So far, I’ve learned a few things about article marketing. Granted, it’s only been a week or so, but why not share what I’ve learned along the way?
First, article marketing directories have unique guidelines and requirements. It’s smart to become familiar with the guidelines – as with all publishing. While many directories may prefer 400-500 word articles, others may have a minimum of 550 words. Your articles WILL be rejected if you fail to conform to the directory’s guidelines.
If you plan on using software to automate, or semi-automate, submissions, it’s still smart to visit each site, explore the site’s guidelines, update your profile, and so on.
Article submission software varies in quality. Try the demos and see how they work before you buy. Keep in mind that automated software is NOT a substitute for doing your part. It speeds up the process once you have screened the directories and selected only those that are a good fit for you. Just as you don’t want to blast people with spam, the same is true of blasting your article to every single article directory on the planet.
Start with a few directories and get familiar with the process. Sure, you’re anxious to get started, but wouldn’t you rather know what you’re doing?
Don’t opt for the “spinners.” While I did try a couple of different article submission programs, I declined the article spinning software (many article marketing and article spinning programs are sold together.) Why? I’m a writer, not a spinner! Plus, spinning is far more difficult than it sounds and the results can be horrendous! We’ve all seen spun articles and quickly click away. No thanks! Don’t be tempted! (I know I’m preaching to the choir, but still, decline the spinners).
Keep notes in a spreadsheet detailing which article directory sites you like, which idiosyncrasies certain sites have, and so on.
Type your article in Notepad and use basic HTML formatting such as <b> and </b> for bold text. Some directories provide you with a WYSIWYG editor while others are purely text based.
To make it easy to copy and paste the article, create a text document that includes the following:
- Title
- Summary
- Article body
- Keywords
- Resource box (preferably with HTML formatted links using the “TARGET=”_blank” attribute (this opens the link in a new window)
My brief journey into the world of article marketing so far has shown me that the easy part is writing the article. Any tips from experienced pros out there? Please share. . .
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