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Marketing your online business doesn’t have to cost you hundreds of dollars. Spending some money isn’t a bad thing, but there are also free methods available.

Paid methods often produce results faster, but not everyone has an advertising budget. Besides, a smart marketing strategy includes free and paid methods.

One of the best free options (and my favorite) is article marketing.

I don’t want you to think article marketing is the greatest marketing method in the world. It doesn’t work for everybody. And some people really hate it. However, you owe it to yourself to give it a try before deciding it’s not your cup of tea.

Here are some pros and cons associated with article marketing:

Pros

Article Marketing…

• …is free. It costs you nothing to write and submit your own articles.
• …allows you to test the popularity of a niche. Are you interested in selling a Blue Widget? Write a few articles and see how well they perform. If they get no attention at all, maybe the Blue Widget is a dud.
• …is quick. You can write (or hire someone to write) 5 or 10 short articles in one afternoon. The only time consuming part is submitting the articles to your chosen outlets.
• …is easily accessible. It’s an even playing field. If you can write and research an article, then you have just as much of a chance to succeed as anyone else.

Cons

Article Marketing…

• …has a bad reputation with some people because spammers use it often.
• …can take longer to show results than paid forms of advertising.
• …works best when you produce a steady flow of articles. Chances are you won’t see major results until you’ve written at least 10 articles using a specific keyword. (I got great results with one article, but my results weren’t typical).
• …can be time consuming if you don’t manage your time well. It’s easy to get wrapped up doing more research than necessary.

Can you think of any additional pros or cons? Don’t be shy. Share your opinions here.

Maybe you think article marketing is limited to submitting articles to online article directories. Or perhaps you think article marketing is just for internet marketers.

Well, guess what? You’re wrong on both counts. Article marketing includes online and offline methods of writing for promotional purposes.

To get your creative juices flowing, I’ve come up with 5 ways to promote your product or service for free – simply from writing articles.

1. Submit articles to article directories. This is a tried and true way to get free publicity (traffic) to your website. I recommend this method for new online business owners with no money to spend on paid methods.

Article marketing is easy to start, fun (if you enjoy writing), and simple.

It might not be as quick as some other methods, like paid advertising, but you can’t beat the cost. The only negative is that you have to write a steady stream of articles on your subject. I know from experience that this can lead to burnout.

Avoid burnout by taking a few days away from your subject or hiring someone to write a few articles for you. Do you enjoy a challenge? See how many different ways you can present the same article.

For example, can you turn your article about computer care into a tutorial? Then turn around and rewrite the same article in a question and answer format? Try and see how it goes.

2. Become a guest blogger. Plenty of blogs (including this one) welcome submissions. If you find a blog in your field that accepts guest posts, consider submitting a piece. As long as the blog links back to your site, it can be a good way to get free publicity.

3. Write for your local newspaper. Some newspapers allow readers to submit opinion pieces. Depending on what you’re promoting, this is an excellent way to get noticed. Like online article directories, newspapers usually provide a bio box at the end of the opinion piece.

4. Write an article for a trade magazine or journal. There’s a trade magazine or journal for just about any subject.  I know this works because I wrote an article for Writer’s Digest that resulted in more traffic and writing assignments.

Getting an article published in a trade journal or magazine is often easier than writing for a big-time glossy magazine. New writers are often encouraged to submit because the competition isn’t as fierce.

Get yourself a copy of Writer’s Market and search the trade magazine section. You just might find a goldmine.

5. Write a press release. I’ve had moderate success with press releases, but some people get great results. The key to writing a successful press release is making sure it’s not too promotional. In other words, you have to let the reader know what’s in it for them. Let people know what’s special about your news and why they should care.

A press release that’s nothing more than a pat on the back probably won’t get a good response.

That’s it. That’s my list. What’s on your list? Leave a comment and let everyone know. You might provide the perfect answer for someone.

Please share this post because someone might find it useful.

Article marketing almost sounds too good to be true. Can you actually promote a product or service for free, just by writing short articles? Yes, you sure can.

More business owners should use articles to their advantage. Paid methods are great, too.  But why turn your back on a legit form of free advertising? You can even hire someone to write your articles. Discover what article marketing can do for you.

The Purpose of Article Marketing

Free publicity is the main purpose of article marketing. The most popular article marketing strategy is to submit articles to various directories, publications, or websites. A brief resource box is included at the end of each article, enticing readers to learn more about your offer. This is a strong method of advertising because it provides numerous outlets.

The great thing about article marketing is it’s available to everyone. Some forms of marketing, such as print and television advertisements, are expensive. Many business owners simply cannot afford it. Article marketing provides a level playing field.

Does Article Marketing Always Work?

It depends on your product or service. No form of marketing will work if no one wants what you’re offering. That’s a fact some article marketers ignore. They write dozens of articles promoting things no one cares about.

In order for article marketing to work, you must have an audience. In addition to an audience, keyword phrases are also important. They aren’t as important as they once were, but they still matter.

Keyword phrases are how search engines determine what your article is about. If you’re selling “blue widgets from China”, you want to include that term in your title. Why is that important? It’s because you want your article to appear in the search engine when people search for that phrase.

Are there Other Forms of Free Marketing?

Article marketing is only one piece of a large puzzle. There are other things you can do to complement your article writing efforts. This includes building Squidoo lenses, submitting press releases and creating videos for YouTube.

It takes awhile to see results, but writing articles usually pays off.

Take a moment now to learn about the free case study that shows how I succeeded with article marketing after a string of failures.  You’ll see how a few small tweaks can make all the difference.

Please share this post because someone might find it useful.

Unless you’re a household name (like UPS or Microsoft), you’ll have to work hard to get website visitors. There are plenty of useful article marketing tips available online, but you also have to attract the search engines.

Articles focusing on one or two keywords provide a legitimate way to fill your website or blog with relevant content and provide search engine bait.

One of your jobs as an online business owner is to learn which keyword phrases are most relevant to your site. You then incorporate them into the copy on your page. The easiest way to accomplish this, while also providing relevant information, is to use keyword articles.

How to Create Keyword Articles

Keyword articles don’t have to be prize-winning material (although it would be nice). And you don’t have to write like Toni Morrison or Stephen King to put one together. The articles should make sense, be enjoyable to read, provide relevant information, and contain decent spelling and grammar.

You can’t simply repeat one word continuously and expect good results. This practice is known as keyword spamming, and produces crappy articles no one wants to read.

Each keyword phrase should appear naturally within the article. It’s also wise to use phrases that make sense.

Many website owners rely on keyword software or websites to find relevant keywords. These programs are time savers, but often provide keyword phrases that make no sense. I recently saw a software generated list that included “how do i make sudoku in spreadsheet” and “car hydraulics how to install”. It’s obvious that some keyword phrases are not made for articles.

Is there a Formula?

When keyword articles first became popular, webmasters tried to figure out a formula that would guarantee good results.  Some said the keyword had to appear at least 15 times within a 500 word article.

Others said it had to appear once in the first paragraph and once in the last paragraph. But these arbitrary rules are slipping away as more people focus on natural keyword density.

What is natural keyword density? This means you write the article without worrying about how many times the keyword appears. Articles written this way sound natural, unlike some keyword articles that sounds like a robot created them.

Do you focus on keywords when you write for the web? Do you think they’re important?

I came across an interesting article recommending 10 article marketing techniques. I’ve tried most of the suggestions, and know from experience they work.

There’s no mention of keywords and their importance in article marketing research, but the tips provided are good ones.

Read this article and share your views on the suggestions. Do you think they’re worth trying? Is there anything you would add?

10 Most Powerful Article Marketing Tips
By Titus Hoskins

Great Houdini — this really works!

Never would have believed how writing some simple little articles would put my website marketing into overdrive until I tried it. These techniques worked for me, can’t imagine what they will do for someone who can actually write!

If you haven’t tried it, give it a go and see exactly what article writing can do for your marketing efforts; you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here are 10 powerful article marketing tips you should apply to all the articles you write. These ideas will help you discover the real power behind article marketing.

1. Information, Information, Information. Don’t ever forget, the major reason anyone is reading your article is for the information. Make sure your articles have at least some! The more timely, the better.

2. Keep It Short And Simple. Writing for the web and ezines is different than writing for off-line publications. Keep your writing brief and write in short paragraphs. Be concise. Be precise. Talk directly to your reader and trim any unnecessary fat. Be lean and meaningful.

3. Put Your Reader’s Major Benefit In The Title. Always put your readers first, give them the main reason they should read your article in big bold letters at the top of the page, i.e. in the title.

4. Take Full Advantage Of Article Directories. Kick-start your articles by submitting them to popular online article directories. These already have a large clientele looking for your articles.

Here’s my killer five:

• www.ezinearticles.com
• www.goarticles.com
• www.web-source.net
• www.articlealley.com
• www.buzzle.com

5. Use Autoresponders For Your Articles. Set up all your articles on autoresponders. Have a Master Autoresponder — listing all your articles. Automate your genius.

6. Post Articles On Your Site. Place all your articles on your site. This builds trust and creditability. Not to mention all that ‘keyword drawn’ traffic from the search engines.

7. Use RSS Feeds To Syndicate Your Articles. Place your articles in RSS Feeds and syndicate them to all interested parties. RSS is Hot! Google Blog Search. Microsoft’s RSS Powered Longhorn. XML Sitemaps…

8. Use Affiliates If You Have Them. Let your affiliates brand your articles with their affiliate IDs and promote your articles for you. Win-win situation. Harness and harvest your affiliates’ energy.

9. Cross Reference Your Articles. Get more bang for your links. Place links to your other articles in the article you’re writing. If you’re offering helpful advice, most ezine editors and webmasters will let you do this. Self-promote. Self-pollinate.

10. Place Your Articles In An eBook. Place your most popular articles in an ebook that can be branded and passed around. A great viral technique that works. Your greatest hits for all the world to enjoy, again and again.

Happy writing — go get ‘em!

About the Author: Well respected marketer Jason Potash has released some handy software that will syndicate your articles. Check it out here: Article Announcer