Article marketing is a great way to increase traffic to your site while educating readers on specific topics. Over the last few years article marketing has expanded its reading audience from web marketers to anyone looking for an article on a particular subject. Today, you can find articles about anything from poker to cooking. This is a great tool to use especially if you enjoy writing articles.

The burning question for most first time article writers is what would interest my readers. Now you may be saying, "I don't know what they want to read." Just ask your customers. Market research will tell you an invaluable amount of information about the market and their interests. Some may want how to guides, FAQ's, or just information on a particular subject. Once you have this information you can begin drafting your articles. During the writing process keep a few tips in mind:

• Create a catchy title and subject for your article. If your title is sub par many readers will think your article is as well.
• Structure your article so it is easy to ready. Use bullet points and make the layout exciting for the reader. You may want to use titles or subtitles to break up the content.
• Do a grammar and spell check. The spell check tool is not a new invention and nothing says unreliable like misspelled words. You want to create credibility and trust with your audience. It is very hard to do with a poorly written article.

• Increased traffic – Submitting articles instantly increases your potential customer base. If you submit articles to large eZines you will likely see sudden increased traffic and sales.
• Establish yourself as an expert – If readers find information in your articles valuable they will over time respect and trust your views.
• Increase search engine ranking – By submitting quality articles, they have the potential to be placed on many sites that ultimately point back to your web site.
• Cost Effective – Article marketing is practically free. It only costs the time to write and submit the articles. It may also be a better strategy since you have the potential to gain numerous link backs and articles generally stay on sites for years.

Advertising with articles is not only an extremely effective way to advertise online it is also one of the fastest ways to see a return on your investment. If you have a limited budget then this is the way to go because it doesn't cost anything to submit articles. It works like this; you write an article on a topic related to your business or product. Then you include a resource box at the end that has text describing your product with a link to more information. Then submit it to article directories where webmasters look for content for their websites or ezines. They then publish your article if it fits in with their site. The whole thing is done on a no cost basis and is beneficial to everyone. The ezine publisher or webmaster gets a free article, the article directory gets visitors to their site and you get publicity for your business.

Usually the only stipulation for the person publishing your article is that they are not allowed to alter it in any way. This includes keeping the resource box and link to your site at the end of the article. One of the reasons that this works so well is that the only people who will publish your article are ones that have a site on that subject. You then have a targeted audience that is already interested in the subject of your site who is reading your article and then clicking through on your link.

If you do not mind doing some extra work then there is an even more effective way of advertising with articles. Instead of submitting your article to a directory, you can search out the websites that you would like to see your article on and contact the owners to see if they would like you to write an article for them, (with your resource box of course).

A lot of website owners like to get extra content and if it is a high traffic site then it might be worthwhile offering to write exclusive content for them. This means that you write articles them only and that you will not send to other sites. This will make the owners a lot more interested in getting free exclusive content for their site.

But remember it is not so much quantity as quality that counts. A good article that is well written is much more likely to be used than a lot of articles that are not so good. But if you do it right then article advertising can be a very effective way of promoting your site.

I've had years of experience in the technical publishing world so I was skilled in a lot of areas when I first started down the path to becoming a novelist. But the 3 areas where I had to get up to speed were: (1) how to craft a novel, (2) how to get an agent, and (3) how to promote/market my book. Since I started down this path 5 years ago, I've learned a lot about the craft, I learned how to hire and fire an agent, and I've even managed to learn a few things about marketing. And while there is more than one way to market yourself, I wanted to share what I've learned that works for me.

The latest tool for marketing yourself as an author is the blog, of course. Some take the route of having many blogs, either because they love to blog or they see it as the most effective way of getting the word out there. I started down that route just because I love to blog. But then I noticed 2 things: (1) I was too focused on blogging and wasn't spending enough time creating work that could possibly sell and (2) I seemed to be more successful when I focused on just being myself and being in one place where people could find me. Hence, the redirection of my blogging efforts.

A quote that caught my attention recently was this: "To market yourself as an author, you should brand yourself and not your book." Bodacious Mary says this, "Every woman entrepreneur should watch American Idol." Why? Her advice is to "Watch this show and notice what makes the contestants stand out. Their passion and self-confidence gives the viewer an experience." How did that happen? They were being authentic–they were being who they were meant to be.

I've had the biggest hits on my blog–not when I traipse all over the internet–but when I'm just being myself, speaking out about things I feel passionate about. As a result, other bloggers, touched by what I say, talk about me on their blog (thankfully, it's all good so far), and the next thing I know, my hit counter is spiking. Suddenly, I'm big in Malaysia, Australia, South Africa and other countries I never would have thought to find me. Now that's an incredible experience. Why do they link to me? They love my attitude. After all, "attitude is just how you see things." Wow! I'm just being myself and people are drawn to that. I'm very flattered and I've learned from it.

It's interesting that one of my friends from 8th grade in my southern California junior high school said a few years back that what she liked about me when she met me was that I stood up for what I believed in. I never knew that, but I realized we show who we are at an early age. And that's something we need to remember: be authentic, show who you are, and life will be much more rewarding in so many ways.

Suddenly, I'm hearing Bobby Flay say, "Go out there and eat America." And I say, "Go out there and be yourself." Be passionate, be self-confident, be authentic. And that's much more important than checking off any "Things To Do Before I Die" list.

For each article that you submit on the Internet, do you know that you have the potential to make money from each of them? Article marketing is one the most powerful internet marketing strategies that you can use, and it is free. Here are the different ways to make money with articles.

1. Promote affiliate products. You can promote affiliate products in your author bio, and make commissions on all the sales you refer. Just register a domain name (so your link at the end of the article looks professional), and redirect it to your affiliate link.

2. Promote your website or blog. Insert the URL of your blog or website in your author bio, and drive quality traffic to your website. People who like your article and click on your link will be more ready to buy from you than a cold prospect.

3. Compile all your articles into an information product like e-book. You can either sell this e-book or package it with your existing products to generate more sales.

4. Give away all your articles, in the form of e-book. Place information products in your e-book and give it away for free. It will spread around the Internet like a virus, advertising your products and services and putting more money in your pocket.

5. Start a blog with Google Adsense ads and affiliate links. Break down your articles into smaller pieces, and post them as blog entries.

6. Send your articles to your list subscribers and insert Google Adsense ads into each of your email so that you can have the chance to earn for each email that you send to your list.

To effectively make use of article marketing to generate sales, you will need to write it consistently. One trick is to focus an entire month just for article marketing, forget about the other Internet marketing techniques for a moment. Write 2 articles every day, and I can ensure you that you will be able to drive some quality traffic to your website.

When you provide content that rocks the market, you're quite likely to get tagged and published. But seriously, how many ways can you say the same thing and be serious about a topic? Whenever I write a serious article, it gets picked up, because the content is, well… serious.

But, when I write an article that gives serious information with a twist of humor, it seems my articles are more likely to be chosen and republished. The best part is, it gets published in it's entirety, with all the links in tact, because people like to read fun information on their sites, in their newsletters and ezines, or even in their collections of information. Boring is just exactly that, boring.

If you haven't figured it out, the objective of article marketing is to get our links out there so people will click on them, making our offsite SEO more effective.

1. Humor works.

While slapstick comedy most likely isn't a working part of article marketing, a random comment, one liner, or risqué barb works miracles. So long as they don't sound out of place, or stupid. Article Marketing probably won't take you to Number One in Vegas, but you might get just past dishwasher in Hollywood with a few good one liners.

2. Humble humility?

You could express yourself with humble humility, but when you get down there to the signature and you zap the reader with a load of self inflicted praise and admiration, they might not be willing to buy into your perspective. If you choose to go with humility, at least be consistent.

3. Brown nosing.

If you're thinking of kissing up to the big boys, spell their names right. Name dropping has some interesting effects in marketing, and sometimes it's worth a bit of risk to get some attention. But consistently dropping names to get attention isn't a good way to get your name out there. To be honest, it sucks. (You wanna get a tissue and wipe off the chocolate?)

4. Bold intensity.

Occasionally, you lag behind because you lack confidence to get out there and promote your stuff. Article marketing is about self promotion. If you lack confidence, you'll go nowhere fast. Sometimes you have to write the same kind of article forty times to get noticed, and that means sticking your neck out there, missing the hatchet and sticking it out again. The chicken with a head still on his neck at the end of the day wins. Missing feathers don't count!

5. Keyword sensitive.

After you write an article, go back and change all the 'it' words to a keyword. If you're passive in the article, how will you ever sell your services and products? Go ahead, risk (it) article marketing, and put a keyword in place of the 'it'. Make your article TALK in keywords, to the search engines, to the reader, to the marketer.

Reach out and grab your share of success, by knowing and sharing your expertise.

An internet marketing business is a great way to make money from your
home and here is how to do it for maximum results.

Step #1 - You need to find a niche.

To get an idea as to where your internet marketing business is going
you will need to decide on a topic.

This topic can be on any number of subjects.

Your internet marketing business will be created around this niche or
topic so take some time to search out your favorite topics.

Find a niche that people have a common need for helpful information.

Step #2 - Create the product.

Once you have decided on a niche for your internet marketing business,
you will want to create a product based on the topic.

The best type of product to create is a simple information type of
product in the form of a report or ebook.

With an information product, you do not have to worry about mailing
or stocking the product.

Once you have written your report or ebook, you can turn it into a
PDF file and upload it to your server for easy downloading.

This ebook is what you will sell to make money with your internet
marketing business.

Step #3 - Create a website.

In order to make your ebook available and to make money with your
internet marketing business, you will need to create a simple one
page website for your product.

Start out with a strong headline, then lead into a sales letter that
explains exactly how your product will help your prospect solve the
problem.

Include bullet points to highlight the best parts of your product and
end with a guarantee and reasonable price.

Once you are finished, your new internet marketing business is now
ready to be marketed.

Email marketing is the need of the day. To stay in touch with your customers, prospects, and subscribers, you have to utilize this tool. This article gives out some tips on how you can make your HTML messages powerful to generate more leads.

Clearly define the purpose of your email and write accordingly

Do you know why you want to send out your email and who are you sending it to? This is the most critical element to consider before you start off. Your objective could be:

• To generate more enquiries and sales
• To bring more traffic to your website
• To introduce a new products, services, promotions to your prospects and customers
• To stay in touch with your acquaintances through newsletters about your company
• To increase brand awareness and enhance company image, and so on

What type of content should you write

There is no need to say that you must write content that makes sense for your target audience. Right form the subject line the content should grab attention and entice the reader to read on and take the action you want him or her to take. Therefore, the content should flow logically through your email so that there is no confusion.

The call-to-action should be prominent and enough supporting statements should be provided for people to take action. This portion should be come above the fold that is the top 20% of your email. Tell them what to do next in easy steps in the rest of the mail.

Do not try to put all the information in one email; give headlines and short descriptions and give links for further information.

Must have elements in an HTML email message

• The layout should be simple.
• Use images only where they make sense. Do not put pictures just because they look good. Your images should support what you want to say. For instance, you can put a chart to complement the figures that you've mentioned in an article.
• All links should be descriptive. For example, instead of "click here", you can write "Visit our website to get a downloadable version."
• All the images should have descriptive Alt Tags. This will make some text visible even when the images are disabled in the mail client.
• CAN-SPAM compliance should be maintained by giving your complete contact details and unsubscribe link.

The problem with HTML messages is that more often than not, they are considered as spam. To avoid this, your script should be clean otherwise your message would end up in the junk mailbox. Make simple HTML mail without any complex codes. You should send your email only to people who have opted for it otherwise there will be a lot of spam complaints against you.

Do not make your email image-heavy as most mail clients do not open the images at first.
Avoid all common spam words. The list is available all through the web. You may also test your HTML code in some content checker tools such as Lyris Content Checker available for free.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Middle Cave*****

It is in the Middle Cave of the First Threshold that Allies and Enemies are met. Of (usually) critical importance is the Shape Shifter, who often has a critical competency and is necessary. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), the gas pump attendant knows all about automobiles.

*****Supernatural Aid or Mentor*****

Subconsciously the Hero is searching for spiritual guidance and strength to overcome the Period of Desolation and push forward. He (or she) seeks a Mentor or Supernatural Aid.

Often the mentor is a wretched, deformed old man or woman but it can also be anyone that pulls the Hero in the required direction. In Star Wars (1977), the mentor is Obi Wan. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980), it is Yoda. In Raging Bull (1980), it is Vickie - a young blonde sexually alluring teenager. In Wall Street (1987), Bud Fox has his Dad. In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), it is the older Marcus Brody and Sallah. In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), it is the older, longer serving Red. In The Big Lebowski (1998), it is Sam Elliott as The Stranger.

*****Physical Marker to the Oracle*****

A physical marker to the Oracle (or one that separates the Hero's World from that of the Oracle) is not uncommon. In Straw Dogs (1971), David opens the cupboard door to find the dead cat.

*****Freedom to Live*****

Part of the Freedom to Live is a New Self. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), junior has a new car.

*****Road of Trials 1*****

A number of things happen on the Road of Trials. Trial 1 takes the Hero et al back to their Old Selves to see if they will successfully pull away. In Straw Dogs (1971), Amy changes the plus sign to a minus and David corrects it. The heater stays in the study. And they're all Daddy's chairs.

*****Trial 3*****

Trial 3 centres around the conquering of the Outer Challenge and a significant Transformation to the New Self. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), the Barrow gang robs a bank, they shoot a cop (previously a cause for concern), and when they escape; everyone knows who they are.

I will just jump right into this right now and talk about why article marketing is my number on choice of traffic. You see, I get questions all the time about how much traffic I get from my articles, and when I tell people, they say to me, well why would you want to do that, that just doesn't seem like much traffic at all.

But you see the problem I think is that people think that you have to have 1000's of visitors per day to make money – and I guess you do, if you are buying hits from some underground company – you probably have to buy 20,000 hits per day from some company to just make a sale. But that is not what I think of when I think of traffic.

You see, for me – traffic is people who are interested in ME, in what I have to offer – that is traffic. I would rather have 100 visitors per day from my articles – people who already like me and are already presold on buying something from me before they get to my web site – than to have 10,000 visitors from the world wide web , untargeted. I would take my 100 visitors per day over 1000 search engine visitors – that is right folks, I would take 100 article visitors over 1000 search engine visitors.

Why? You see, with article marketing – they are prescreened for ME – they already want what I have. They have read something I have written, they like my style – and they are ready to opt in to my list.

Michael Pollan is the author of several books devoted to the problem of conservation of our land, to the 'idea of a garden'. He is one of those, who have tried to define the nature of controversy. It should be pointed out that nature of controversy is the connection between nature and nurture. This expression is a theme for debates concerning the significance of our inner qualities and our experiences in defining differences of every individual and the nature in general. The nature of controversy is closely connected with the essence of psychological nativism as it determines similar traits in physical appearance and behavior. 'The Idea of a Garden' by Pollan describes several approaches to the environment case study, which are discussed bellow.

Nowadays there exist land-use problems and there are those people who simply suggest the tendency of a garden ethic where people look at the earth as at a great garden. This garden needs people to make it fruitful and marvelous, to conserve the earth in this state. This point of view is exemplified in Michael Pollan's brilliant book 'The Idea of a Garden', in which the author appeals to people for conservation the earth, a great garden. Besides, Michael Pollan criticizes the current efforts for preserving the land and weak environmental efforts, of, for instance, 'The Nature Conservancy'. Pollan portrays the gardener as a conservationist who uses the land model as an example. The current studies display great gaps in the present tend-the-garden line of thought. This tend-the-garden line of thought is popular that means the success of the environmental issues solving.

'The Idea of a Garden' is a well-known book that differs from many others by the messengers who are ordinary people and our neighbors. These people know how to listen to the land as they have done it for many years. There are other similar works relevant to the issue in which some authors argue the politically right point of view to environmentalism common in our society nowadays. Other authors do not argue, thus, providing a necessary balance of views. I can say that 'The Idea of a Garden' is a helpful book, which does provoke stimulating conversations in Ecology.

Following are 22 rules you can use to write headlines that will reach out and force the prospect to read your advertisement:

1. Your headline must offer something that your target market wants very badly.

2. Your headline must include something of self-interest to the reader.

3. If your product is new or improved, say so in the headline.

4. Do not just invoke curiosity in your headline, you must also include something of interest to the reader.

5. Avoid negativity in your headline. Always turn the negative into a positive statement.

6. Your headline should suggest a quick and easy way to achieve the benefit(s) stated.

7. Your headline should be believable.

8. Determine what would make you buy your product, and then try to incorporate that idea into your headline.

9. Avoid making your headline so short that you don't get the main point across.

10. Avoid clever headlines that make the reader think "how clever." Cleverness rarely gets people to read your ad or spend money.

11. Avoid headlines that sound dead, or like they should be at the bottom of a statue like "To Serve Humanity Better..."

12. Suggest in your headline that your copy contains useful and valuable information.

13. Use your headline to reach out and grab the reader's attention.

14. Avoid curiosity headlines unless you also include interesting statements.

15. Avoid hard-to-grasp headlines that require the reader to think about what you are saying.

16. NEVER run an ad without a headline! You must give people a reason to read your ad.

17. NEVER run just one headline. Always test several different ones and then run with the one that pulls the best!

18. NEVER trust your own reaction to your headlines. Instead, get the reaction of someone else.

19. If you emphasize a word in your headline, make sure that word means something and is important.

20. Remember that large-type words act as a stopper. They get people to stop and pay attention, so choose the best words that will get the most attention.

21. Don't let an artist or layout person decide which headline words to emphasize. An artist thinks in terms of color contrasts and tones, not in terms of making money! Take a look at other successful headlines and incorporate some of their ideas into your own ads.

22. Avoid writing an ad that attracts the wrong people. Make sure your headline attracts the people that are most interested in what you have to offer.

If you will follow these 22 guidelines for writing your headline copy, you will be more likely to have a successful headline and a successful ad! Take some time right now and look back over these guidelines. Then, try to write your own headlines. When you have a few that you think are wonderful, run them by a friend. If that friend asks to see the rest of your copy, you know you have written a true killer headline!

Once they have opened your email you have two or three seconds to keep them reading it. Don't leave the important parts to the end: state them immediately. 'Tom, thank for joining my newsletter list, and you won't believe what I have got to tell you about today. It might not save you thousands, but it will sure help you to make money you don't have now.'

I've never tried that opening, but something along these lines might be enough to keep Tom interested. Having decided that, you can complete the body of the email. Make sure that you stress the benefits to the reader early. Keep your paragraphs short: no more than two or three lines, and if you have lists, make them bulleted. You cannot bullet plain text, but you can number them.

Finally, use a good signature. Provide your name and your URL, and you should provide your URL in every email that you send. You can also provide an alternative email address if you are sending by autoresponder and want to receive replies on another address. Make sure, however, that the 'from;' field does not use the terms 'no-reply' or 'mailingservice' or your email will likely remain unopened.

If the recipient thinks for a moment that the message cannot be replied to, you are lost. If you follow the above advice with your emails, you should increase your chances to have them read, and to get your message across. Writing emails is not as easy as most people believe, which is why there are winners and losers in the email stakes. Make yourself a winner.

Some people write best by organization, while others prefer to let the creative juices flow. Outlining has been a long-debated issue in writer's groups and classes nationwide, and individual authors will give very different advice. Unfortunately, there is no right answer when it comes to whether or not you should outline before you right, but here are a few tips for deciphering your personal style.

Do You Need to Know the Ending?


One of the first questions you should ask yourself before deciding if you should outline before you write is whether or not you need to know the ending to your book or short story before you start. Some writers can't get out the first sentence without having a plot road map, while others like to "wing it".

If it bothers you not to have an idea where your story is heading, it might be better to outline. Jotting down a few sentences about each chapter will give you an instant blueprint of your story, which helps you get off to a running start.

Would You Prefer to Let Your Characters Evolve?


The characters are the backbone of any story, and play a large part in your decision of whether you should outline before you write. Penning your story without an outline gives you a certain freedom of characterization; you can change physical attributes, likes, dislikes and character traits on a whim, without having to adjust a previously outlined plot.

If, however, you'd rather write a character sketch before you write, an outline will be beneficial. Knowing what your characters will be doing throughout your manuscript can help to picture each character in your mind.

Are You Methodical or Creative?


Some people are inherently more methodical than others, and you shouldn't force yourself to change your writing style. If you write more comfortably with a road map, outlining before you write will give you peace of mind.

One of the benefits of outlining is the ability to plan all of your steps in advance. This sometimes prevents writer's block and will keep a steady stream of output flowing through your mind. Plus, you'll be able to look back through a few pages of outlining to recall a detail in a previous chapter rather than paging through hundreds of paragraphs to find your answer.

Do You Outline Because You're Supposed To


Many writers get into the habit of outlining because that was a requirement during high school and college. If it doesn't help you write better fiction, then there's no reason to create an outline before you write. If, however, you get something out of the exercise, you're better off with the outline. Make the judgment call based on our own personal writing preferences.

No one is going to check your outline before you write and if you choose not to outline, no one will know except for you. It is also important to remember that an outline could be a simple plot sketch written in alphabetical form; it doesn't have to contain roman numerals or letters in order to be legitimate.

As a new author you have to accept that you are a small fish in a huge book-marketing ocean. Unless you are a well-known entertainer, athlete, politician, business or medical professional that is your reality. The before mentioned have recognizable names, stories, or past accomplishments that draw attention to the book they have written. They have visibility before their books hit the market. You don't. This reality will have to be challenged by the book marketing and promotion strategy you design for your new book.

There are ways new authors can increase their visibility and grow their credibility in order to boost the sales of their books. One clearly inexpensive way is by writing and publishing articles. The articles would pertain to a subject directly related to your book. In the past, getting articles published in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, etc. was difficult and time consuming. If the article was accepted, it took weeks and months before it was published. Nowadays, because there are thousands of online publishers constantly craving for fresh content you can write an article in the morning and have it published in the afternoon. EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com and other article web sites have made this possible.

How can publishing these articles help market and promote your book? Here's how.

1) Writing informative articles helps express your thinking and ideas in more powerful ways. This makes you and your book more attractive to potential readers. If potential readers are sold on your thinking, they will buy your book.

2) Sharing your knowledge through articles helps you to establish and grow your

status and credibility with the target audience of your book. This is not rocket

science. If potential readers believe you are knowledgeable about your subject,

there is a greater possibility they will buy your book.

3) Publishing articles gives you more visibility as an author. It gives you the
opportunity to attract the interest of even the most lukewarm potential reader who may have never heard of you or your book.

4) The particles can play a key role in your Internet marketing efforts. The
'Resource Box' at the end of the article is where you promote your book.
By including your web address, the reader of the article can go to your web site.
At the site the potential reader can learn more about the book and have the opportunity to purchase it.

Writing and publishing articles is an inexpensive, yet effective strategy for book marketing. It increases your visibility as an author, grows your credibility with your target audience, and helps boost book sales. It helps your size as a fish get bigger in the huge ocean of book marketing.