Article Marketing- It’s Not Just for Directories Anymore!
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Wed, Sep 30, 2009
I have a soft spot for article marketing- and not just because it's cheap, easy, effective, fun... well, yes, actually, that is why. Not since the invention of social media has any one marketing tool made such an impact on the way we do business online. Anyone from the head of marketing at a Fortune 500 company to a stay-at-home mom freelancing on the side can do it and get results.
Which is great. The only question you need to ask yourself is, how far do you want to go with it? Many people feel that submitting articles to directories is good enough. Besides, who has time to mess around trying to get creative with the distribution aspect of article marketing? You're too busy trying to come up with all that awesome content!
Yes, creating quality content takes time. Articles need updated and added to, and you have a business to run. But, if you want to get more bang out of your articles, consider a few easy ways you can make them work harder for you. Marketing opportunities abound if you know where they are and how to use them, so before you "submit and forget", check out these possibilities:
•1. Social Media- Networking, bookmarking, tweeting, Digging an
d friending. Your articles can get some remarkably good exposure simply by sharing them through social media. Use a URL shortener such as bit.ly to allow the URL to fit into a Twitter post. Ping that bad boy to all of your social media accounts automatically. Isn't technology wonderful?
•2. Publishing Platforms- Ever heard of Squidoo? Hubpages? Google Knols? If not, check them out. These services allow you to create a sort of web page, where you can write an article and add links, pictures, videos, etc. with modules. This is another way that your content can rank in the search engines and get spread around through word of mouth.
•3. Blogs- Ah, yes. Your chance to write content that will develop a devoted following of like-minded people who can't get enough of your fascinating wisdom. Don't underestimate its power- it has been known to lead to increased leads and sales faster than you can say "content is king".
•4. Videos- Want to convert your article into something far more interesting than just words on a page? Next time you come up with a great concept for your next piece, create a script for a video instead. It doesn't take a lot of time or money to make a video, especially if you are simply reading text and displaying graphics. You'd be surprised how effective even the most basic video can be in getting your message across.
All of these options allow you to track your traffic and gauge how effective each one is in getting your articles noticed. Eventually, you can pare down your efforts to the ones that work the best and devote your time to those.
And don't forget- patience, grasshopper! Your online presence won't develop overnight. It takes time to establish the authority that will bring you measurable results. Just make sure that you aren't sitting around waiting for it to come to you.