Saturday 30 January 2010

Profitable Internet Marketing Articles

There are many options available for making money online, but article writing works very well as an effective sales and marketing strategy.

It is, by far, the most cost-effective means of product promotion and information sharing; costing nothing, in fact, but a little time and thoughtful planning. In short, article writing is an online marketer's dream.

Contrary to common belief, article writing is not as tricky a skill as many imagine. You don't need to be a literary genius to be effective. Yes, it helps to have an interest in written-word communication and to have a grasp on basic grammar and English usage; but far more pertinent would be an enthusiastic approach to topical research and the self-discipline to ensure factual accuracy; for the truth and reliability of a story theme is what will set you apart from the masses.

As for content and readability, start with the following.

Basic Tools and Techniques of the Trade

Most online marketers will have access to word proccessing or desktop publishing software. Such software will at least have an in-built spellcheck facility; some will also include a grammar checker. For those who access the Internet via Internet cafe or a local library, open an account with Blogger at http://www.blogger.com and type your articles directly into the posting editor, then publish them online directly.

To get the layout of the article looking presentable, simply look at how other writers have gone about the task. Select an article you particularly like the look of and which reads well, then use that - but don't ever copy it! - as a pattern for your own effort.

A dictionary could be a handy standby to check spelling and word usage, as might a thesaurus for alternative word choices to avoid too much repetition. But beyond these two additions, above is all your basic article publishing kit need consist of.

Producing an Article

You don't even have to write your own articles, if the thought of doing so holds real fears. Article directories exist to help out in this instance. So long as you find articles with relevance to your subject or theme - and you keep any articles you do use intact to include full author credits - then you may use any articles from article directories free of charge. For a list of sites, type "article directories" into the Google search box.

In case your wondering why these articles are free to use: remember I said at the start that article writing is a popular low-cost advertising and promotional strategy? Authors place their articles with directory sites in the hope that others will use them, because it helps publicise and promote their own websites, products and services. Meanwhile, those who use the article get what they want - an informative article for use on their blog or website effort-free. Everybody wins.

But why not try to write your own articles? Then you, as author, will be able to use the article directories the same way; to promote your own website, product or service. There are a number of tools available to help you research, write and promote your articles and a great many benefits to writing your own material.

Not least of which: an article written and published with your own name accredited as author will not only be a unique piece, thus offering original content to the Web (which search engines reward), but will raise your profile and present you as an expert in the eyes of your readers. In turn, this should produce an increasingly loyal following.

The benefit of this perceived expert status could very well translate into increased sales conversion rates or greater readership of your information products and services as your reputation grows.

How to Make Money with Articles

Think of articles as your sales team or advertising agency. The point is to create something of value that will draw visitors to your website to purchase your product or service. To achieve this goal, the article content must be strong enough to induce the desire for further action or investigation. The article should therefore be rich in content, should solve or rectify a genuine problem or concern, and ideally offer something for free.

What your article does, in effect, is bring highly targeted visitors to your site who are more likely to buy because your article has already ascertained their interest and hooked them emotionly.

Author Recommendation

There is a great research and development tool currently on release that will save you hours of research and help you create an intriguing article in minutes. I find this tool invaluable. You might too. Why not take a look at the short video demonstration of the product - called Instant Article Wizard - in which you will see an actual article outline come to life before your eyes. Here's the link: Instant Article Wizard Demo.

To reading your unique success story.

Article Source: JC's BroadViews Blog