10 Things To Remember When Writing Articles To Market Your Website

Whatever you're selling, writing articles to distribute freely amongst webmasters is one of the best ways of getting yourself and your service known.

Although I know nothing much about cheese, for example, I'm sure there are all sorts of ways an article could be angled. Cheese comparisons, the way various cheeses are made, where they originate from, recipes for cheese based meals are all ideas that immediately spring to mind. Some subjects will be easier to find angles for, others more difficult, but everything can be written about.

Well written articles give the reader a good impression of your business. I know I'd be much happier buying cheese from somebody I "knew" had the ability to make educated recommendations than somebody who knew nothing. Convince the reader that you're educated in your subject. That way, when they have to choose between buying from you or your competitor, your name will be the first to spring to mind.

But what constitutes a good article? Let's see.

* The Number One Rule - DO NOT PLAGIARISE

While it's ok to use other material as a source of research, it is not ok to take somebody else's work and simply re-writing it. Not only is it not ok, it's illegal and, if caught, you can be prosecuted.

Don't imagine that because the Net is huge, you won't be caught. Writers have software that can help them locate their material and if they find anything that's too similar to their own work, they may become suspicious. And quite rightly so, too.

* Use Your Introduction

The average web visitor will spend 7 seconds looking for the information they want. If they don't find it, they'll hit the back button.

Make your article leap out and grab them. Have those first sentences pull them in and make the rest of the article scannable. A quick glance down the page should tell them whether the information they want is likely to be there.

Use sub-headings and bullet lists. Keep paragraphs short and use bold text to make important information stand out.

* Strike The Right Balance

It isn't always easy to know exactly how much to write but in general, try not to be too wordy whilst giving the reader the necessary information along with a smattering of your personality.

A list of dull fact probably won't be read but neither will an article that drones on about the history of Amsterdam when the reader really wants to know about Edam cheese!

* Write Articles, Not Adverts

People want information. Anything that looks remotely like an advert will make them suspicious. Think of your own reactions. Do you trust advertisers to tell you the truth about their products? I certainly don't!

Keep your article informative, perhaps humorous, and interesting. If you must mention your company, do it either in the opening paragraph or wait until the concluding paragraph where you might write something like "After 8 years in the cheese making industry, I know only too well just how important the rich, oaken taste is to the truth connoisseur..." This lets the reader know that you really know your cheese and leads them to look for more information, in your author bio, about your business.

Subtlety is the key!

* Keep It Simple!

When you're an expert on your subject it's very easy to use jargon that others won't necessarily understand. Even if they do, they'd still be happier if you'd used an everyday word that they're comfortable with.

New writers often make the mistake of believing that big words will impress the reader. Who said readers want to be impressed by your vocabulary? It's your knowledge they're interested in, and the simpler your language, the easier it is for them to identify the facts and educate themselves.

When you have a choice, go with the simple word.

One word of warning, though. Don't be repetitive. If you find yourself using the same "little" word over and over, then you need to start looking for alternatives which may mean using some of those fancy words I've just said you should drop.

Nothing's ever cast in stone!

* Proofread and Edit Your Work

If your article isn't properly written, don't bother to distribute it. Nobody will take you seriously if you can't spell or use your apostrophes properly.

While the spell check facility of your word processor is useful, you can't depend on entirely on it. "Can eye have too deserts next weak, please?" would slip through the checker because the individual words are correctly spelled. That doesn't make them right, though, does it?

If your spelling and grammar's a little rusty, use the web's resources to help polish your skills. My personal recommendations are:

Dictionary.com - http://www.dictionary.com Guide To Grammar & Writing - http://cctc.commnet.edu/grammar/

When you've finished writing, go through your work with a fine toothed comb and find every mistake. Then go through it again. Try to keep the writing tight by getting rid of any unnecessary padding.

Proofreading and editing are just as important and the actual writing and can often take just as long.

* Make Use of Your Resource Box

Free articles are used on the understanding that the author's resource box is to remain intact. This is a short informative piece at the end of the article that tells the reader more about the author. Look at the bottom of this article for an example. These are sometimes called "author bios".

Your resource box is where you advertise your service. Something like:

"Camen Bert has 7 years experience in the cheese making industry and has her own home-made for sale at www.somecheesedomain.com. Visit her store buy speciality cheeses as well as find lots more cheese related information."

Hopefully, if the reader wants to know more, he'll follow the link to read further articles (some of which you'll have used exclusively on your site) and while he's there he'll have a wander around the shop. If he sees what he likes, BINGO! A new customer!

* Be Patient

It takes time to build up a reputation as an expert but if you syndicate your articles to enough websites, people will eventually start to recognise your name and even think of it (or your company name) whenever they think cheese.

Obviously, cheese has been used as an example in this article - the product could just as easily have been car tyres, wedding dresses or fishing rods. The product isn't important - how you market it is!

Sharon Jacobsen is a freelance writer living in South Cheshire, England. She's been writing for as long as she can remember and is happy to help others learn from her own experience. To contact Sharon, or learn more about her work, please visit http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk

---

Ten Essential Tips For Submitting Articles

Submitting well planned articles on-line will increase traffic and can... Read More

Branding, Control, and Results - Submit Articles in Your Own Name

Article distribution is currently booming on the internet. Authors do... Read More

Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Heres How!

We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More

Article Writing: How to Sound Like the Expert You Are

You, too, can become a recognized expert in your specialized... Read More

How To Rank Your Articles Higher in Search Engines

All of us, the authors, know that to enhance our... Read More

An Article about Articles

Everyone that publishes a newsletter or ezine knows that the... Read More

Article Marketing: Know your Topic

Everyone knows an expert is just a drip under pressure.... Read More

5 Great Benefits To Writing Articles On The Internet!

Marketing on the internet can be a costly procedure, especially... Read More

Jump From Unknown to Widely Quoted in One Week

Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More

10 Ways Writing Articles Can Improve Your Business

Writing articles has proven time and time again to be... Read More

What is a Ghostwriter and How Can I Find One to Hire?

A ghostwriter, as one may think is not a writer... Read More

Writing for Dollars - How To Get Started

"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More

How to Get Ideas for an Article?

Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More

How To Submit Your Articles To Article Announcement Lists

Get the Facts you need to start promoting you free... Read More

One Space or Two?

One of my subscribers writes 'I can't hold my tongue... Read More

Reaping The Amazing Benefits of Writing E-zine Articles

Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More

Write From Home: Lessons From The Editors

Writers talk about rejection all the time ? just part... Read More

Exposing Your Expertise

Writing and leveraging articles is my most successful strategy for... Read More

Reprint Articles Hijacked by Text Link Ads - Great for Authors!

We all know that online publishers earn revenue from our... Read More

An Article

People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you... Read More

$1036 in 12-hours From Writing A Single Article

Would it be worth it to master a technique that... Read More

Article Marketing: Capture the Other Half of Your Target Market

Heard about article marketing but not sure why you'd need... Read More

An Easy Way to Write An Article: Get Someone Elses!

Every successful website needs to be, what the experts consider,... Read More

Reward Those Who Publish Your Articles!

It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More

15 Questions To Instantly Help You Write A Tips Booklet

1. What is the single most compelling subject from your... Read More

SEO Article Writing 101

SEO writing is very different from content writing, article writing,... Read More

Why Article Writing is Increasingly Important in This SPAM Era

There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More

Secrets About Freelance Writing They Dont Want You To Know

The first step to getting published is to find your... Read More

Promote Your Home Business with Keyword Rich Articles

Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you... Read More

Article Writing: 10 Easy Ways To Generate Highly Read Article Ideas

If you're writer, I am sure sometimes you may have... Read More

Dont Miss These 10 Must Know Facts About Promoting Your Website with Article Writing

Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More

Articles That Sizzle - Top Ten Topics

There's one key rule that every writer should understand before... Read More

Broaden Your Customer Base: Submit Articles!

If you are going to be writing articles to promote... Read More