experiencing, or questions they are asking. You can find a good brainstorming book online or at the bookstore.
4. Create a Title for the ArticleOnce you have a good list of topics based on the keywords, and problems/questions of your target market, create a powerful article title that will get a reader's interest and draw them into reading your article. Good titles include "How To" lists, "Top 3" lists, "Things to Do" lists, and many others.
5. Begin Writing Your ArticleNow that you have the topic, title, foundation and structure of your article, you can begin writing. Start on the body of the article first. If you have a "Top 3" type of article, then write a paragraph for each of the items in the top 3. Your paragraph should explain why for that specific item in at least 2 to 3 sentences.
6. Write the introduction of the article.Once you have written the entire body of the article, It will be easy to write the introduction. Remember, a basic article starts out by telling the reader what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you have just told them. After you have written the article, it should be easy to tell them what you are going to tell them because you just wrote the article.
7. Write the conclusion of your article.This should be easy because you are re-capping what you just wrote about.
8. Proofread your articleOnce you have written it, look it over for grammar, spelling, flow, and if it speaks to the level of your audience. Double check for factual accuracy. If you can, get someone else to read your article
9. Go away from the articleDon't look at your article for at least 1 day.Step away and do something else.
10. Re-read your article again and proofread againYou'll be amazed at the way your article reads to you when you look at your article again after some time away from it. Make the appropriate changes and then you are ready to finish it. If you still aren't happy, repeat steps 9 and 10 again.
11. It's now time to create your resource box.The resource box is the place you want to direct the reader to a specific call to action, like signing up for your mailing list, calling you, sending them to your website, or buying a product or service. This is the piece of the article that will determine of your efforts were worth it. A good structure for the resource box is to state a problem and what they need to do to avoid it. If you have enough space, it is helpful to leave credentials about who you are, and why they should listen to you.
12. Let the world know about your article! It does you no good if you write an amazing article and no one knows about it! Find places to promote your article.