My Article Tips

DavidO · 11-19-2008, 03:09 AM

Article marketing is always a hot topic here so I thought I'd put in my two cents. This is more about article writing than about marketing. That's because if you don't create a good article all the marketing in the world is not going to help you.

1. The three most important things to remember about creating articles is quality, quality, quality! I almost want to cry when I see some of the articles circulating on the web, not just because they're so awful but because the poor suckers that write them are just wasting a lot of time and effort.

Without quality you've got nothing because nobody is going to read beyond your first paragraph. Readers won't click through to your site and even if you get an occasional click they won't be pre-sold. These are the two top objectives of your article: traffic and pre-selling. That's how articles drive sales.

So if you know you're not a decent writer then don't waste your time; outsource it to a pro. If you're on a shoestring budget then watch the WSOs and choose a writer with not only a good offer but with crebible testimonials from other warriors. I've always been disappointed at the cheapest end but I've been lucky a few times at $5 and you will usually get acceptable quality at the $10 to $12 level. If you can afford more then go for it. You get what you pay for in this area.

If you want to learn to write yourself then by all means have a go. But have your work checked and revised by a pro. You can probably learn something that way too.

2. Don't misunderstand what a compelling title is. By this I mean don't try to make your title overly clever, cutesy or hypey. More often than not these backfire. Despite what you may hear a title is not the same as a headline. So keep it simple. My most successful article ever was simply titled: Foods That Lower Blood Pressure.

Everybody is interested in eating and if you have high blood pressure (my customers) this title is very compelling. What more do you need?

3. You hear a lot of advice about length but the same principle used in copywriting applies here: make it as long as it needs to be. It's only too long if it's boring. Some of my most successful articles have been 800 words and above.

Obviously, if you're a struggling writer you should keep your length down until you're more confident. But if you're a good writer getting into article marketing, or if you're hiring a good professional, don't be afraid of length.

That's it for now. Of course, marketing your article is also important but it will be a lot easier and more successful with got a good one.

11-19-2008, 03:09 AM	#1
DavidO Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: United Kingdom, Spain Posts: 2,031 Thanks: 10 Thanked 101 Times in 58 Posts	My Article Tips Article marketing is always a hot topic here so I thought I'd put in my two cents. This is more about article writing than about marketing. That's because if you don't create a good article all the marketing in the world is not going to help you. 1. The three most important things to remember about creating articles is quality, quality, quality! I almost want to cry when I see some of the articles circulating on the web, not just because they're so awful but because the poor suckers that write them are just wasting a lot of time and effort. Without quality you've got nothing because nobody is going to read beyond your first paragraph. Readers won't click through to your site and even if you get an occasional click they won't be pre-sold. These are the two top objectives of your article: traffic and pre-selling. That's how articles drive sales. So if you know you're not a decent writer then don't waste your time; outsource it to a pro. If you're on a shoestring budget then watch the WSOs and choose a writer with not only a good offer but with crebible testimonials from other warriors. I've always been disappointed at the cheapest end but I've been lucky a few times at $5 and you will usually get acceptable quality at the $10 to $12 level. If you can afford more then go for it. You get what you pay for in this area. If you want to learn to write yourself then by all means have a go. But have your work checked and revised by a pro. You can probably learn something that way too. 2. Don't misunderstand what a compelling title is. By this I mean don't try to make your title overly clever, cutesy or hypey. More often than not these backfire. Despite what you may hear a title is not the same as a headline. So keep it simple. My most successful article ever was simply titled: Foods That Lower Blood Pressure. Everybody is interested in eating and if you have high blood pressure (my customers) this title is very compelling. What more do you need? 3. You hear a lot of advice about length but the same principle used in copywriting applies here: make it as long as it needs to be. It's only too long if it's boring. Some of my most successful articles have been 800 words and above. Obviously, if you're a struggling writer you should keep your length down until you're more confident. But if you're a good writer getting into article marketing, or if you're hiring a good professional, don't be afraid of length. That's it for now. Of course, marketing your article is also important but it will be a lot easier and more successful with got a good one.