Ask Us 1st

Having decided that you are going to use articles in your online marketing mix, using them to earn money online, you should have a look at what comprises a great article. What is considered a great article will vary with the media in which you publish it. The standard for articles online is usually a disposition with three parts:

- Title and/or subtitle
- Body text
- Author's byline, credentials, and links

Each part of an article has a different purpose, and neither of them should be neglected. Here we'll explore some of the things that makes a killer article that is enjoyable, informative, and attracts a reader's interest.

Remember: articles are not ads

As I always say (but it can't be stressed too much), the goal of an article is not to sell a product, but to give away useful information. The body text of an article should not be a commercial for what you're trying to sell.

The purpose of an article is rather to position it's author (that would be you) as an expert that people trusts, and they will thus be more than interested to pay your website a visit. Keep in mind that, depending on your market, there are probably dozens, if not hundreds of website offering competing products. Giving away valuable advice for free (not too much of course) makes people realize that you indeed know your subject thoroughly, and you have taken the first stop and helped them a bit entirely for free. This is a very good reason that they should buy from you instead from a competitor. Remember - people like to buy from people they like. Naturally, having a product or service of a good quality and selling for a reasonably competitive price are important factors as well. But I'll save that lesson for another day.

With the above in mind, you may now be wondering exactly what it is you should be writing articles about.

This is actually the easy part: articles are flexible. You can write an article on just about any topic you have knowledge of, as long as you can relate it in some way to your website and your products or services.
Here are just a few examples of the many forms an article can take.

- How-to: Perhaps the most popular type of article is one that explains how to do something, get something, use something or find something. For example, if you have your own (Internet) business you could probably write an article giving people advice on how to start a small business from home. Think about your area of specialty and list some things you can do that most people might not know, but would like to learn.

- Personal story/inspirational essay: Nearly every business owner and Internet marketer has a compelling reason they went into business for themselves. Consider writing an article or series of articles about why you chose the path you did. You can make it humorous, or inspirational, or both. Although we're talking business, the human side of it is always interesting to read about.

- Opinion: Whatever industry or type of business you work in, there are always breaking developments, new products, or business advances. You can write an article focusing on an emerging aspect of your business, and offer your opinion on how it will affect the industry.

- Book excerpt or condensation: If you're selling a book, e-book or e-course, you are better of than many - you have articles built in to your product. You can offer your website visitors a free sample chapter, or write a condensed article based on one of the ideas in your book. Book excerpts and introductions also make great articles to post elsewhere around the Internet, and if you use HTML or PDF format to post an excerpt it can easily be passed around via e-mail.

- Top ten lists. Many engaging articles are centered around a list concept. You don't have to use the number ten specifically. Think "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People" or "The Five People You Meet in Heaven." These are books, but the concept for articles is the same. Example: if your website is geared for businesspeople, you might write an article about the six features you need in a good PDA or SmartPhone.

Regardless of which format you choose for your article, the goal is to get people interested in what you have to say. People generally read articles in order to learn something, be entertained or be inspired. This is your window of opportunity to get you virtual foot in the door without coming of sounding like a door to door salesman.

About the author: Based on his findings in online article marketing, Michael Hawkins has written an article marketing guide where he distills all his knowledge (well, almost) into three simple rules for article marketing.

Related items