5 Keys to Article Marketing Success
Posted by Beth Hrusch
We can discuss in great detail all sorts of ways to write better articles. But, for a quick rundown, here's my Top Five list of keys to article marketing success:
1. Timeliness
Learn how to look into the future. Begin writing articles about future events well in advance-two, three or even six months out. This is what reporters call writing a long-lead story.
With long-lead, you'll have plenty of time to think about new ideas to add to your piece and to read up on and research other perspectives. You'll also always be on top of the latest news.
2. Specificity
Your articles won't be that long. So, they should offer one or two specific takeaways with some level of detail. This builds returning readership, which is necessary for the ongoing engagement that leads to article marketing success.
3. Focus
Is there a particular subject area under which your article falls? If more than a couple keywords or tags define your piece, you're probably spreading your content too thin to have a clear focus. Different people will remember different details from each of your articles, but it's a problem if no two people can agree on the central gist of the piece.
4. Creativity
Not all people are naturally creative, but creativity can be learned. Being creative often means seeing the broader picture and understanding how seemingly unrelated events or trends connect to your subject. For example, see the cooking anecdote from our post "Article Marketing Strategies that Build Credibility".
5. Sharpness
Your writing doesn't need to win any Pulitzers to achieve article marketing success. However, sharp and thoughtful insights do help. Like creativity, insight does not always flow naturally but, also like creativity, insights don't have to be manufactured from scratch every time. Consider adding quotes from an expert, stats from a recent study or survey results. 
As mentioned at top, there are many strategies to improve your content, but by focusing on these five basics, article marketing success becomes less abstract and starts coming into focus.