Hey! Who's that I see, typing feverishly as brilliant ideas flow from furious typing fingers to the article submission box? Is that YOU??
Well, aren't you the dickens! You found out about article marketing, and that is exciting and inspiring indeed. Now let me ask you a question, dear Article Writing Friend:
Do you know what you're trying to achieve by writing web articles?
Why, of course you do! Silly question, yes? You want people read your article, decide you're cool, witty, interesting, brilliant, etc.- because you are. Then you want them to visit your website.
Now, how will you get them to visit your website? You're already managed to divert their attention to what you have to say in that dazzling style that's you and you alone. But how will you get them to go all the way down, down, down to the bottom of that article, and click your URL?
1. You will stop thinking of your article bio as your resume.
A potential web client or customer does not care to see your list of credentials at the end of an article. As they read your article, they may love what they see, but you're still a stranger. They just want to be entertained, informed, or gratified in some way. It's all about THEM, not YOU. They just want to know who out there can help them. So if you start trumpeting about your vast successes, you'll get them to react, but not in the way that you want. Their reaction will be to CLICK AWAY. So for your business's sake, don't laundry-list your accomplishments in your author bio.
2. You will start thinking of your author bio as the gateway to prosperity.
Where does your fortune grow? It grows right in the website that is the home base for what you sell. How are people going to get there? By reading your articles, becoming interested in what you can offer them, and then letting you shuttle them there via your website URL. How will you shuttle them? Tell them what to do! Call the reader to action: Visit http://wordfeeder.com for more information. They're reading that bio box as fast as a finger-snap. If you don't want to lose the customer, tell them what to do and do it quickly.
3. You WILL NOT include more than one URL on your article bio.
Ever hear of Bio Boxing? Probably not, because I just made it up. Bio Boxing is what happens when two URLs fight for attention in your bio box. If you read two URLs in one author's bio box, what do you do? Look at one. Look at the other. It's a fifty-fifty shot at finding the answer you need. So you take a deep breath, pick and click. Ohhh!! You crapped out. That website was not even remotely close to what you hoped to find. What do you do now? Get up, get a glass of iced tea, and forget about this whole incident. In article boxing, nobody wins the fight. So don't include more than one URL in your bio box.
4. You will write one bio for each article category that you write to.
If you haven't noticed, article websites are ingeniously laid out by industry. In one article, you can be a religious muse, and lead your readers to a spiritual website. You would classify this article in the spiritual section, of course. In another article, you can write to the foodie crowd and lure people to your site where you sell chocolate chip cookies. Note that each of these articles requires its own uniquely-written bio box and corresponding URL link. I'll say it another way: don't mix and match your article categories in your bio box!
5. You will start thinking about your bio as FREE advertising.
You've bought ad space before, right? Okay, suppose you sell keyboard cleaners, and one day Staples.com comes by and offers you free ad space on their site. In this space, would you also include a link to that other website where you sell donut holes?? Of course you would not! Likewise, use each bio box as your FREE ADVERTISING for ONE website that attracts ONE AUDIENCE that you just spoke to in your article. Consider the world's biggest corporations; Old Navy, for example. Old Navy is owned by the Gap. Do you EVER hear a reference to Old Navy in Gap ads, or vice-versa? No, NEVER!
One of the biggest rules in advertising is to not distract or confuse the customer. Remember the points mentioned above, as a way to ensure that the elusive article reader won't slip right through your nimble typing fingers. Make each article work for you. Target your audience throughout the cohesive package of the article submission form, from beginning to end.
Remember that in each article, you will write to ONE audience within ONE category, and the goal is ONE click destination. Pay special attention to the largely ignored author bio, as this is the spot that either makes you or breaks you. Use that author bio box to your advantage while you still have the chance!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Find out how crisp, targeted copywriting can make a world of difference for your business. Dina Giolitto is a Copywriting Consultant with ten years of experience. Visit http://Wordfeeder.com for free tips on branding, copywriting, article marketing, and more.
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
One great benefit of article marketing is the generation of... Read More
Writing articles has proven time and time again to be... Read More
Write articles, be recognized as an expert, drive a surge... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best ways to get... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More
Once you learn the benefits of article writing, you may... Read More
If you're sick of being #987 for your best Google... Read More
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More
One of my subscribers writes 'I can't hold my tongue... Read More
A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More
The name of the game as far as Internet marketing... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
Writers talk about rejection all the time ? just part... Read More
Writing articles for magazines, the Internet or the local community... Read More
Article Marketing Connects you Directly to Readers Even brilliantly-written articles... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
Increase your ezine subscribers by submitting articles once or twice... Read More
If you're writer, I am sure sometimes you may have... Read More
You may be wondering what persuasive writing has to do... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More
Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
To be successful at any affiliate marketing program, you not... Read More
There are times when I want to write an article... Read More
Every day thousands of people join affiliate programs and yet... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
If you haven't considered the power of articles as part... Read More
"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More
Publishing content on the internet is not a hard task.... Read More
The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More
"Ten Tips" articles are the easiest piece to write because... Read More
IntroductionThere are two ways to submit to magazine editors.One is... Read More
When you have to share what you've created, where do... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
Determining keywords is a critical step in writing articles online... Read More
You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More
Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More
A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More
One great benefit of article marketing is the generation of... Read More
People who have an idea for a website sometimes require... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
Back when I was in college, I belonged to one... Read More
1) Don't use all capitals in your title:People don't like... Read More
I was asked to write an article on a short... Read More
If you market online, whether it be your own information... Read More
One of the most tried and true methods of self-promotion... Read More
I've noticed a disturbing trend recently of articles suggesting that... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
How to write an informative article?The following tips can help... Read More
Heard about article marketing but not sure why you'd need... Read More
Some six weeks ago, I began writing and submitting articles... Read More
Not doing what, you ask.Writing and submitting articles.Writing articles is... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
A lot of great ideas happen when two or more... Read More
I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More
1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More
Every successful website needs to be, what the experts consider,... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
***What is the Resource box?'Resource box' is an information box... Read More
Article Writing |