Tuesday, December 9, 2008

I love to use article marketing

I love to use articles to promote my websites, for the simple reason that it works. Ever since I first read Jim Edward's e-book Turn Words into traffic, at the beginning of my online adventure, I've seen the power of article marketing. Then Captain Tim Gorman recently came out with a free e-book that gave an almost fool-proof day-to-day formula for using this system to bring any website, with almost any keywords, to the top of the search engine rankings. I suspect that more people don't do it because of the boring part of article marketing that I hate doing. Unfortunately, it's the part that comes right at the beginning of the process. It can take hours to get set up to mass-submit your articles, and those hours seem like time "stolen" from activities that appear to be more important. Here's the bottom line - you can get hundreds of one-way backlines to your site by submitting just one article - then, of course, you'll want to continue submitting articles once a day or once a week to keep your search engine ranking and to get more links. There are several article submission software programs out there that will help you do it.
Leave out any of the steps, and even the best automated systems can't possibly work. There are 400 to 600 article directories now, and the number is growing every day. Some of the directories can get your article on the top of the search engines overnight, if it's a hot topic or the article is well written. Except for the big and popular sites, most of the directories are only good for the one-way links that search engines love. Even if nobody ever reads your article on those directories, it's still worth the effort to get those links. Unless you can hire your teenager or someone in India to do the directory account setup (the boring part) for you, here's how you do it: First, you find the list of article directories that your software program will submit to. (You can also submit articles by hand, and there are websites that will give you lists of article directories that accept submissions, but you would spend your life doing it by hand. A good submission software program costs under $80, so it's worth it.) Then click on the first directory on the list, find their signup button, and fill in the form. Be sure to use the auto fill button on your google toolbar for this part of the process to speed things up, and use an email account that you don't mind filling up with junk. I use a free Yahoo account for this purpose only. Always use the same password for every directory, to make it easy to set up your submission software later - but I make sure to use a password that I don't use for anything else - just in case.
You'll get a confirmation screen, which directs you back to your email account. Find the email they just sent, click on the activation link inside the email, and you will get another confirmation screen. Now go back to the directory's main page, log in with your email address and password, and add a pen name. You can add several pen names if you want. The first time I used my article submission program, I signed up for hundreds of directories by hand but I didn't realize they almost all required a "pen name". I started the software with my new article, and then wandered off to do something else. The program chugged away for several hours, trying to submit my article to every directory site, and yet my article didn't actually show up on any of them because the pen name was missing big mistake. Once you have your logon, your password, and your pen name, go out to your submission software and input the information. That doesn't seem like it would take much time, does it? But multiply that by 4 to 600 directories, and you can see why most of your competitors are probably not using this powerful link-building system. It sounds boring, and it is - believe me. But the rewards are well worth it. Article marketing can bring enough traffic to your website so you don't have to pay for any advertising at all. If you can find the patience to set up those article directory accounts (or have a young member of your family do it for you), you'll be ready to move your website to the top of the search engines, for free.
About the Author

www.instant-marketing-articles.com


www.article-promotion-course.com


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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Copywriting When Your Offer Sounds Too Good To Be True

Copywriters face a special challenge when you offer a "knock you socks off" benefit.Readers will notice the promise and tell themselves, "I dont believe it." They click away to another website.

Recently I saw a notice promising "free web hosting without ads." And I dismissed the promise as yet another "too good to be true." I was reminded of all those diet plans that promise you can eat all the chocolate and french fries you want and still lose weight.

But suppose you really can deliver a product or service thats truly unique.In the free web hosting example, maybe customers automatically receive an ezine filled with hard-hitting ads.The hosting company could sell space in their ezine or they could run their own adsense or affiliate ads.Now the business model makes sense and customers will believe the promise - if you tell them.

So if you have a "too good to be true" offer:

1 Promise only what you really deliver.

That means no surprises and no hidden fees, charges or conditions.

Suppose that web hosting company doesnt charge hosting fees or show ads on your website.But instead you have to join a club with monthly dues of 40.Or you buy their design services, whether you need them or not.Or they charge a set-up fee.

In any of these cases, their offer would not be genuine.As a copywriter, I would have to make sure customers really knew what they were buying.

Sounds far-fetched Ive seen dozens of "free stuff" offers from big name marketers.When I say yes, Im directed to an order form to pay shipping charges.Usually theyre modest -- just a few bucks because the marketer wants to capture your name and physical address.

But once I saw a terrific offer to get a product for 20...if Id pay a 40 shipping fee to get 6 CDs and a notebook.The actual shipping costs less than 10 and packaging maybe another 2.This offer comes dangerously close to being deceptive.

2 Design a website that absolutely screams credibility.Use colors, words and layout to communicate sincerity and commitment.

You dont have to spend big bucks on design.Most of the top marketers spend very little.In fact, a simple design with easy navigation and magnetic copy will encourage visitors to trust and buy from you.

3 Include testimonials with full names and URLs of satisfied customers and clients.If your clients dont have websites, use their cities and ideally tell readers their occupations.

You have to convince readers that these testimonials came from real people.These days, "Mary S from Chicago" will actually cost more credibility than no testimonial at all.

4 Defuse the hype.Include a line like, "Heres how we are able to make this offer." You may have a system, ingredient or business model that allows you to offer special value.

Ideally, you will translate your unique quality into a benefit.For example, a client says, "Most consultants require 4 visits to analyze your system.We need just 1 on-site visit.The copy will read:

"With 20 years of experience in this specialty, we have developed a 3-step system that allow us to analyze your system with just one on-site visit.

You benefit because you can continue your business without interruptions.Your increase in productivity will more than justify your entire investment in our services." systems that create savings in time and money.Therefore, we can offer solution that deliver higher return for your investment."

5 Use a news type headline instead of a claim or "struggle" headline.

So instead of "Get a free web host without advertising," you could say, "New 3-in-one program delivers free web hosting without ads." The sub-headings will assure readers, "No hidden charges or cancellation fees."
About the Author

And now I invite you to learn more techniques to attract clients and generate website revenue by claiming your free download of 7 Copywriting Secrets to Increase Sales.

Get instant access by visiting
7 Free Copywriting Tips
From Cathy Goodwin, Ph.

D., Your Website Makeover Pro.

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