How To Write A Problem Solving Article

If you are like me then topics and ideas for writing articles about my product, service or niche can be tricky and getting started even worse.

You will probably know the problems people have in your industry. If you don't then you should find out by asking your customers or searching on the internet. Forums can be a great source for finding problems people in your market suffer.

Over time I have found that writing to a formula works well as it gives you something to hang your words on and breaks up the writing into manageable chunks.

The problem solving article works so well because you have the opportunity to show that you know what you are talking about and help the reader at the same time. You build a relationship and they are more receptive to purchasing your services or products as a result.

Here is a simple formula that breaks up the task of writing your article into simple chunks that will make writing your next article a breeze.

Generally there are two main types of problem solving article:

"How to Articles" (eg "How to write the perfect article")

"Tips & Tricks" (eg "10 ways to promote your article")

Make the title of your article compelling to draw people in. Also, try to make your title unique that way when you search for it in the search engines (using the title of your article in quotes) you will know that all the entries which come up will be for your article.

Your opening sentence is vital. You need to grab the attention of the reader or they will not read your article. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Did you know that...

How many times have you...

Here's an easy way to...

Next state the problem and make your first point followed by a more in-depth description. State your other points and go into more details for each.

Once you have finished making your points begin to wrap up your article with a summary and conclusion.

Finally you should end you master piece of problem solving with a call to action to get the reader to think or do something. That way when they see your resource box they are more likely to click on the link to your site or call you up.

Always check to make sure that your title still makes sense with respect to your article. Double check to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

So that's it. Problem solving articles help you build a strong relationship with your readers (customers) and are easy to write when you follow the simple formula.

Now go write your article and watch your business grow.

CONTINUE READING - How To Write A Problem Solving Article

How to Find Ideas for Writing Articles

Writing articles every couple of weeks or so is a great idea for your online business but it can sometimes be hard to find good subject matter for your article.  You write article after article and finally you just seem to draw a blank on what to write about.  I am sure that has happened to all of us at one time or another.

When it happens to me there are a few things that I can do to find fresh ideas.  These tips will work for you as well.  Below are some good places to find interesting and fresh article content.   

*Blogs - Blogs are a great place to find ideas for your article as many different things are discussed on blogs.  People share their opinions, ideas, experiences and questions.

*Message Boards - Message boards are a good source of information as well.  Follow the discussions and see what things people are interested in and need to know more about.  I have written many articles from information I read on the boards.

*Email Discussion Groups - Again, get involved in the discussions.  Find out what information people are looking for.  Not only can you get ideas for your articles, but you can learn a lot as well and make some new contacts.  Just go to Yahoo and do a search for the appropriate type of group for your business.

*Internet News Sites - Keeping up with Internet marketing news is very important for your business.  Not only for writing articles but for keeping abreast of new developments, ideas, technology, etc.  Research and write your articles to keep your readers informed as well.

*Read through your email - Take note of what people are asking you about and what they are most concerned with.  Keep a file on hand and record all questions that can be used to create a powerful article.

*Subscribe to ezines - Ezines can be a goldmine of information and ideas.  They allow you to keep up to date on the latest products, programs, biz opps, etc.  Some of this information can make great articles.

*Do a survey - Write a two or three question survey and send it out to associates or discussion group members or better yet, your subscribers.  Give your readers the information and news they are looking for.

For example: What questions do you have about Internet marketing?  What resources do you need that you cannot find?  Questions like this could give you some innovative article ideas.

*Read other articles - By reading other articles, you can come up with an unusual twist or angle for an overused idea.  It sometimes helps to get different views and insights on the same old idea.  NOTE:  Never copy information or content from an article, ezine, or website.

*What would YOU like to know more about - Pick a topic you need to learn about, do some research and turn it into a resourceful article.  This is a great way to learn while promoting your online business.

Always keep an open mind and eye out for article ideas.  After awhile you will begin to se ideas automatically all over the net.  Keep a notebook handy and when you think of an idea write it down in your notebook.   I tend to think of ideas while lying awake in the middle of the night.  I learned right away that if I don't write them down, they are totally gone by morning. 

And remember, people want and need basic, straight forward, helpful information.  They do not want or need college words, fancy storylines or over-dramatized articles.

Also, do not be afraid to give your articles a little personality, humor and best of all, heart.  Write as if you were talking to the reader and doing your best to help them.

Articles are one of the most powerful marketing methods online.  Don't let a little doubt stop you from making this big step towards success!

CONTINUE READING - How to Find Ideas for Writing Articles

Article Writing - Increase Traffic and Drive Up Your Sales

Article writing is a great way to increase the amount of traffic to your website, more importantly increasing your exposure to the world. Writing articles is all about getting links to your website, usually done from within what a "resource box." Your resource box should contain links back to your website, after someone reads your article if they are looking for additional information on the subject they are re-directed to your website.

Resources boxes play an important role in developing back links to your website, which are very important to search engines for ranking your site against your competition. Back links are one of the key factors that search engine use to rate your website based on relevance of a specific keyword, or topic. Creating an effective resource box will drive traffic to your website each time a reader would like additional information about the topic.

Article writing by far is the fastest way to build your back links, drive traffic to your website. Traffic is ultimately, what you want right. You did not build your website just to sit there and wait for people to stumble upon it occasionally. In addition, article writing is a fast and effective way to get your website indexed with the major search engines. When articles are published to directories that already have a lot of traffic your site is "picked" up by the search engines crawlers the next time they visit their web site, this means faster indexing and inclusion in search engines

Once you write an article you have to get it published, this is very easy to do, find article directories that are high traffic and user friendly. High traffic sites are your best option, your article spread around the internet much faster, and therefore getting you traffic faster.

The more articles that you write the more traffic you drive to your website. A good number to start with is five articles, write and publish a minimum of 5 per day, or at least 150 per month. In the right directories and distribution, you can build thousands of back links a month.

Related article:

How To Write Your First Article: How to Start Writing Great, Traffic-Boosting Articles Even If You Dont Have ANY Writing Experience & You Hated High School English! AAA+++

Free Website Traffic Via Article Writing

Good traffic, strong order-writing during Furniture Market.: An article from: Mississippi Business Journal

CONTINUE READING - Article Writing - Increase Traffic and Drive Up Your Sales

Article Writing Tips From Spongebob Squarepants

Wisdom can be found in the most unexpected places. Today, wisdom bubbled up from a pineapple under the sea. I suddenly realized that everything you'd want to know about writing articles for your website can be taught by SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends.

When you write for your newsletter, blog, or website, which character are you most like?

Squidward: Squidward is B-O-R-I-N-G. When writing articles, are you a Squidward? Do you just get the words down on paper or are you finding a fun twist to entertain your audience and keep them coming back for more? Take time to make your articles stand out from the thousands of other dull articles out there by including personal stories or just having fun while writing. For instance, this article could be entitled "How to Write a Good Article", but would it stand out from the hundreds of other articles about article writing? Probably not.

Mr. Krabs: This crustacean is focused on one thing and one thing only, making more and more and more money. Only a cartoon could actually have dollar signs drawn in his eyes. He thinks of no one, only how he can benefit. Are your articles focused on you or on the reader? Are you providing information or do you have blinders on, thinking only about how you can make money from the article you are writing? If your article reads like an ad or is self-serving or full of affiliate links, you might write like Mr. Krabs.

Patrick: SpongeBob's best friend, the starfish, has a good heart, but isn't the brightest creature in the sea. Do your articles make you sound like an expert? Are you providing valuable content or just pushing out sloppy articles as fast as you can? Always double check for typos and grammatical errors. If you're challenged by spelling and grammar, hire a Virtual Assistant or Copywriter to proofread and submit your article for you. Or slow down, set your article aside for a day and then reread it before you click the "submit" button.

Plankton: The smallest creature in the sea is also the sneakiest. He'll do anything and hurt anyone to steal someone else's work (the Krabby Pattie secret formula). Write your own material. Don't be Plankton. Don't copy and paste someone else's work, edit it, and try to pass it off as your own. You will be caught, and it just isn't worth it. Take the same amount of effort and work on your own thoughts and ideas. Plankton never gets away with his schemes, either. He's on Plan "Z" and is still pathetically failing at his attempts to steal the secret formula.

SpongeBob: This little guy always tries to do the right thing, and is a hard worker. He may not always end up getting the results he hoped for, but he bounces back and tackles his work with a renewed vigor. SpongeBob works very hard, he's a good friend, he always thinks of others, and tries to have fun no matter what he is faced with. Hardworking, friendly SpongeBob is the guy to be when writing articles.

Although this is a silly lesson in article writing, I hope you'll remember the important messages our underwater friends have taught us.

1. Be entertaining. Not boring.

2. Write articles to help others, not with dollar signs in your eyes.

3. Proofread your articles carefully, and provide valuable information.

4. Write your own material. Don't copy others.

 5. Be a SpongeBob! Hard work and persistence pay off.

Before you know it, you'll develop a following for having informative and entertaining articles and you'll be King or Queen of the sea.

CONTINUE READING - Article Writing Tips From Spongebob Squarepants

Writing Articles For Permanent Traffic

Writing articles is possibly the best way to generated free traffic to your site. A short article, submitted to a few places, creates  permanent streams of traffic. Here are some of the ways articles bring traffic to your website:

1. Click-throughs from article banks. People read your articles at an article bank, and click on the link in the "author's resource box."

2. Search engine traffic. Search "cheap international plane tickets" on Google, and sites with my article will be in the results. Wherever the article is found, readers can click through to my travel site.

3. Other web sites. When my reports show a referral address I don't recognize, it's usually a web site that's using one of my articles.

Article Submission - The Basics

Submit your articles to article banks and newsletters. Article banks usually carry "free-distribution "articles, meaning anyone can use them for a site, newsletter or blog. They just can't change them, and they have to leave your link active. The link is in the "resource box," where you say something about yourself and invite the reader to visit your web site.

Post an article once, and it can spread, creating permanent streams of traffic. Why permanent? Here's an example: I get search traffic for "mexico real estate" on my site HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com because of an article I used. The author gets clicks through to her site, but I get traffic - and revenue - so I'll never remove that article.

The Easiest Article Writing

Article writing isn't just for writers. Online articles are short and less formal than magazine articles anyhow, but if you really don't like writing, try a "list-article." This is the most popular type of article online, which is fortunate, because it's also the easiest type to write.

For a site about making money on Ebay, you could write an article titled "The Top Ten Sellers On Ebay." A short introduction, a list with a sentence or two about each item, a bit about yourself and a link to your site, and you're done. Write "Six Mistakes People Make On Ebay," and we need to read that to avoid the mistakes, right?

Some article banks charge fees, but there are many that are free. There are also more ways to generate traffic with your articles. That's this article's "tease" to get you to the site.

Get Traffic

CONTINUE READING - Writing Articles For Permanent Traffic

10 Article Writing Keys For Newbies

This article on the 10 (no, 11... yes, 11) tips for newbies is not written from the catbird seat point of view of the article host or database manager.  Rather it is by and from the perspective of an author who remembers the early misgivings. It is written especially for the beginning article writer.  The Tennessee Mountain Man has written and submitted hundreds of articles for publication to thousands of article hosts and database managers and still finds article writing his nemesis. 

1.  Necessity vs Desire:

Articles and Blogs are necessary in today's scheme of search engine indexing.  Not what the newbie wants to hear.  Just remember what the Bible says, "there has nothing over taken you that is not common to man".  That's right!  All of us hate article and Blog writing at times, and some of us dread the journey to pen and paper (or keyboard as the case may be) all the time. Many a webmaster would call them "a necessary evil" as they are not generally anyone's best liked house keeping chores.

2.  Just Start, It Gets Easier:

First it is sometimes difficult to get a subject or theme and to get the first couple of lines scribbled down.  The Tennessee Mountain Man knows authors who literally get sick thinking about the process.  Lighten up.  Once an author has a starting point and gets passed the initial thoughts, article and Blog writing usually goes fairly smoothly.

The main thing is that you get started.  Pick a subject you know something about and just start.  You will be pleasantly surprised at just how easily ideasflow.  Don't assume everyone knows what you know.  They don't.  Will Rogers once said, "all men are ignorant, just on different subjects".  And, so it is!
3.  Good vs Perfection:

Your old English comp professor is not looking over your shoulder.  This paper does not have to be perfect.  That is not to say it does not have to be on point or to say that it does not have to be correct.  It does or at least it should be.  But, perfection is not the goal and is, in fact, seldom possible.  Too much detail and you run the risk of losing your reader on several levels.  Too long and
most readers simply don't have the time or interest to wade through the material regardless of how important it is.

4.  Blog Length vs Article Length:

Most publishers want a minimum of six hundred (600) words per article - some will let you slide with four hundred (400) words.  Blogs can be much smaller.  Blogs can and maybe should support appropriate pictures and embedded links.

Just don't over do it.  Too gaudy or too slow to load and you have wasted your time, ticked off a potential reader, and probably upset a host who can ban you from their publications.  Articles, on the other hand, typically cannot carry these extra touches according to the requirements of most publishers.

5.  Format:

Prepare your article in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format.  There are many tools from which to choose to get the job done. A search for 'free ASCII editor' or for 'free plain text editors' will provide one with a multitude of free options.  Word Press is a popular choice.  If all else fails simply use notepad to turn out your masterpiece.

6.  Spelling and Grammar:

Once you have your article or Blog run it through a good spell checker and a good grammar checker.  Microsoft Word works well for these purposes.  Just don't use the MS Word copy for publication of your article.  Rather use it's suggestions to make any necessary corrections to your plain text copy.  The MS Word copy will work for Blogs although the Computerman prefers other editors.

Just like the days when you were pushed by Profs, you will find Article and Blog writing skills become easier with time and practice.

7.  Publish and Announce:

Once your Blog is ready you may want to use some automatic tools to publish and announce it.  First do a search for Blog hosts and select those which best suit your needs.  Join one or more and publish your Blog there.  Then search for Blog announcers and rss announcers and use them to get your Blog noticed.

Now that you have that out of the way find an article wizard that will post your Articles to free publishers.  You can post them one at a time by hand if you are really bored and have absolutely nothing else in life to do.  Using an automatic poster you can publish to hundreds of hosts in an hour or so.  The only way to go.

8.  Patience:

Now, have some patience.  Here is where you lose control.  Many of the men and women who host articles are timely and your articles will be reviewed within twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours.  But, many others will be days and weeks down the road therefore never date an article - a sure way to get rejected.

9.  Rejection - "sorry your article has been declined":

Be prepared for most hosts to reject your articles.  Do not take it personally.  It usually has little to do with you or your article. 

Some databases routinely reject articles for spelling errors when there are none or where there is more than way to spell a word.  And, just as in any other endeavor some hosts are simply too lazy and get so far behind, the easiest and fastest thing to do (and perhaps the only alternative) is to reject everything.  You will learn who these are over time.

Then there are those who run your articles through the sausage grinder and if they find certain words, irrespective of how they are used, your article gets no farther.  These are the people who can't publish the Holy Bible because it contains words that offend them or their readers.  Don't worry about these folks who are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly use.

Remember, just as in everything else in life, for every rule there is an exception

10.  Keep the faith, and keep cranking out articles:

Since most authors, especially newbies, prepare only one copy of an article against the advice of most seasoned authors it is important that the newbie keep his chin up - keep the faith.  That will be easier as more and more of your articles are accepted and published driving visitors to your website while creating those all important back links.

It is not necessary that every host to accept everything submitted to them.  After one or two hosts publish your article on any given subject, the search engines tend to penalize you anyway by ignoring additional postings.  This is close to spamming and while it could help someone find you, it probably won't.  It is not necessarily, the more the merrier.  The additional listings will not increase your page rankings or links reported by the search engines.  It is more important to get published by hosts with the highest Google page rank possible.

Now, one BONUS TIP for you:  Along with "the rejection slip" will usually come a suggestion on how to "fix" your article and a  request that you resubmit it.  Don't waste your time.  While trying comply with one database manager's request you could have written a new article from which you get much more punch.  Enough publishers will pick your article up so move on and save yourself some time and heartburn.

Everybody has a thought or idea at least once a day usually at the most inopportune time.  How many good ideas have you lost because of waiting?  Don't procrastinate!  Go!  Capture that thought before it is gone forever.

CONTINUE READING - 10 Article Writing Keys For Newbies

9 Tips to Write Unique Articles

1. Remove your limits

Reduce your subject to a single core word and then brainstorm around it. For example, if you're trying to write about "Study Skills", expand your thinking to "School". Now jot down everything that comes to mind when you think about School, and when you run out of ideas start asking yourself open questions around the subject and noting your answers.

Examples:

What did I enjoy about school?
What scared me?
What did I wish I'd known from Day 1?

This will help you get back into the mindset of someone struggling with school issues of all kinds and you'll start to get a feel for their concerns and worries.

2. Restore your focus

Once you've started to understand the general feelings of your readers, allow your mind to focus back on your original topic of Study Skills. From your new perspective, what questions would you ask? What would you want to know? Is this really a "Studying" issue or is it more about Time Management or being able to work without distractions or being paralyzed by the fear of not doing well?

3. Be your audience

Write each question on a separate sheet of paper; don't stop until you have at least ten and preferably more. Stay in the mindset of your readers until you feel you've asked every major question that concerns them.

4 Take a step back

Put your pile of question aside for a few hours, overnight if possible. Don't consciously think about them; just go about your day as usual. Give your subconscious time to process them without any further prompting from you. If new questions come to mind jot them down somewhere safe and then forget about them.

5. Get out your pen and write

When you're ready, sit down with your pages of questions and simply start to answer them. Writing your answers by hand can give you access to ideas that might be missed if you type them. Don't edit yourself at this stage. Using Speech to Text software or a digital recorder can also be helpful in bypassing the internal editor.

Imagine someone sitting in front of you asking for advice and just talk to them. Keep your tone natural and conversational and stay with the question-and-answer format.

6. Edit lightly

Trust your first instincts. Proof-read and correct any obvious errors, but don't do any major editing until your piece has had time to "sit" for a while. Again, leaving it overnight will give you a fresh perspective the next time you look at it, but even if your deadline doesn't allow for that it's important to give yourself a break from it.

When you're pushed for time, writing several articles at one sitting can create enough change of focus to make you "forget" the one you've just written.

7. Polish it up

Short articles are unlikely to need major editing if you've written them as described here. They will flow easily and naturally already and having each Q & A on a separate sheet makes it easier to select only the ones you want. Your job now is to put them in a reasonably logical sequence and make sure they're understandable and that the reader is led smoothly from one question and answer to the next.

8. Top and tail it

Write a brief introductory paragraph as a "teaser" for the main article. Many article directories now put the first paragraph of each piece into RSS feeds which are picked up by other websites, so you'll want to make sure that your two or three major keywords appear at least once in that first paragraph.

Write another short paragraph to summarize the major points of the article and provide some ideas for the reader to explore the subject further. Don't of course forget your own resource box: use the format <a href="http://www.SubmitYourNewArticle.com">SubmitYourNewArticle.com</a> for your link, so when your article is converted to html your link will automatically be live.

9. Submit it!

CONTINUE READING - 9 Tips to Write Unique Articles

How to An Effective Article Writing And Marketing

Article Writing increasingly appreciated by Search Engine Optimisers who recognize the benefits that brings, it is one of the best ways to increase traffic, search engine attention and visitors to return. If your article is published on a website, a link back to your website can be included. This link is highly valued by search engines, this is a link in one direction, it is one of the few links on the page, and pages that have unique content in it. Therefore, many people have found that regularly publishes articles (once a week, once two weeks) their page rank has jumped. This increases your search engine rankings, which naturally increases your visit. Do not need a genius to show more visitors and more revenue more evenly!

This benefits for the author, but many people do not realize that it's also very beneficial for publishers as well. Search engines like sites that are constantly updated, because it shows that the website is active and is widely used as well as sample content sites are a valuable Web site and not a link farm. Similar to the author's experience the benefits, editors find that your website increases in the range of machines, and traffic and profits. It also has the additional advantage to provide something new for users who regularly return to your site.

However, there are some important rules that authors must follow to create articles that are widely used. A poorly written article unpunctuated will not seen twice for every good webmaster.

The most important rule in writing an article may be true emphasize your item and check for errors in spelling and grammar. This will make it fun for readers to read (and therefore will be used more) and will make you and your website more professional.

Content is obviously the most important thing in the article. So, obviously, you know what you're talking about, if no one is going to take you or your article seriously. Remember, your item will be the top of the page to knows, not to introduce this subject. Therefore it is useful to specialize in some topic or a broad field. However, remember not to assume your audience is stupid, or arrogant.

Your article will be useful for webmasters. For this, give examples of what you describe. This makes things complicated is easy to understand, is divided into articles to make it readable and gives readers ideas on how to achieve what you just explained. Similarly, provide links to sites that can help readers achieve what he had just described. It is easier for them.

The last thing you think the tone of your article was written. It's much easier and more enjoyable for the reader, if you have a friendly tone. Also, don't forget to use words that are easy to read, for example, instead of " in addition, he found that by creating an article, the author was favored because they are useful for your ride search sites " just say what you mean-" when writing your articles will get more traffic from search engines " (it may be that extreme!).

The most important thing in your article from your point of view is what you put in the "About the Author." This is your chance to shine, and what you've written the article. Everything you write is always going to receive the benefit of search engines, but you will not receive additional traffic reader if you do not write correctly. There should be formal but not very friendly, and sweet-this will only be available to ensure that he should grab the reader's attention in a short time. This should follow the structure of "a little bit about the author, then tell the public what you do." You must promote your website, but do not advertise.

For example, false information box will be a "Visit the great website of the king of search engine optimisers, like a regular day fantastic tips and suggestions are very valuable three times a week. He is a leader in their field and have many years experience with thousands of satisfied clients that she describes as equivalent to Internet for Jesus. Instead, write "Joe Bloggs has several years experience in SEO and is famous for his useful advice!. Visit this site to get great SEO tips three times a week "(again, this is exaggerated but you get the idea).

The last part to write an article that sells. It is relatively easy - submit to several article directories included in your newsletter (or ask other Web sites for inclusion in it). Some websites to help you today is:

 www.articlewow.com, www.articledepot.co.uk, www.article99.com.

Follow these tips and you will get a great traffic boost. Write some articles, and then write one on your tips that you have discovered from your own experience!

CONTINUE READING - How to An Effective Article Writing And Marketing

11 Quick (and Good) Content Ideas for Your Ezine or Website

Publishing articles, especially via an e-zine, is the ideal opportunity to showcase your business. By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build credibility as an expert, while spreading the word about your services and products.

While I'm sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other times you find yourself staring at a blank computer screen, grumbling that it's publishing time again. Well, have no fear! Here are 11 quick (and good) content ideas for when you're in a pinch.

1. Give real-life success stories.
Describe a problem you've solved for a client/customer, and use that as a springboard to offer more general advice. Show your readers how you've helped customers address challenges -- "case studies" if you will. This positions you as the expert in your readers' minds more than your coming out and saying so.

2. Think of three areas in which you'd like your clients to think of you as a resource.
Now develop content in those areas. For example, in my past life as a professional copywriter, I really enjoyed writing for Web sites. To help encourage my clients and prospects to hire me for these projects, I published several articles on how to write Web copy that sells.

3. Read industry publications for ideas.
Are there any hot issues in your field right now? The more controversial, the better. Don't be afraid to offer your own opinion -- your readers want to know it. After all, YOU are the expert in their eyes.

4. Jot down 8 questions your clients have asked you in the past.
You know, the ones they ask you over and over. Answer each in a short article. If you publish weekly, that's two months' worth of content, right off the bat! And if you can't think of any questions, send all your current clients/customers a quick e-mail, asking them what topics they're most interested in learning more about.

5. Learn anything neat lately from an industry conference, workshop, seminar, or insightful article?
No one says you have to reinvent the wheel of information! Pass on any gems of advice you've learned elsewhere -- just give them full attribution. Or give your opinion of the event or article itself. Your readers will appreciate your frankness.

6. Offer a list of your top 5 or 10 tips on a certain subject.
It's much easier to bang out a list of tips than to put together a real article. Of course, the tips can evolve into an article if you wish! Be sure to list your best tip first, or at least close to the top. (If you "fire your biggest gun" last, you risk losing your audience before they get to the good stuff.)

7. Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers
(while not competing with yours). E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do. Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and have them approve the final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your e-zine as a thank you. (A one- or two-sentence description of their business and their Web address should be fine.)

8. Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them.In one issue of my old ezine newsletters, "AKB MarCom Tips," I featured reviews of my favorite four copywriting resource books. I'm glad I also gave my Amazon.com associate links, because I ended up making some nice commission, to boot!

9. Invite clients or readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each issue.
Right after their question, publish the person's name, business, and Web address, with their permission. They'll enjoy the attention and free publicity!

10. Invite readers to send in profiles.
Ask them to tell you about themselves -- their names, businesses, locations, and how they use the information gained in your e-zine. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.

11. When all else fails, borrow an article!
There are dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of articles that you can use in your e-zine. The articles are free and available for you to use immediately. The only catch is you're required to leave the entire article intact, including the author's promotional information. One of my favorite places to search for articles is www.ezinearticles.com.

One last note: Keep in mind that if your e-zine's main objective is to get you more clients and customers, you should NOT feature other writers' articles more than once in a blue moon. Remember our main goal is to continually showcase YOU.

CONTINUE READING - 11 Quick (and Good) Content Ideas for Your Ezine or Website

3 Simple Steps to Dramatically Improved Writing

Amateur writers write for the sake of writing. While this may create copious amounts of inconsequential content or provide them personal pleasure, it does nothing to increase business prospects, improve the world, or move their audience to take action.

So what is the goal of great writing, and how can it change your presentations? Professional writers always have one main goal in mind with everything they write: to transform their audience. Great writers strive to help their audience see through different eyes, act differently, change the way they interact with the world.

Anyone can throw words together and make complete sentences (case in point: most of the blogosphere), but if you want to actually have impact through your writing, you must learn to write for transformation. It's the difference between being merely informative and being compelling and persuasive. There are three simple steps to transformational writing: 1) writing for a specific audience, 2) using the right venue, and 3) choosing and executing the right type of transformation (there are three).

1. Specific Audience

If you want to reach your audience, it's absolutely crucial that you understand them, get out of your own perspective, and write to their perspective. One of the first things I do with every piece I write is identify my target audience, things such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, location, income level, purchasing habits, hobbies, talents, interests, etc.

When I know who I'm talking to, I'm prepared to custom tailor the message to resonate with them specifically. For example, words such as "revolutionary," "cutting-edge," "fresh," or "in vogue" will more likely resonate with an 18-25 age group, whereas a 60-70 age group will probably have negative reactions to them, who prefer things that are "proven," "safe," and "sensible."

2. The Right Venue

By venue I mean the medium used to convey your message, including such things as magazines, newspapers, journals, books, radio and TV ads, blogs, websites, etc. The venue you choose is, in large part, determined by your audience.

For example, if I'm writing a lengthy article on monetary policy intended for scholars and economists, the best venue is probably a scholarly journal. Few people can stand to read long blocks of meaningful text on a computer screen, I probably won't have enough space to make my case in most magazines, etc. On the other hand, if my content is concise, simple, and intended for a broad audience, perhaps a newspaper article makes sense.

All of us are exposed to written communications that we skim or ignore, yet if that same message is presented in a venue more palatable to us, we're much more likely to spend time reading it. Writing for transformation requires utilizing the best venue for our subject matter and audience.

3. The Right Transformation

There are three types of transformations: know, feel, and do. A know transformation seeks to give the readers new information, or old information arranged in a different way, to help them to learn and know things they didn't know before, in such a way that changes their life and perspective. A feel transformation obviously seeks to evoke strong emotion in the audience, while a do is designed to get an audience to take very specific, immediate, and tangible action.

Amateurs look at this list and try to do all three; professionals focus on one and nail it, because doing so affects the others. How do you want people's lives to change because they read your message? What do you want to see occur in them? Do you primarily want them to know, feel, or do something? Pick one-yes, just one-and execute it well, and the others will take care of themselves.

If you want your message to actually have impact, you must learn to write for transformation. Know who you're writing to, use the right venue to reach them, and choose the right transformation and execute it well. After all, transformational writing is the only writing worth reading.

Have a professional writer custom craft your message for transformation by visiting http://www.youwritingcure.com now.

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Article Writing Basics - How To Make this Lucrative Business Work

There is tremendous demand for quality articles on the Internet and in the brick and mortar world. An individual who is interested in making headway in the arena of 21st century article writing needs to fully understand the article writing basics. Through this article, you are presented with some of the article writing basics that are most important to success in the copywriting field today.

Like many people, you may be looking for an online business that will prove profitable for you. In this day and age, one of the most lucrative and profitable types of online businesses that you can engage in is article writing. Through this article, you are provided with an overview of how people have found success in article writing online today.

First of all, an online article writing businesses relatively inexpensive to start. In fact, you really don't need any money at all to start your own online article writing business. You can begin the process by developing your own simple website.

Another immediate step that you can take to start developing your own online article writing business is to sign up at a freelance website. Many individuals have begun profitable online writing businesses by garnering work through freelance websites.

In addition to being inexpensive to start an online article writing business, you can maintain and build your online writing business without having major overhead. In fact, through referrals and recommendations, you can grow your client base with relative ease and no expense.

In time, as you continue to focus on your article writing efforts, you can develop an expertise in particular areas. As you develop your expertise, you'll be able to attract even more clients.

Finally, when it comes to article writing basics, focus is also of paramount import. One of the most common complaints in regard to articles that are written is that they simply do not stay on point. A write rambles away from the topic at hand and brings in extraneous material that is neither relevant nor appropriate. Proper article writing demands that a writer stay focused and absolutely stay on topic at all times.

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Article Writing & Article Marketing: 7 Ways Articles Increase Your Prospects, Publicity & Profits

Writing articles and marketing with articles is one of the best and fastest ways market your business. In fact, if you can write a 7 item grocery list, you can write an article that will help you increase your prospects, publicity and profits.

Here are seven ways that you can benefit from articles.

1) Articles will quickly position you as an expert in your field.
The written word is incredibly powerful. Writing articles sets you apart from your competition. You never have to say "Listen to me, I'm an expert!" Your articles do that for you, because articles increase your "expert-ability."

2) Articles can become little 24/7 salespeople.
Once you have an article published, especially on the internet, you now have a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 day a year international salesperson working specifically for you and your business.

3) Just one article can be used in many ways.
This is called leverage. Just one article can be used a free report, a bonus, featured in a newsletter or ezine, become part of an online e-course, become part of a book, and many other ways.

4) Articles spread the word about your business and your services.
One article that I wrote 5 years ago was recently used in one of my internet newsletters. A newspaper reporter that is on my mailing list saw it and interviewed me for a story. When he pitched it to his editor, the editor liked it so much that they turned it into a feature article. They ran it on the front page of the paper, and it has been picked up and run across the country.

5) Marketing articles is simple, easy and inexpensive, especially when compared to other ways of marketing online.
It costs you nothing to write an article. It also costs you nothing to have it listed on article directories such as EzineArticles.com. Imagine what it would cost you to pay for that kind of exposure and publicity.

6) Articles can help you build a mailing list that you can market to over and over again.
Once you have a few articles out there, you will reach a certain critical mass where the prospects begin to flow in. Continue to grow past the critical mass, and you will grow to the point where you could not stop the traffic and prospects flowing in if you wanted to.

7) Articles allow you to stay in touch with customers/clients and sell more products.
We know that it can take from 5 to 8 contacts or more for new prospect to be ready to become a customer. Articles allow you to stay in touch with prospects and provide them with quality information.

These seven benefits are really just the tip of the iceberg of all the many benefits of article writing and article marketing.

CONTINUE READING - Article Writing & Article Marketing: 7 Ways Articles Increase Your Prospects, Publicity & Profits

Article Writing and Internet Marketing

When it comes to internet marketing there are very few tools that are quite as good at generating more traffic for your website than writing articles. If you are looking for a simple way to achieve a higher rank look no further. Writing quality articles that are rich in content will not only help direct more customers to your site, but also make sure that those same customers keep coming back.

When writing an article, you should consider what your goals are. There are many ways of using your article to obtain traffic such as Announcement lists, Ezine Publishers, Blogs, Forums, etc...

If you are looking to generate the maximum amount of traffic that you can to your website then you will want to follow a few guidelines:

Keep in mind, when writing an article most sites require at least 250-300 minimum words before submission. You need to be careful of how many keywords you use in an article.

Read into the SEO(Search Engine Optimization) rules. You need to have the proper keyword density without making the article sound like spam. Search engines will filter out articles with a keyword density that is too high, keeping your article from becoming to popular.

Remember, it is also imperative that your article's title be unique in order to gain its own status on the web. As long as your article's title is not too general, and there are no other articles on the web with the same name, you can easily track how popular your article is becoming by typing the title into a search engine surrounded by quotations.

Writing quality articles will generate more traffic from around the world, help you obtain a higher rank, and ultimately help you increase your profits. So what are you waiting for start writing articles today...

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Article Writing and Directories

Writing for the simple enjoyment of writing is something I throughly enjoy. If I have something to say and I want to share it with someone or everyone, then I put pen to paper or in this case keyboard to notepad and put together an article of some of my knowledge, tips, advise and sometimes wisdom to share with everyone.

One place that I have found to be a great source for not only submitting my articles for publication, but also a wonderful place to get lost for awhile just reading... article directories.

These wonderful directories are filled with vast varieties of information that cover just about anything you may want to know. These sites are perfect for anyone looking for a place to submit their articles to, if your looking for specific information about something then they are gold mines.

Simply do a search for article directories in your browser and you will be overwhelmed with choices. Some directories are very specific about the information they allow, while the most of them open their directories up to a wide variety of subjects. I've only come accross a couple that charge a fee for use.

If you publish an online newsletter or ezine then an article directory can be a great resource for you. Article directories allow you fresh and informative information for your readers on a daily basis id needed. Some directories will notify you when new articles are submitted that apply to your specific needs. If you have never used the sevice of an article directory as a source of content, I gaurantee you will be happy you did. Content is king!

Webmaster more and more are turning to the use of article directories as a way of boosting to traffic that visits their sites. They are getting this traffic from back links from other sites. By simply writing an article about their website and the products or services that the website offers and then submitting it to article directories they are building back links. Instead of purchasing over priced, non targeted traffic to visit a site, webmasters are building highly targeted, virtually cost free search engine freindly back links. Ahhh, back links... priceless.

Not sure you can write an article? There a writers for hire that can whip you up an article in no time what so ever for a small fee. You just furnish them with the subject and the key points you want to focus on and they will have you as many article as you want or need in very short time. Known as ghost writers, these writing wizards are wonderful.

So, whether you are a seasoned writer or just someone like myself that simply enjoys writing, you will find that article directories are not only fantastic places to submit to but great places to find information for just about anything your looking for.

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Article Writing and Clients: When Things Do Not Work Out

In each of my business relationships, I expect that mutual respect and trust be essential ingredients in my association with the other individual. If one or both traits do not exist, then the relationship shouldn't proceed any further.

So, what do you do when you have an uncomfortable or odd feeling about working for someone, but you can't put your finger on it? Should you continue the business relationship or move on?

I really cannot answer these questions for you, but I have learned that in my many years of working for or with people that it is simply fine just to move on. In other words, if I believe that a business relationship is not mutually satisfying, than it is okay to end it. There are plenty of employers out there and plenty of other projects to work on. The same can be said about the other person: if you leave them or they drop you, they will find someone else.

In my opinion, you need not have a specific or tangible reason either.  Sometimes you have a gut reaction to a particular project while other times there may be something about the project that simply goes against your principles or just doesn't sit well with you. No matter, simply end the business relationship and move on.

How you end the relationship is up to you. If you want to leave a door open, telling the person that you are busy with other projects is fine. If you want to shut the door, you can tell them specifically why you no longer want to work for this person.

In all cases, season your words with kindness, but don't waffle and certainly don't tell lies. You can't worry about what others think about you; to do so is a waste of time and will certainly impact your ability to develop new and solid business relationships down the line.

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Article Writing: 10 Reasons Why The Discipline Is Necessary For Any Internet Marketer

The hardest part about writing, is getting one's self to actually start writing. Most writers usually hate to write but love it when they have finished writing. To be able to escape this process, what some writers do is procrastinate.

Having this attitude really does not get anything done. One of the basic reason why some think this way is because they are afraid to fail. They also put tremendous pressure upon themselves, thinking that whatever writing that they should do and produce must be brilliant.

The fact of the matter is that no writer, or person for that matter, is perfect. Everyone has flaws and having imperfections is the perfect reason why more writing should be done.

Discipline is important. Without this, nothing will get done or will get written. Having discipline causes any writer, especially those who write articles for the internet, to think clearly and go beyond his or her mundane concerns. When one has discipline, the focus is on the output and not on the ego.

Discipline serves as a guide

Having discipline enables anyone to think in a lucid manner. It also helps in coming up of ways to present the details and facts of an article. A disciplined mind gets things done easily.

Using a guide in numbering the characters that should be present on each line of a given article is an easy and controlled way to limit as well as define what it is to write about and how.

Observe how doing this and setting a limit to one's self actually helps the writer compose the article thereby avoiding awkward breaks in each sentence. When this is done, readability of the article is achieved as well as the topic at hand becomes a whole lot clearer.

Discipline helps achieve focus

There are a million things to write about as well as there are a million things to say. Having discipline makes it a lot easier to select a particular idea or subject. A general issue could still be broken down in sub topics and start from there.

The words to be used for such an article must also be appropriate to the kind of reader targeted. Once this is decided upon, selecting the appropriate mood, be it serious, funny, etc. would be a lot easier.

Having discipline makes it easier to break a topic down

If it is simply too overwhelming to write an article in one get up and go fashion, the only solution is - don't write it.

Discipline yourself to think of the article in easy and convenient small chunks. Take each idea as one paragraph. Then think of another idea in terms of another paragraph. Then, make a simple outline of the article as well as the issues and topics that will cover it.

Discipline yourself to just let go

Writing is a process. It is best that writing be not forced. Such an attitude produces an article that is stiff, unreadable and - most likely - unlikable.

Discipline yourself to just write
A lot of things could crop up inside one's head about the article one is intending to write.

It is easy to be distracted about other topics that could be included in the article, or other issues, as well as other subtopics.

It is best that one should just stick to the current topic at hand. Topics or issues that are off the main points must be avoided.

Remember that the objective is to write, complete and finish the article. Entertaining any and all forms of distractions will not be helpful.

Be disciplined to not edit --- at least not yet

In any first drafts, the key to writing completely is to let the ideas just flow. Editing must and will have to come at a later part. Editing is not part of the writing process, at least in this stage where thoughts really just have to flow, so let it.

Be disciplined to re-read and review the article

After the writing is complete, this is the perfect and best time to start reading it as well as reviewing it. First time drafts must be proofread. This is also the best time to start editing.

Check and find out which parts seem to lag. Is there any weak idea that needs backing up? Are there no spelling errors in the article? Are there any errors in grammar? Such mistakes must be paid attention to as it could distract the readers from the idea and point of the article.

Discipline yourself to relax

After writing, let the article stand or sit on its own. Get up and eat, sleep, read, watch television or simply get out.

Make sure that you spend at least a day letting the article breath.

Discipline yourself to re-write
Getting back to the article after a considerable amount of time away from it enables anyone to look at it with fresh eyes.

Check the title. Review if the sentences are complete thoughts. Delete or re-write what needs to be edted or re-written.

Well-written articles should be satisfying and not leave readers wanting to have more.

Discipline yourself to make the article known

After all is said, written and done, it is now time to send the article out. Readers should be appropriately advised where the article came from, who wrote it or if there is any link related to the article and its source.

In summary, discipline helps anyone, especially in writing, start and finish a task with a process that is methodical and one that actually works. All one needs is discipline to carry it through.

CONTINUE READING - Article Writing: 10 Reasons Why The Discipline Is Necessary For Any Internet Marketer

5 Simple Tips To Write Informative Articles

Submitting your quality written, and keyword rich articles is certainly your first step to achieving your personal or business related goals. However, many authors wonder why their articles are not being picked up by publishers and webmasters to be placed on their theme related websites, and if you're willing to follow a few simple steps, you will be on your way to having a successful article writing campaign that will appeal to publishers, webmasters, and also your online readers.

The truth of the matter is, that many publishers and webmasters are looking for fresh, well-crafted content to place on their site that offers their readers valuable information and tips, but they don't like to accept articles for their sites that show obvious signs of self-promotion of your own business, products, or services. Selling your business in your article is just going to drive people away, and they will move on to the next article that will help them answer the questions they're seeking.

Tip #1: When readers search for a specific topic of interest, they're searching for information that answers specific questions they may have at the time. If you're not exactly sure how to format your article to flow with all the necessary information, just remember that when you start writing your articles, consider formatting your articles with the focus on the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY. When you start to develop your articles in this format, you will definitely make it easier to write your articles on specific topics that will flow naturally.

Tip #2: If you're writing about a specific topic that can help your readers, provide a brief introduction of what you're about to talk about. This way if the reader is interested in what you have to say, they will know what direction you're going in on your specific topic. In the body of your articles, have the key information that your topic is talking about with many features followed by the benefits.

The best way to achieve this is to talk first about the feature of your topic, product, or services briefly, and then follow right below your feature, a detailed benefit (make sure you focus and write more on the benefit). At the bottom of you article, always end it with a brief conclusion. Never stop writing without having an ending. Readers will be wondering if they received the entire article, or if you're missing some information. Remember, most if not everyone likes an ending.

Tip #3: In the body of your article, make emphasis on your features and benefits that you're talking about by adding "bullets" and also "highlighting" the important features and benefits. This does several things to your article, it allows your readers to quickly find the important information in your article, and if they happen to not want to read the entire article from top to bottom, they may opt to go directly to the information that they want, and you make it much easier for them to find it with bulleting, and highlights!

Tip #4: If possible, when writing about a unique topic, you will add more impact and credibility to your content when you offer your readers important resources to back up your claim. You can provide a few legitimate testimonials, a list of awards that were achieved, or anything else you feel will back up what you're talking about. This is a great way to provide your readers solid proof you're the authority on this topic, and you have value for them to obtain from your information.  

Tip #5: The biggest mistake many new authors make when writing their articles for ezine directories to be picked up for distribution is creating a really weak "Author Bio"! You spend all your time and effort creating the perfect article to be submitted to the ezine directories, and many ezine publishers and webmasters start picking up your article and adding them to their emails and sites. However, if your author bio at the end of your article doesn't have impact, it will not motivate the reader to click through to either read more, or get additional information on what you are truly offering.

Make sure you spend as much time in creating the best author bio as you do when you start writing your article. Make sure that you let your readers know who you are, and that you are the expert on this topic, and if you're talking about several products or services, in your author bio, if you're allowed a maximum of 3 hyperlinks to your site, blog, or email, also make sure that you take advantage of this option, and add your maximum allowable links for your readers to click through and continue their journey to specific information they're interested in reading.

These tips are only a guideline to your article writing success, and if you take some of the information I provide and use it that best fits your writing style, I feel that you will be on your way to being a great Web Author, and many of your well written articles will be picked up by publishers and webmasters hungry for freshly written content that offers a quality message to their readers.

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An Article Writing Philosophy - Do You Have One

Thousands of articles about writing articles are bouncing all over the internet and the printed media at any given time. Most of these articles are tips and advice, a few are about grammar and clarity and yet others are about subject matter and how to find it. A philosophy for writing articles is none of the above.

Simply put an article writing philosophy is not about how you write but why. Although it is acceptable to write articles for publicity or hits to your website it is not the strongest motive. Then there are those who write by researching the most sought after keywords on the net and write articles that lead people to those words, thus to their sites. This also qualifies as a reason to write but only in the most strained sense of the word.

Writers are somewhat like preachers, they have a soap box called the printed page and they have a message just like the minister, even if the subject matter is not homiletically inclined. As a young preacher I overheard someone say that "young preachers just have to say something, but older preachers may actually have something to say." The first step in developing a writing philosophy is to ask your self this question...do I have something to say?

Professional people can quickly answer yes to the question of whether they have something to say. Years of study, training and experience put them ahead of others and all they may lack is just a bit of priming to know how to convey their knowledge by the written word. For those who are not professionals the next question should be "how do you see."  Some people are naturally endowed with a good eye. They don't need to be politicians to have a good grasp of politics. They can predict, criticize, evaluate and comment on the whole sphere with great clarity and in some cases may affect the outcome of politics in some way. They weigh in so to speak on the subject. In case you think that isn't so check out the vast opportunities for op-eds (opinion editorials) on the internet today. Thousands of political right and left wing sites are looking for people with good political vision. In this "of the people" society John Q Public is still sought for his view of political figures and things done in the political theatre.

Having a good "minds eye" applies to any field of interest whatsoever. Technicians put together complex electronic and telemetering devices in spacecraft but some people are weighing the result of all that space hardware on people, the environment or the future of man and their insight may be just as needed as the tiniest circuit board any techie can produce.

The motivation for writing an article may only be to provide information; at other times it may be to provide inspiration. Even anger could qualify as a good motive if you are particularly incensed over some injustice or bad behavior. It may sound all to rudimentary or perhaps old fashioned to say that if you are seeking a higher good to be done through your writing then you will always succeed. Sound corny? Think again. No one will ever reject an article that attempts to right a wrong, lift people up or provide a little light and comfort in a troubled world. If that is your motive then that is your philosophy. Good writing.

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