Is article marketing just another advertising fad? Why are both online and offline business owners rushing to participate in this newest form of marketing, and what makes it different from other, more traditional forms of marketing?
Article marketing is undoubtedly on-trend right now! So what makes it hot? Firstly, with the right approach, article marketing produces outstanding results, and this at a lower cost than other traditional forms of advertising and marketing. So it's no wonder that everyone associated with internet marketing wants to jump on the article marketing bandwagon.
As innocuous as it may seem, article marketing has eclipsed the glitz and glamour of all other ostentatious forms of advertising and has turned the usual marketing world upside down. Article marketing doesn't involve huge marketing campaigns worth millions of dollars run by dozens of employees.
There is only one person involved in article marketing - you; and it costs you nothing. Article marketing creates the perfect advertising mechanism for an online business. Here's what webmasters hope to achieve by using article marketing as a major part of their advertising efforts:
* Article marketing through publication in e-zines gives marketers unprecedented exposure to millions of readers worldwide in just one go.
* Article marketing through publication in e-zines also guarantees end-to-end traffic to the marketer's site, as well as new sales from end-to-end traffic.
* Article marketing through publication on non-e-zines sites gives marketers valuable one-way, inbound links to their main sites, which in turn increases link popularity in search engines.
* Article marketing through publication on non-e-zines sites attracts traffic from those sites on which the article is posted The reason article marketing is effective is that articles are packed with content and this content offers valuable information to readers.
This is different from conventional advertising where advertisements, and promotional articles are only descriptive but not informative. Conventional advertising provides no real value to anyone but the advertiser, whereas articles provide real value to the reader. The new-generation buyer does not want a simple description of the product that is being marketed. Instead, he wants to know the story from the inside.
He wants to know why he should buy this product and how it will help solve his problem. The promotional value of article marketing lies in the innate ability of valuable articles to generate targeted traffic to your website, thereby significantly increasing sales. Effective articles do not directly promote their products. Most webmasters and publishers do not recommend the use of promotional material in the text of any article posted on their website.
All promotional material is usually left in the "About the author" or "Resource box" section. Including any kind of promotional material in the body of your article will only ensure that it is rejected by more than 50% of potential publishers. How to write a hot article Here's how to write a hot article that will take advantage of the article marketing boom:* Grab the reader's attention with the headline itself? First impressions matter. Lure the reader in with an attention-grabbing headline and entice them to read on.
If your headline doesn't grab the reader's attention, you can be sure that your article will remain unread.
* Know your audience? The target audience is different for different products. Potential buyers of gimmicky ringtones are drastically different from those looking for anti-wrinkle cream. Identify your target audience and write the article from that audience's perspective.
* Capture your audience? Now that you've captured the attention of your target reader, your main goal should be to get them to read on.
The first line of your article can either make or break your article marketing endeavor. Grab the reader with an amusing anecdote, an interesting headline, or a thought worth pondering. Don't leave the best for last; you can be sure that no one will wade through paragraphs of mundane nonsense in the hope of finding something interesting.
* Highlight the benefits of your product - very briefly, but very prominently, describe the benefits of your product or service.
Make the reader feel that this is something they can't live without, even if they haven't realized it yet.
* Focus on your article? When writing your article, don't get distracted by what you want to achieve with your article. Should your article attract potential customers, increase the popularity of your links, or clarify a controversial issue?
* Personalize your article? Speak directly to the reader, person to person. Use lots of "I" and "you" instead of "he", "she" and "they" in your article. Address the reader with warmth and empathy; make them feel that you want to help them, not just sell them.
* Maintain political correctness in your article. Avoid preconceived notions or opinions about anything or anyone. You are trying to promote your product, not trying to put someone down. Negative publicity will only bring you negative attention. It will not help you make a sale.
* Keep your sentences short and simple. Internet readers have a short attention span. Long articles that lead nowhere are bound to bore and disturb them. Articles that convey your message in short, concise sentences have a higher success rate than articles with long, convoluted sentences.
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