Tips Guides Resources

Look in your local newspaper or through a trade magazine in your field of interest. Look at the bottom of some of the columns and articles throughout the literature. What you will see in many cases are short biographies of a paragraph or two telling you a little bit about the person that wrote the article. Usually included in that bio will be the name of a business this person runs.

That bio, for the author of the article, is what it is all about. More than likely, its why they wrote the article in the first place. Not for the money, which might have been nominal or even nonexistent but for the advertising. You do not have to be a National Book Award winner to write an article for your local newspaper. You need competent writing skills which can be developed and an idea the newspaper or magazine will want to share with its readership.

When writing for a newspaper, you have two options. One will be a feature and this will be an article that encompasses a specific subject and gives in the time and space the subject requires. The other would be a column of some kind, related to your field of business. Either one has a chance to be published, though it may be easier to get a short column published than a feature just due to space considerations.

It is also important to make sure your article, in whatever form it takes, is something the paper can hold onto and publish at a time of their choosing. Do not waste your time writing something time sensitive if the publisher can not make room for it in that days issue. You will not have another chance to publish it, because the subject will not do anyone any good. Keep your articles as general and evergreen as possible and you will stand a better chance of breaking in.

Read the newspaper or magazine you are thinking of submitting to in order to understand what types of stories they like to publish. Many a query has been wasted by writers trying to break into a market with a wholly inappropriate subject. This does not mean an article that breaks the boundaries of adult content but simply a subject the publication has no use for. If you read what they publish, you will have a better chance of developing a story they will be likely to use.

On the other hand, you will need to keep the subject of your story related in some way to your field of expertise. Not because you know more about that subject but because you will attract more customers to your business if you are writing an article your target audience is more likely to read. Also, it would not make much sense to get to the end of a health and fitness article to find out the author is a stock market investor. This should go without saying.

Be persistent and polite in your effort to get published. Many professional writers experience rejection on a daily basis trying to break into the print market and you may have to go through some of the same. Keep at it and be polite in your acceptance of rejection. You do not want to burn bridges that have not even been built yet. If you can break in, you will notice it will do wonders for your business. Simply by writing articles on your chosen topic, you will come to be known as an authority in your field and this can be very helpful when it comes to taking your business to the next level.

Obinna Heche. Los Angeles - California

Delivering the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home successfully..
http://www.articlemarketer.com/5544.html

There is a lot of talk these days about using keyword articles to attract visitors to a website and with the growing use of article marketing, there seems to be some benefit to using this method in a companys marketing plan. There is also some confusion about the use of keywords as well as what they are and what they mean to a website owner.

First of all, keywords are those entered into a search engine by an internet user who is looking for specific information. They may not know exactly what they are looking for but they know what they want. For example, if a person is looking for home improvement tips about replacing ceramic floor tile, they have the option of entering many different search terms, which really is what keywords are all about.

They may enter the term replace ceramic floor or simply enter ceramic floor and start looking at the search results pages for the information they can use. Terms such as replacement floors or replacement ceramics may also be used and business owners will have no idea what terms the user will look for and when beginning their search most users rarely find what they want on the first few tries. Unless, there is an article somewhere that uses that exact phrase.

Typically, an article will contain a specific search term between four and 12 times, depending on the length of the article and the search time needs to be placed in the article so that the writing remains grammatically correct and the phrase is a natural order as though it belongs there and not used simply to use it. Unfortunately, some websites will use what is termed keyword stuffing, which uses the phrase 30 or 40 times in a four or 500 word article, which is a turn off for the search engines and really offers nothing useful to the web searcher.

Articles need to offer some value to the person conducting the search. If the company that sells replacement ceramic tile can produce a series of articles on the best way to remove the old tile, remove the old glue or cement from the surface, how to prepare the surface for new tile and other areas about the subject, they will provide valuable information that can draw visitors to their site where they may actually buy the tile.

These articles can be published on their own website on pages dedicated to helping potential customers learn how to replace the tile. They can also be published on home owner remodeling sites as tips for others. One thing that articles cannot do is advise the readers to visit a specific site or a specific business. This is unacceptable to search engines as well as to other web ezine publishers.

All published articles can have an authors biography giving the author credit for the article as well as outline their competence in the subject matter. The block on these articles could talk about their experience level in ceramic tile replacement and the years they have been involved in the business as well as mention they operate a business at the website location including a hot link.

Obinna Heche. Los Angeles - California

Delivering the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home successfully..
http://www.articlemarketer.com/5554.html

Can you remember when you first started learning to tie your shoes? I know it was a long time ago, it happened last century, but think back on it. If you were like the rest of us, you probably spent more time unraveling the snarled granny knots you made than you ever did tying them. You eventually mastered the task at hand though and do it by second nature now without much thought.

If writing is pretty much a new thing for you, then you will no doubt experience some growing pains. We all did and still do, to some degree. Sometimes I will be writing on a new idea on how to improve either speed or quality or both comes to me like a bolt of lightening. It’s often a moment for humility as I look at it and realize how simple it is and how it was right under my nose all these years and I never saw it. But I see it now and that’s all that matters!

There are as many ways to write as there are writers. It is an individual sport and each player will eventually find the glove that fits him or her perfectly. It takes time. It takes patience. Most of all, it takes diligence. What works well for one writer will absolutely stop another dead in their tracks. Listen to all advice, take what you can use and leave the rest alone, would be my recommendation. Of course, there are some things you can’t get around like grammar and spelling. If you are deficient in those areas, work to improve on it. Aside from those things, everything else is pretty much up to the writer.

As you find what works best for you, work it into your writing routine. Consistency in method brings consistency in results. Constantly be thinking of ways to improve your methods, though, don’t be afraid to learn and grow. Never allow yourself to fall into the mindset of, “Well, it’s the way I’ve always done it.” That thinking will let you grow stale, stagnant. It will curtail your creativity and deny you future possibilities. Be willing to change as the nature of the business grows and changes.

You will just have to try this and that and the other, too, until you find your comfort zone. Trial and error is often the only to find out what really works for you and motivates you to write faster and better. For example, I’ve found that making outlines of my articles and ebooks just isn’t effective for me. It is a waste of time and slows me down. Some people swear by using an outline though and would never dream or writing a piece without having one set in stone already. I’ve tried it and I found it did not work for me.

When you read tips from other authors and publishers, it’s important to remember that they are only sharing the methods that work for them. The same methods may or may not work for you. Only by trying different methods can you find the fastest way for you to write articles and submit them to directories for maximum exposure. Once you master the ability to write an article or a longer piece, speed will come.

Brad McGovern is the Marketing Manager at
Article Marketer, and offers advice and news of note to article marketers. Watch for
more from Brad in the coming days!

Many of the traditions of Valentine’s Day come from the story of the priest called St. Valentine. St. Valentine was sentenced to prison where he became friends with the jailer’s daughter. When it was his time to die, he left her a card which he signed ‘Your Valentine’. This is why the idea of a card for the one you care about is such a tradition in our world today. Though this happened in 296 A.D., the tradition is still continuing to grow all over the world.

Cards are not the only tradition on Valentine’s Day. Flowers are a very popular gift to give and receive on this special day made in honor of St. Valentine. The flowers are thought to have originated from St Valentine as well. While he was in prison supporters threw flowers into his prison cell through the windows to show him their love and support. It is the symbolic gesture of the flower throwing that has led to people now sending flowers with their Valentines cards to the ones that they love as a gift of appreciation. Sadly the vast majority of people sending the flowers do not understand that St Valentine paid with his life.

Valentine’s Day cards are now the most common gifts that loved ones give to each other on Valentines Day. Today’s Valentine cards are mass produced all over the world with China now becoming the leading manufacturer of them. Although many different styles are available ranging from rude, crude, funny, sad and romantic the one thing that they all share in common is the ability to convey the message of love.

Flowers that are sent out today are not like the flowers from long ago. Today flowers can be sent out as arrangements where many different kinds of flowers are mixed together as one gift. Modern day trends have moved away from large arrangements to sending roses. The sending of a single red rose symbolizes love and today is the most traditional of all the flowers sent on Valentine’s Day.

The tradition of giving a gift to the one you care for has existed for quite some time now. The occasion is now however more commercialized and many people now send out other gifts as well as flowers. Chocolates and jewellery are two popular gifts and if the girl is extremely lucky she may receive expensive diamonds. Many couples celebrate Valentine’s Day by going on a date which began as a tradition in England where it was said that birds chose their partners on Feb 14. Celebrating Valentine’s Day by having a candlelight dinner is very common along with many people proposing to their true love on this day.

Valentine’s Day used to be reserved for only lovers. It is now considered to be a holiday to celebrate the love for the people in your life. Many people now send cards and gifts not only to their lover but also close family members. There are many different traditions out there to choose from this Valentine’s Day. Remember that many of these traditions came from the story of the man named St. Valentine and the day is a day to think about his memory and to honor him.

Andrew Gibson is MD of The Card and Gift Company. It is one of the fastest growing online retailers of birthday cards. To see an example of why The Card and Gift Company is growing so rapidly have a look at Valentines Cards

As much as you might hate it, writing is something every internet marketer has to do. Be it a sales letter, promotional emails, or even an information e-product, being a half decent writer is a requirement.

Let’s face it. Eventhough a lot of writing has been replaced with great audio and fancy videos clips, having something in writing will always be key. And that is for a good number of reasons.

First. Lets look at audio. Having a recorded audio message on your sales page might be great and it might even improve your conversion rates if it supports the salesletter. If on the other hand though you decide to eliminate the text and just have an audio recording, statistics will tell you that your conversion ratio will be horrible.

There is a number of factors for that. Most people respond better to what they see than to what they hear. Now… combining these two can be dangerously powerful. As a matter of fact, it will sky rocket your conversion rate. In short, your audio message can not replace written text, it can only support it.

Second is video. It is cool and everyone likes it. The problem with video is that the north american population is being bombarted with video clips every single day. It is still pretty powerful if used properly. Again though, if you are wanting to use video to replace a propper sales letter, it will harm your conversions ratio. When it comes down to it, video is only given so much credit.

See the fact is, most people like to see things in writing. I know I do. I might be a little old fashioned that way, but that is how I roll. Same goes for the majority of the literate population on planet earth.

How about the big google? How does google see your sales letter, your audio or video? What does google think about your website all together?

To put google in to perspective, imagine your highschool english teacher for a second. She assigns you an essay as homework, saying it needs to be completed by the next day. The next day comes and everyone hands in their work. Except for one guy who decided to be creative. Instead of a written piece of paper, he hands in a DVD with a beautiful cover, saying: “I am better with acting than with writing.”

Another guy comes forward and gives the teacher a CD saying: “I turned my essay in to a song.”

These two kids both got a zero and they ended up failing that class. Why? Because the refused to stick to the set rules and guidelines. The teacher demanded an essay in writing, and since she does not have a CD or DVD player, both of these kids failed miserably.

To cut to the point, I just described Google. Google does not care about how convincing the audio or video on your site is. It always looks for content to read, mark, and memorize.

When it comes to getting a good ranking on the big “G”, content is key. Having said that, you by no means have to write all of the content yourself. Find an article site (preferrably one of newer ones) and use their articles. You will usually get asked to leave the signature box untouched, which, when you think about it, is a small price to pay considering you do not have to write the article yourself!

Creating content pages is that easy and when you see google smiling at you, you realize it was well worth it!

This author is a proud member of www.MyGreatEmpire.com. Feel free to distribute this article in any shape or form as long as you include this resource box.

You know, there are a lot of different theories about how you should pin-point your target audience when you write articles. There really is no right or wrong answer or method, I suppose. It boils down mostly to your style and technique; what works best for you.

The main things to keep in mind when writing your articles are:
1) That you inform your audience of what they want to know, not what you think they want or need to know.
2) Present your material in a way they can grasp.
3) Then answer their major questions before they have a chance to ask them.

It sounds pretty simple on the surface and it is, after you have identified who you see when you write. I can tell you exactly who I see for every article I write. I write my articles to Betty Bob Wannano. You know Betty Bob, too, and may not realize it.

All of us have friends, associates and acquaintances that we cherish and admire. Variety is the spice of life, right? There are occasions, however, when they just drive us straight up the walls with questions, doubts and arguments. When I sit down to write articles, I let my mind gather together a group of these people that would have an interest in the topic; male and female, young and old, professionals and laypeople alike.

You will usually find that you have a collection of inquisitives, doubters and sharpshooters taking aim to drop your position on the topic dead in its tracks. I pick the top three from each category to use for my purposes. Squeeze these images together in your mind until they meld into one face with one voice and you have just given birth to Betty Bob Wannano.

If you have been successful, you will hear their queries, fears and challenges to your work as you write and edit. You have given your audience a specific persona that is very familiar to you. You know what this one will ask, what that one will doubt and where the other one will try to argue their points. Beat them to the punch. Give them the information they want while being prudent with their time. There is no reason to go overboard with explanations and details, just provide enough in the way of answers to build their confidence in you. You are not selling a product or service, just yourself as an expert in this field. They will want to know more about what you know if you have written a good work and they are convinced you know what you speak of. They will seek out your link, find you and get the rest of the story.

If one set of individuals doesn’t get the results you need, simply move down your mental list of people you know and start the process over again. I find that using this method helps me put a more personal touch on my writing and believe you will, too. The bottom line is to find what works for you. Find a way to answer the questions your audience will have before they even ask to build their confidence in you and reach expert status on your niche topic.

Brad McGovern is the Marketing Manager at
Article Marketer, and offers advice and news of note to article marketers. Watch for
more from Brad in the coming days!