Why You Need an ArticleMarketing Strategy before Posting a Single Article Online I
by: Dr. Lynella Grant
Part 1 of a 2part series
To read Part 2
http://www.promotewitharticles.com/strategy102.html
First, Define your Bulls Eye
If you’re going to write and post articles on the Internet, be unambiguous about what you expect them to accomplish. Don’t start writing just yet. Think beyond the mechanics of writing an article or deciding where to post it.
It’s one thing to spin out an article or two. It’s quite another to incorporate them into a strategy that builds your website traffic, reputation, and business. All your marketing methods should work together online and off.
Your Strategy Clarifies:
Who you’re trying to reach
How to find them
What you want them to do next (does your website support that aim?)
Your primary goal and message
How articles (with particular titles and keywords) mesh with your other marketing
Article marketing is nothing more than a way to get information (not advertising) broadly distributed on the Internet. It can’t compensate for a muddled or dull message. And it won’t build your site traffic unless it connects to readers in an interesting way.
Write Articles that Trumpet a Unique Business Message
A frequent business error is treating each customer attracting activity as though it stands alone. Yet each method works better when echoing a common message that links to the others.
To quote Roy Williams, the Wizard of Ads, http://www.wizardofads.com กIt’s hard to tell a powerful story badly. But it’s easy to tell a weak story well. I’ve never seen a business fail because they were ‘reaching the wrong people.ก But I’ve seen thousands fail because they were saying the wrong thing… It’s amazing how many people become the กright peopleก when you’re saying the right thing. Believe it or not, it’s advertising third, customer delight second, strategy always first.ก
Maximize your CustomerAttracting Methods
Last year I wrote an ebook showing how to make the business website and Yellow Page ad work together to bring new customers. It made the point that each promotional method has its own strengths, and reaches different groups http://www.yellowpagesage.com/smarts.html. By them working together, each approach does a more persuasive job.
As an example, the directory ad should display a website address. A recent study found that over 60% of people surveyed only call Yellow Page ads that show a website (even if they don’t intend to visit it). Besides, the website lets the business provide information that won’t fit within the dimensions of an ad.
A single approach can’t cover all your bases. The same applies to article marketing.
Article Marketing Strengths
Ability to deliver an interesting กsampleก of your expertise
Long enough to be informative (600800 words)
Reaches and speaks to tightly focused interest groups
Quickly delivers the message throughout the Internet
Long shelf life some websites keep articles posted for years
Builds on the keywords that your website uses
Incominglinks from websites that post your articles
Plan More than One Article at a Time
You can’t develop much momentum with one article. That’s like shooting a gun with a single bullet, or a PPC (payper click) campaign for just one term. The odds of hitting your mark aren’t too good. Several articles written to reinforce each other generate more mileage. As you get more articles out there, people start paying attention, and you can target more keywords. Repeated publications develop a personality that readers recognize.
Plan a number of titles in advance, with a theme building from one to the next. Keep each one tightly focused, but related to the others. In that way, you develop the indepth กvoiceก of an expert. And your information won’t lapse into hohum generalities. Write firstrate articles when you rely on the extensive free resources http://www.promotewitharticles.com at Article Marketing Academy.
Try writing some in a series (like, Part 1 of 3 parts) to build anticipation for future segments. Also, your message won’t be confined to the 600 to 800 word article limit. Since each article in the series resides on your website, readers needn’t wait to read them all (giving them an incentive to visit your site). Later, the whole series can be offered as a special report or ebook (once related material is added).
Write with your keywords in mind. Maintain your primary message, with a different twist for parallel niches. Go to the extra effort to say something new. That’s easy when you provide stories, examples, case studies from your own experience. As you dish out practical assistance in your articles, readers will be eagerly watching for your next ones.
© Lynella Grant
Part 2 includes posting articles, writing to please the search engines, and ways to reuse articles. Part 2 of 2, http://www.promotewitharticles.com/strategy102.html
About The Author
Dr. Lynella Grant http://www.promotewitharticles.com Article Marketing Academy Promote yourself, business, website, or book with articles posted online.
Author, Yellow Page Smarts, http://www.yellowpagesage.com/smarts.html (719) 3959450
This article was posted on January 23
by Dr. Lynella Grant