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Expert article syndicators, just a few questions...

by BennyTheWriter
29 replies
...surely you know who you are!

I'm seeking your sage advice on a few nagging questions I have about the process. Feel free to answer one or all, in as much or as little detail as you please. Newbies experiencing success with this method (I presume you also know who you are), feel free to chime in.

1. Do you make use of/would you advise using Creative Commons licenses in order to invite potential publishers to syndicate your article? Is there a real, substantial advantage in licensing your syndication-ready articles through Creative Commons?

2. Do you make use of/would you advise using RSS feeds as a means of distributing your articles? I imagine that posting the full-length article, rather than just summaries, in my feed will be most effective--or am I wrong? Besides that, how else would you use RSS feeds?

3. In building your network of publishers, do you ask them to opt-in to your private publishers' network in the first introduction email or in the second email after, presumably, they've accepted your first article offering? I've been worried, perhaps needlessly, that asking publishers to take this "extra step" would be too much of a bother for them, or that it would go ignored in many cases (especially with high-profile websites).

4. I want to start out using pen names, of course, for a few niches. However, what if I want to offer article syndication services--for example, to businesses and other internet marketers--in the future? I presume I'd have to do this under my real name, but publishers will only know me under my pen name. How might I maintain authentic relationships with publishers from the start, so they'll know the "real me" if I want to syndicate other people's articles in the future?

5. For anyone starting out in IM, I'm quite convinced that thoughtful syndication of high-quality articles might yield the best long-term results, and that few other methods are as powerful. But, for a newbie who's under pressure and seeking the fastest results--in terms of traffic to your landing page or getting opt-ins--would you advise using other marketing methods such as social media, forum marketing, blog commenting, etc. in conjunction with article syndication? Or, is one's time best leveraged by using article syndication alone, in your opinion? (I believe in building a "real business," of course, and syndication is my favorite marketing method at the moment. But do you think one could start seeing measurable success, in terms of sales, within a month of doing this every day?)

6. In one of my niches, pretty much all the top spots in Google are taken up by authority websites that want only exclusive content from their "guest bloggers." How much, in your experience, have you had to "educate" potential publishers about article syndication, the "duplicate content" myth, etc.? (I imagine not much, because you'd simply ignore those who make demands of exclusivity--and I'm willing to do the harder work to find publishers that do see the benefits of syndication--but just wondering what you would do if you were focusing on web-based publishers in a certain niche and found yourself lost in a sea of exclusive-content-demanding websites and blogs.)

7. One last thing: I'm having trouble finding some of the excellent advice I once read here on how to best frame your article resource boxes. Can someone here point me to the relevant thread(s) if they're on hand, or if it's easier, just describe how you write them for the best results? How do you use the "two links" that EzineArticles allows you?

I'm an avid reader of WF threads dealing with the topic of syndication, so please forgive me if any of these questions have been answered in depth before; it's not for lack of my effort in trying to find those answers. In addition, to let you know "where I'm coming from," I've purchased both "Turn Words Into Traffic" by Jim Edwards and a lifetime membership to the Directory of Ezines. I imagine that with those two resources, combined with the wealth of information here in the Warrior Forum, I don't need to shell out any more cash at the moment (although I may pick up some other informative guides in the future)--I just need to get started already

Thanks a lot!
#article #expert #questions #syndicators
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Hi Benny, I can answer a few bits.

    I don't enough about Creative Commons or RSS to help with your first two questions. Others will, of course.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    In building your network of publishers, do you ask them to opt-in to your private publishers' network in the first introduction email or in the second email after, presumably, they've accepted your first article offering?
    No, neither.

    I never ask publishers to "opt in" to anything at all.

    I'm building personal relationships with them. I send them individual emails, and chat as much as I can (it's often not a lot) about things specific to them, their site/ezine/whatever, and so on.

    Some people will have a very different answer to that question, I know.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    I've been worried, perhaps needlessly, that asking publishers to take this "extra step" would be too much of a bother for them, or that it would go ignored in many cases (especially with high-profile websites).
    Those aren't my main worries about it.

    My worry is that it would seem impersonal or automated, somehow - exactly the things I want to avoid.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    what if I want to offer article syndication services--for example, to businesses and other internet marketers--in the future?
    I have no experience of that one, either. It's not something I'd let anyone else do for me, really ... and certainly not something I could do for others.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    for a newbie who's under pressure and seeking the fastest results--in terms of traffic to your landing page or getting opt-ins--would you advise using other marketing methods such as social media, forum marketing, blog commenting, etc. in conjunction with article syndication?
    Not sure about this. It might vary from niche to niche, a bit, depending on the syndication opportunities? I find it hard to imagine anything other than PPC which can attract floods of highly targeted traffic as fast as article syndication can, I must say.

    PPC is certainly faster, admittedly, but there you're talking about having both the skills and the funds to do it properly, which isn't a common position for newbies?

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    do you think one could start seeing measurable success, in terms of sales, within a month of doing this every day?
    Some success, yes, in a month or not much more.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    In one of my niches, pretty much all the top spots in Google are taken up by authority websites that want only exclusive content from their "guest bloggers."
    Yes, I see some of those, but I don't need them.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    How much, in your experience, have you had to "educate" potential publishers about article syndication, the "duplicate content" myth, etc.? (I imagine not much, because you'd simply ignore those who make demands of exclusivity--and I'm willing to do the harder work to find publishers that do see the benefits of syndication--but just wondering what you would do if you were focusing on web-based publishers in a certain niche and found yourself lost in a sea of exclusive-content-demanding websites and blogs.)
    Not much, as you say ... to some extent, this is something you can try to take into account in your niche selection. Ezines are better than websites, overall, probably. (I'm interested, now, to see who'll agree/disagree with that assertion!).

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - One last thing: I'm having trouble finding some of the excellent advice I once read here on how to best frame your article resource boxes. Can someone here point me to the relevant thread(s) if they're on hand, or if it's easier, just describe how you write them for the best results?
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post6031398 <--- and other links inside that post ...

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    How do you use the "two links" that EzineArticles allows you?
    Always one to my main landing page. Sometimes the other one to the same page; sometimes for some other inner page for which I don't mind getting some backlinks when people syndicate the article from EZA (and on which I don't mind getting some traffic landing, of course).

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    I've purchased both "Turn Words Into Traffic" by Jim Edwards and a lifetime membership to the Directory of Ezines. I imagine that with those two resources, combined with the wealth of information here in the Warrior Forum, I don't need to shell out any more cash at the moment (although I may pick up some other informative guides in the future)--I just need to get started already
    Yes, probably ... good luck! (Including getting answers to your other questions I can't helpfully answer).
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  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
    Banned
    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    ...surely you know who you are!
    Not an "expert", but I'll tackle what Alexa didn't . Someone's gotta finish the job.



    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - Do you make use of/would you advise using Creative Commons licenses in order to invite potential publishers to syndicate your article? Is there a real, substantial advantage in licensing your syndication-ready articles through Creative Commons?
    I see it as an unnecessary step, really. You can do everything without CC that you would be able to do with CC. Don't overly complicate something you don't have to. If you want to tinker into Copyright law and learn more about it though, give the site a whirl.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - Do you make use of/would you advise using RSS feeds as a means of distributing your articles? I imagine that posting the full-length article, rather than just summaries, in my feed will be most effective--or am I wrong? Besides that, how else would you use RSS feeds?
    I've considered using RSS feeds; but haven't yet. I prefer interacting on a personal level with my syndication partners as much as possible. Doesn't mean I won't use RSS in the future though. Things won't be staying this small scale to allow me to talk to everyone .

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - In building your network of publishers, do you ask them to opt-in to your private publishers' network in the first introduction email or in the second email after, presumably, they've accepted your first article offering? I've been worried, perhaps needlessly, that asking publishers to take this "extra step" would be too much of a bother for them, or that it would go ignored in many cases (especially with high-profile websites).
    Alexa and I share the same POV on this one.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - I want to start out using pen names, of course, for a few niches. However, what if I want to offer article syndication services--for example, to businesses and other internet marketers--in the future? I presume I'd have to do this under my real name, but publishers will only know me under my pen name. How might I maintain authentic relationships with publishers from the start, so they'll know the "real me" if I want to syndicate other people's articles in the future?
    By this, I'm assuming that you mean syndicating articles yourself? If so, I see no reason why you would have to drop the pen name in each niche: "Hey, Po Stobinson here, how would you like for me to return the favor on that whole syndication thing?"

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - For anyone starting out in IM, I'm quite convinced that thoughtful syndication of high-quality articles might yield the best long-term results, and that few other methods are as powerful. But, for a newbie who's under pressure and seeking the fastest results--in terms of traffic to your landing page or getting opt-ins--would you advise using other marketing methods such as social media, forum marketing, blog commenting, etc. in conjunction with article syndication? Or, is one's time best leveraged by using article syndication alone, in your opinion? (I believe in building a "real business," of course, and syndication is my favorite marketing method at the moment. But do you think one could start seeing measurable success, in terms of sales, within a month of doing this every day?)
    We agree on this point as well. I'll add that personally, I saw measurable results at the end of my first month, following the advice of Alexa and other syndication authors who will undoubtedly be along shortly. Nothing better than skipping lessons learned by listening to others.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - In one of my niches, pretty much all the top spots in Google are taken up by authority websites that want only exclusive content from their "guest bloggers." How much, in your experience, have you had to "educate" potential publishers about article syndication, the "duplicate content" myth, etc.? (I imagine not much, because you'd simply ignore those who make demands of exclusivity--and I'm willing to do the harder work to find publishers that do see the benefits of syndication--but just wondering what you would do if you were focusing on web-based publishers in a certain niche and found yourself lost in a sea of exclusive-content-demanding websites and blogs.)
    I tend not to worry about those who want "exclusive content". You shouldn't either. There is nothing wrong with walking away from a potential partner, there are more and it isn't the end of the world. Never forget that.

    Thus far I have not had to explain the nuances of article syndication to any publishers across two niches. Maybe I'm just lucky; but it seems most get what's what.

    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    - One last thing: I'm having trouble finding some of the excellent advice I once read here on how to best frame your article resource boxes. Can someone here point me to the relevant thread(s) if they're on hand, or if it's easier, just describe how you write them for the best results? How do you use the "two links" that EzineArticles allows you?
    Read the girl's link! Also, I personally tack on a little info at the end and then a "read more here" type bit. Let's say I wrote an article on a possible alien invasion:

    "Fakename Fakerson has been holding back the extraterrestrial onslaught for x amount of time. Learn more of his struggles, and what you can do here<linky link!"


    That's all I got lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author BennyTheWriter
    Alexa and Joe, thanks a whole lot...you both are giving me more confidence in article syndication, not that I needed much more

    Alexa, excellent point about building a relationship with your publishers by sending only personalized emails. I will strongly consider that method instead of using an auto-responder.

    Joe, awesome example of a resource box, haha. You seem to have pretty good copywriting skills there--I'd definitely be enticed to click on a link like that. I hope to become a better copywriter myself over time.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

      Alexa and Joe, thanks a whole lot...you both are giving me more confidence in article syndication, not that I needed much more

      Alexa, excellent point about building a relationship with your publishers by sending only personalized emails. I will strongly consider that method instead of using an auto-responder.

      Joe, awesome example of a resource box, haha. You seem to have pretty good copywriting skills there--I'd definitely be enticed to click on a link like that. I hope to become a better copywriter myself over time.
      It comes with practice, you'll get there. No one popped out of the womb as an excellent writer (although some people seem to think this is the way that it works).
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  • Profile picture of the author dcmarketer
    Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post

    In one of my niches, pretty much all the top spots in Google are taken up by authority websites that want only exclusive content from their "guest bloggers." How much, in your experience, have you had to "educate" potential publishers about article syndication, the "duplicate content" myth, etc.? (I imagine not much, because you'd simply ignore those who make demands of exclusivity--and I'm willing to do the harder work to find publishers that do see the benefits of syndication--but just wondering what you would do if you were focusing on web-based publishers in a certain niche and found yourself lost in a sea of exclusive-content-demanding websites and blogs.)
    Clearly you have to evaluate the caliber of the blog / publication in question, but I would give them exclusive content. Seriously, there's no point "trying to educating them" - that's like you telling me I want to buy a blue car when I've told you only a red car would do. It aint gonna happen.

    There's a reason why they have an exclusive content policy.

    It makes them look like the "primary source" for the content which is more attractive for their visitors.

    It also helps that page on their website rank better in the search engines as it's unique content - this is good for them in terms of traffic and SEO... AND... it's also good for you - it means more click throughs on your links as well. For YOU it also means your content is 100 times more likely to get published (assuming it's any good). It also means you'll be getting a high quality link back to your site from a totally unique theme relevant page on the internet - boosting your search engine rankings. A link back from the same article published on 10 different websites has less value as far as SEO goes.

    Don't discount providing exclusive content to people simply because you don't like the idea of it (you can outsource the writing). Writing content for syndication should not be seen as an alternative to writing content for your own website, but an addition.

    If you're only ever going to try and have the same article published multiple times by multiple blogs, then you're going to severely limit your publishing success ratio with the more higher quality websites. Those are the ones that are likely to send you the most traffic. Those are the ones you WANT to get published on.

    What's more, even if blogs do accept "non-exclusive or previously published content" - and if they're of caliber - you should seriously consider offering them an exclusive rights article and see what happens - you'll shoot right to the top of their editorial review process and have their full attention and consideration. They ONLY thing that will stop them publishing you at that point is if the content is rubbish.

    Don't fight the grain of what 99% of all online publishers want (exclusive unique content) - run with it.

    It's the number 1 selling point (in parallel with the quality of the content) in actually getting published.

    Best...

    Duncan Carver
    Signature

    Pinterest Marketing Blueprint -> http://www.PinterestMarketingBlueprint.com/

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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      There are only a few things I can think of at the moment to add to what Alexa and Joe have posted. Article syndication directly generates over 90% of all my traffic and sales, so there is very little that can improve on that considering its unbeatable conversion rate.

      Eventually you may want to automate the tasks of syndication as much as possible using RSS feeds and autoresponders. Nearly all of my syndication partners accept regular article submissions by these methods, although some do prefer delivery by other media including zip file attachments, fax and even snail mail. As part of the relationship-building process, it helps to include a suggestion with every article submission that they can receive this same quality on a regular basis through automated submissions. Include a single opt-in link to the relevant niche autoresponder or RSS feed.

      Regarding publishers who only accept "exclusive" content, this is almost always simply a ruse to discourage being hammered by backlink spammers of keyword-sprinkled gibberish. Most of the time they will be receptive to well-written and relevant syndicated articles. Approach them with one or two articles within your email solicitation as well as a link to a portfolio of articles on EZA with assurance you can provide this type of consistent quality on a regular basis. Considering the extensive resources expended in producing articles, I categorically refuse to provide exclusive content. Syndication amortizes the costs of article production.

      Also on pen names (directly addressing point #4), yes I have one in every niche for several reasons including specialty credibility, tracking and branding. It has never crossed my mind to even consider writing for hire. Have you seen the laughable prices offered by some of those clowns in recent threads? :p
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      • Profile picture of the author BennyTheWriter
        Originally Posted by myob View Post


        Eventually you may want to automate the tasks of syndication as much as possible using RSS feeds and autoresponders. Nearly all of my syndication partners accept regular article submissions by these methods, although some do prefer delivery by other media including zip file attachments, fax and even snail mail. As part of the relationship-building process, it helps to include a suggestion with every article submission that they can receive this same quality on a regular basis through automated submissions. Include a single opt-in link to the relevant niche autoresponder or RSS feed.

        Regarding publishers who only accept "exclusive" content, this is almost always simply a ruse to discourage being hammered by backlink spammers of keyword-sprinkled gibberish. Most of the time they will be receptive to well-written and relevant syndicated articles. Approach them with one or two articles within your email solicitation as well as a link to a portfolio of articles on EZA with assurance you can provide this type of consistent quality on a regular basis. Considering the extensive resources expended in producing articles, I categorically refuse to provide exclusive content. Syndication amortizes the costs of article production.

        Also on pen names (directly addressing point #4), yes I have one in every niche for several reasons including specialty credibility, tracking and branding. It has never crossed my mind to even consider writing for hire. Have you seen the laughable prices offered by some of those clowns in recent threads? :p
        Paul, I always look forward to your advice around here...

        Thanks for alleviating my fears about the publisher opt-in. I suppose, after building up a solid network, I should ask publishers how they prefer to receive the content?

        Thanks also for addressing the "exclusive content" problem. It simply makes sense that, if you demonstrate quality, the publisher would be amenable to your syndication request. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

        And if I offer writing services, I'll be sure to price myself accordingly to make sure it's worth my while. About the laughable prices, yeah, don't get me started... :p
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    • Profile picture of the author BennyTheWriter
      Originally Posted by dcmarketer View Post

      Don't discount providing exclusive content to people simply because you don't like the idea of it (you can outsource the writing). Writing content for syndication should not be seen as an alternative to writing content for your own website, but an addition.

      If you're only ever going to try and have the same article published multiple times by multiple blogs, then you're going to severely limit your publishing success ratio with the more higher quality websites. Those are the ones that are likely to send you the most traffic. Those are the ones you WANT to get published on.

      What's more, even if blogs do accept "non-exclusive or previously published content" - and if they're of caliber - you should seriously consider offering them an exclusive rights article and see what happens - you'll shoot right to the top of their editorial review process and have their full attention and consideration. They ONLY thing that will stop them publishing you at that point is if the content is rubbish.
      Thanks Duncan...these are some of the very reasons I would consider writing exclusive content for only the highest-caliber sites who request it.

      Not much of a bother since I can write pretty quickly.

      I suppose it might also help build up an impressive "portfolio" I could show off to the possible syndicating publishers I contact.

      Great insights.
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      • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
        Banned
        Originally Posted by BennyTheWriter View Post


        I suppose it might also help build up an impressive "portfolio" I could show off to the possible syndicating publishers I contact.
        Your EZA collection accomplishes the same thing, as Paul posted above. Not to discourage you from guest blogging though lol. Do your thing and all that .
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeTucker
    I have a question for the more experienced syndication experts here as well, if I may cut in rather than creating yet another thread?

    In your experience, what is the life of your articles? For example, if you take one article and syndicate it to every place you plan to, about how long can you expect them to drive visitors to your opt-in site?

    If you are deleting those subscribers who do not purchase anything within a month or three because such a small percentage of them will ever purchase anything from you, then won't you have to continue writing articles for the rest of your life or else suffer a loss of income?

    Why not just move them into another partition of your list and market to them perpetually? Especially if you are selling high-priced B2B products, for example... Sometimes there is not an immediate need, or they don't have the budget to make a purchase during this quarter, and eventually they may become a customer-- Even a repeat customer?
    Signature

    The bartender says: "We don't serve faster-than-light particles here."

    ...A tachyon enters a bar.

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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      I have a question for the more experienced syndication experts here as well, if I may cut in rather than creating yet another thread?
      I can't see anyone complaining about cutting down forum clutter.

      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      In your experience, what is the life of your articles? For example, if you take one article and syndicate it to every place you plan to, about how long can you expect them to drive visitors to your opt-in site?
      My first article was published a little over three months ago. It is still bringing in consistent traffic. That is the best I can offer as far as personal experience. I would guess though that it very much depends on the niche and the article itself. I expect mine to continue to bring traffic for a long time though, as the subject matter is very timeless to new people reading into the niche.

      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      If you are deleting those subscribers who do not purchase anything within a month or three because such a small percentage of them will ever purchase anything from you, then won't you have to continue writing articles for the rest of your life or else suffer a loss of income?
      I don't have the personal experience that others have to back this up yet; but again I would think not. It's not like articles have an expiration date and then disappear forever (unless you are in a time sensitive niche). As long as there are people who want that information, they will find it.

      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      Why not just move them into another partition of your list and market to them perpetually? Especially if you are selling high-priced B2B products, for example... Sometimes there is not an immediate need, or they don't have the budget to make a purchase during this quarter, and eventually they may become a customer-- Even a repeat customer?
      This line of thinking is partially why I haven't deleted anyone yet, period. The ones who are going to buy will buy when they buy. Everyone else (assuming they are actually reading the emails) want to know what I have to say, and I wouldn't feel right deleting them because they didn't put money in my pocket. It would go against everything that I told and showed them to get them to sign up: that I would be a great source of information they want and need.
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      • Profile picture of the author MikeTucker
        Originally Posted by dcmarketer View Post

        It gets up my nose a bit when people totally exclude providing unique content to websites that require (and actually deserve) it. It's a severely limiting mind set and can give newbie's the wrong impression.



        Would that have happened if I tried to fight their policy of only providing exclusive content? Of course not, I would've been laughed out the door - there are hundreds of content providers all vying to be published.



        Duncan Carver
        It's about leveraging your time and effort.
        There are thousands upon thousands of publishers seeking great content.
        Why waste time writing for one outlet when you can write for thousands?
        Signature

        The bartender says: "We don't serve faster-than-light particles here."

        ...A tachyon enters a bar.

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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by MikeTucker View Post

      I have a question for the more experienced syndication experts here as well, if I may cut in rather than creating yet another thread?

      In your experience, what is the life of your articles? For example, if you take one article and syndicate it to every place you plan to, about how long can you expect them to drive visitors to your opt-in site?

      If you are deleting those subscribers who do not purchase anything within a month or three because such a small percentage of them will ever purchase anything from you, then won't you have to continue writing articles for the rest of your life or else suffer a loss of income?

      Why not just move them into another partition of your list and market to them perpetually? Especially if you are selling high-priced B2B products, for example... Sometimes there is not an immediate need, or they don't have the budget to make a purchase during this quarter, and eventually they may become a customer-- Even a repeat customer?
      It appears Mike is referring to my internal processing of subscribers which has been posted in other threads. The concept of article syndication is an extremely powerful marketing model, especially when using its full leveraging potential. However, the handling of this resulting traffic has many marketing applications, of which mine is only one among them. As I have mentioned in other posts, this is certainly not the definitive method, but it has been working astoundingly well for me in some of the most competitive niches.

      The importance of conspicuous quality for article syndication cannot be over-emphasized, IMO. When you write to engage your reading audience, words can take on a life of their own and endure for long periods of time. Such articles may continue to be passed on to other readers, new audiences, and may appear in publications far removed from their original syndication sources. This happens; my articles continue to draw massive, highly convertible traffic for years.
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      • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
        If you really want to take your syndication efforts to a whole new level, may I suggest you purchase Paul Myers' Content Cash System. (not an affiliate link).

        I consider myself to be a seasoned syndicator, but I admit, this exceptional ebook has provided me with a whole new perspective on how to offer and promote my work.
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  • Profile picture of the author dcmarketer
    No problem mate.

    It gets up my nose a bit when people totally exclude providing unique content to websites that require (and actually deserve) it. It's a severely limiting mind set and can give newbie's the wrong impression.

    From just one article in a very prominent website...

    * We generated well over 1k unique visitors the week it was published.

    * We generated around 400-500 new leads to our mailing list as a direct result of that.

    * The article has generated probably 5 times that number of visitors over the past 11 years - yes, 11 years on it still sends traffic - although a trickle now given the additional content that's been added to the website during that time.

    * I was approached by a venture capitalist interested in what I was doing online - that was a VERY interesting outcome.

    * I was asked to write a 4 page feature in an niche related offline publication.

    * I was approached by several other publications who wanted to interview me.

    * That was one SEO boosting link on a massive authority website.

    ...that's one article mate.

    Would that have happened if I tried to fight their policy of only providing exclusive content? Of course not, I would've been laughed out the door - there are hundreds of content providers all vying to be published.

    Would that have happened if I had a personal mind set of, if they only want unique content then stuff them?

    Of course not.

    The key is evaluating who you take the time to produce that content for (or have produced for you by a ghost writer). Obviously you're not going to offer a blog that has 5 pages of content, no comments, no followers on twitter or facebook, a unique piece of content.

    But if that blog averages 20+ comments per post, has been around forever, has a decent following on twitter and facebook, and so on, then it's worth SERIOUS consideration. What's more, targeting those websites that also have an associated email newsletter attached will work wonders for you.

    You can and should of course work the non-exclusive angle as well, just don't limit your success mate.

    Best...

    Duncan Carver
    Signature

    Pinterest Marketing Blueprint -> http://www.PinterestMarketingBlueprint.com/

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    • Profile picture of the author BennyTheWriter
      Originally Posted by dcmarketer View Post

      No problem mate.

      It gets up my nose a bit when people totally exclude providing unique content to websites that require (and actually deserve) it. It's a severely limiting mind set and can give newbie's the wrong impression.

      From just one article in a very prominent website...

      * We generated well over 1k unique visitors the week it was published.

      * We generated around 400-500 new leads to our mailing list as a direct result of that.

      * The article has generated probably 5 times that number of visitors over the past 11 years - yes, 11 years on it still sends traffic - although a trickle now given the additional content that's been added to the website during that time.

      * I was approached by a venture capitalist interested in what I was doing online - that was a VERY interesting outcome.

      * I was asked to write a 4 page feature in an niche related offline publication.

      * I was approached by several other publications who wanted to interview me.

      * That was one SEO boosting link on a massive authority website.

      ...that's one article mate.

      Would that have happened if I tried to fight their policy of only providing exclusive content? Of course not, I would've been laughed out the door - there are hundreds of content providers all vying to be published.

      Would that have happened if I had a personal mind set of, if they only want unique content then stuff them?

      Of course not.

      The key is evaluating who you take the time to produce that content for (or have produced for you by a ghost writer). Obviously you're not going to offer a blog that has 5 pages of content, no comments, no followers on twitter or facebook, a unique piece of content.

      But if that blog averages 20+ comments per post, has been around forever, has a decent following on twitter and facebook, and so on, then it's worth SERIOUS consideration. What's more, targeting those websites that also have an associated email newsletter attached will work wonders for you.

      You can and should of course work the non-exclusive angle as well, just don't limit your success mate.

      Best...

      Duncan Carver
      Those are some awesome stats my friend.

      And you suggest some very good criteria for evaluating both possible syndication outlets and guest-blogging opportunities.

      Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author BennyTheWriter
    Thanks, everyone, for being so generous with your time and answers.

    I have one more burning question (just to get as thorough an outlook on this as possible):

    Let's say I insist on only syndicating after getting some exclusive guest-blogging experience/building up a nice portfolio on EZA.

    In your initial contact to publishers--whether they openly ask for exclusive content or not--how "obvious" do you make the fact that the articles you're offering them will be/have been syndicated?

    How important is it to let them know upfront or hint at the fact that the articles may not be exclusive?

    Do you even mention it or bring attention to it at all? I remember Alexa (forgive me if I'm misattributing this) once saying she mentions in her email that the article had already been published on her blog.

    My fear, of course, is that site owners might "get upset" if they find the article elsewhere and remove it from their sites. Or, perhaps I'm simply thinking too much.

    Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Dayne Dylan
    Banned
    My question for the experts in article syndication is...how do you know when you have a good niche in which article syndication will work?

    I think what makes syndication work so well, obviously, is the reach through other websites, ezines, etc. So if one were to go TOO "niche"...this would make article syndication kinda mute.

    So what kind of criteria do you look for when approaching a niche or market, when you want to drive traffic only through article syndication?
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Dayne Dylan View Post

      what kind of criteria do you look for when approaching a niche or market, when you want to drive traffic only through article syndication?
      As many of these as I can manage to find (won't always necessarily manage all of them) ...

      • Wide range of products available at very varied prices, including some really high-priced ones;
      • Likely always to be that way in future, too;
      • Ezines apparently available with reasonable submission requirements;
      • Realistic niche in the sense that people buy magazines, browse, look at blogs;
      • Not inherently scammy/unpleasant/awkward;
      • Not connected with internet marketing (people will buy at CB through their own hoplinks, not through mine - can't get paid that way!);
      • No inherent moral/legal/regulatory problems (no cancer cures, dangerous health claims, no income claims!!);
      • Authority sites available which appear to have syndication prospects (not all direct competitors), even if they haven't apparently syndicated other authors yet - I can always be their first?);
      • Something I'm willing and able to write preferably provocative, outspoken, entertaining articles about (excludes "ultra-hi-tech" and a couple of other things).

      I've doubtless forgotten some, too.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by Dayne Dylan View Post

      what kind of criteria do you look for when approaching a niche or market, when you want to drive traffic only through article syndication?
      What works well for me is to first target demographics, then find niches that fit these lifestyles. For example some of these attributes include college edicated, effluent, prefessional, etc. The top niches to market to these demographics can be found on dummies.com, for which relevant products are available from Clickbank, Amazon, CJ, Shareasale, Linkshare, etc.
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      • Profile picture of the author calculon
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        For example some of these attributes include college edicated, effluent, prefessional, etc.
        So we're talking incontinent guilty catholics, right?
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by Dayne Dylan View Post


      So what kind of criteria do you look for when approaching a niche or market, when you want to drive traffic only through article syndication?
      Cross promotion.

      Just say you were blogging about stress. Syndicating your articles to stress/mental illness websites is a bit crap.

      Decide who could be stressed, ie new moms.

      You could write articles about stressfulness for new moms and syndicate them to mommy blogs/ezines, etc.

      Maybe new professionals, so you could write articles about stress and professionals and target specific blogs/ezines for professionals.

      You catch the drift.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
    Banned
    Pretty much what Alexa said for me. I put more weight into actually "liking" the niche too, at least so far...

    Her first two points also effectively provide the counter to what you described as going "too" niche. By ensuring that you have a wide range of potential topics/products to endorse, you give yourself the wiggle room to broaden out if you find that you have gone in too deep.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dayne Dylan
    Banned
    Always pure gold, thanks Alexa
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    • Profile picture of the author brit16
      This is a topic I am very interested in, but not sure how to get started. Right now all/most of my traffic is coming from google. I would love to not have to rely on google, but I don't know how to get started with the whole article syndication thing. . When I first started about a year ago I was submitting articles to Ezine articles, and not really getting any results out of them. So I quit, and focused on what seemed to be working.

      So....if you were telling someone the most important steps for getting started with article syndication, what would they be?? How do you find these sites, and get them to take you serious when you are new?

      Alexa - if you are reading this - could this be successful for me in my niche?? Thanks!!

      Thanks everyone, this is a very helpful thread.
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      • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
        Banned
        Originally Posted by brit16 View Post

        So....if you were telling someone the most important steps for getting started with article syndication, what would they be?? How do you find these sites, and get them to take you serious when you are new?
        This is a great post for people to get the gist of the strategy.
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          On CC licensing...

          Don't bother with it. Unless you are going to work in niches with photos/graphics, software, etc., using a CC license will confuse more people than it encourages. You want to retain as much control over the licensing of your intellectual property as you can.

          Which brings me to RSS feeds. I used to offer full text articles via RSS, and I kept finding my articles (sans links and credits) on crummy scraper sites and spammy autoblogs. It goes back to control. If someone re-publishes my feed, I want people clicking back to my website. I also have certain articles that I don't offer for syndication, usually because they are product reviews or more promotional than my normal run. I want my partners getting the stuff written for syndication, not for pre-selling products or making offers.

          I second the endorsement for Paul's "Content Cash". I've been doing this for a fair amount of time, and I learned some things that will make things easier and much more effective.

          On picking niches...

          I tend to blend Alexa's and Paul's approaches. I've found groups with which I can communicate well, and cater to those interests and demographics.

          Most of the markets I serve tend to be educated, affluent to 'filthy rich', older and looking for experiences. After that, I pick niches where I can easily reach people willing and able to pay for the information and accouterments necessary to those experiences.
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