Practical Article Marketing Tips and Tricks

by Harry Constantine

The name says it all: article marketing means marketing yourself with articles and you don't have to be an author to do that. Anyone can take advantage of article marketing without a writing background.

The concept is by having your content reproduced around the internet you'll be able to increase your exposure and acquire, via the resource box, one-way incoming links which you don't have to reciprocate as you would with link exchanges, which in theory should reward you with better search engine ranking.

Having a process in place makes organizing article submissions so much easier and removes the confusion of where of what to do first. The following guide will take you through an article submission project step-by-step.

1. Start by having your article proofread and then add it to your website. Make sure you have a catchy title and a by-line that compels readers to take action.

2. Use a html editor tool to format your by-line so that your URL will appear live when your article is posted on a site.

3. List the information you'll need for most submission sites including: title, author name, address, phone number, e-mail, website URL, topic, two line summary of the article, word count, line count, article URL, auto responder address (if available), document file names and 10-15 keywords.

4. Create a list of the type of submission sites appropriate for your articles. I use EzineAnnouncer to collect and keep track of my submission list and I always write down the categories that are a match for my article. My latest submission qualified for more than 400 sites but your success depends upon your article topic.

5. Begin submitting to sites that allow article submission by e-mail. Never send an attachment unless asked. Incorporate the entire article into the e-mail and include an option for the recipient to opt-out of your list.

6. Create accounts for all new submission sites on your list that require registration. Typically, you have to wait for a confirmation e-mail before submitting. You can move on to the next step while you wait.

7. Submit your articles to all sites you have registered for and to all sites not needing registration but offering a submission form.

8. Check your e-mail, confirm your new accounts and visit those sites to add your articles. Keep track of your login and password for each site.

9. Get your submission updated list by removing or correcting bounced e-mail addresses and URL errors. You will also need to add your new submission sites to your list.

10. Make a report to keep on your computer with the name and URL of the sites you used for submission. Update this list when you submit your older articles to newly discovered sites.

As you might know information is the powerful. The key to success in article marketing lies in you ability to reach your target audience with resourceful information that is valuable to them.