| Getting traffic to your website or blog is the only way | | | | article. Direct promotion of a site, blog or business is |
| to make it pay, but not everyone who launches a | | | | reserved for the resource box. |
| website or blog has the money to spend on promotion. | | | | Step 3: Work That Resource Box |
| Good news. There's a promotional method that really | | | | The resource box is where article writers can put all |
| works for attracting site or blog traffic and it's free, | | | | the self-promotional information. Readers who have |
| free, free. It's called article marketing and it is a sure | | | | found the article useful are likely to click on the links to |
| way of raising a site's profile. | | | | see what else a site, blog or business has to offer. |
| Step 1: Find An Article Directory | | | | Article directories typically allow up to three links in the |
| To get started, find a suitable article directory. Article | | | | resource box. A good resource box has the name of |
| directories are sites that have hundreds and thousands | | | | the writer or the person being promoted, the name of |
| of articles and there are new ones emerging every | | | | the business and the keywords that the site or |
| day. Some are all-purpose, covering everything from | | | | business owner would like to promote. See the |
| family issues to healthcare, while others have a niche, | | | | resource box at the end of this article for an example. |
| such as computer advice or art. All of them are | | | | Other resource boxes may link to a sales letter page |
| hungry for content. | | | | (with the product name highlighted) and include a short |
| With so many to pick from, choosing an article | | | | elevator pitch and call to action. |
| directory can be a minefield. To make it easier, look at | | | | Step 4: Submit Like Crazy |
| the directory to see: | | | | Once the article has been submitted to the directories |
| - how many authors there are - if only a handful, | | | | the site owner has chosen, it's time to move the |
| forget it and move on. | | | | strategy to the next level. Article submission services |
| - how many articles there are - ditto; come back when | | | | extend the potential reach of an article, giving another |
| they've got some content | | | | opportunity to boost traffic. Like many article |
| - can the site be found on Google, Yahoo or MSN - if | | | | directories, article submission services allow people to |
| you can't find many links to the site, then no-one will | | | | upload articles for approval. Once the articles are |
| find your articles either. One of the best and most | | | | approved, these services send them out to article |
| effective article directories I have used is EzineArticles | | | | directories, article groups, ezine publishers and website |
| is easy to use and articles published on the site appear | | | | owners to be considered for publication. Two options |
| in the search engines very quickly. | | | | for article submission are Article Marketer, which has |
| Step 2: Start Writing | | | | free and paid options and Isnare, which is a paid |
| Once you've decided on the right article directory or | | | | service. There are also free and commercial programs |
| directories, write an article. Bloggers will find that blog | | | | to automate article submission. |
| posts are a good starting point for a web article. If | | | | Pros And Cons Of Article Marketing |
| you're not a writer, there are plenty of writers who will | | | | The big question, of course, is whether submitting |
| whip up an article for a few dollars. Some will even | | | | articles to hundreds of directories counts as duplicate |
| help you get it published. The article you write or | | | | content. It's hard to tell. Some of them end up in the |
| commission can be about almost anything related to | | | | sandbox after a while; others don't. Staggering |
| the site, blog or business you are promoting. The ideal | | | | submissions is a good way to avoid this. However, in |
| article should be short (say 300-600 words) and | | | | my opinion, the advantages outweigh the potential |
| error-free, so remember to proofread and spell check. | | | | disadvantages. With article marketing, sites can receive |
| Many article directories vet articles before publishing. | | | | hundreds of inbound links in only a few days or weeks |
| Stick to the guidelines that are published on every site | | | | and thousands of people will be visiting the site that's |
| and approval should be a formality. Most article | | | | being promoted. That can't be bad, can it? |
| directories prohibit self-promotion in the body of the | | | | |