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The HTML resource box is a wonderful thing–we call it "The Advanced Resource Box" because it goes one step further than the text resource box and allows you to hyperlink specific keywords/keyphrases, rather than just supplying a linked URL.
In the plain text resource box, you can only supply a URL; in the advanced one, you can link specific text to this URL, which can help search engines listings for those keywords/keyphrases.
Using the HTML resource box also presumes that you have researched and selected keywords to use –these would be the keywords of your website which you will also use in your article marketing.
It seems like for many of us, we may have started using the Advanced HTML Resource Box before we were advanced enough to understand why we were using it 
(This is me too!)
We live and learn though, and doing article marketing is a growing process for everyone.
Try to see if you can spot yourself in any of these 7 common HTML Resource Box slip-ups, and then you can make improvements on the HTML resource box you submit with your next article:
Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at October 9th, 2008 | Comments (0)
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We've had an amazing outpouring of interest in the Resource Box Rehab Lab we've recently opened up, and little by little we're trying to help folks with some specific common resource box pitfalls and opportunities.
Recently we talked about how important it is to NOT just include a link with no other information in your resource box.
You really want your resource box to have an "About the Author" feel to it rather than "this is an ad for my site" feel.
I noticed many entries that did have an "About the Author" feel to them, which is a great start! But after telling them who you are and why you're an authority on this topic you're writing about, you need to give them a specific reason to click your link and go back to your website.
Let me just pick out a few examples from our entries in the Resource Box Rehab Lab:
Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at October 6th, 2008 | Comments (2)
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I've told you previously how consistency is key with article marketing, and it is–while you don't want to go overboard and submit gobs of article in a short span of time, you do want to submit 1 to 8 articles a month, steadily over an extended length of time.
The challenge that I find myself and many other authors running into is being steadily creative and productive with my article writing month to month. If I'm left on my own with no planning at all, I may do well for one month, but then the next month life seems to "get busy" and I slack off on my article writing efforts.
I know that sometimes unavoidable things happen in our lives that make us put our marketing efforts on the back burner, but many times what holds me back is a lack of planning, of just thinking "Oh, I'm sure I'll get those articles written somehow, sometime, somewhere this month."
Time and time again, I notice that when I get very specific about when, where and what I'll write, then I manage to stay right on track with my writing with minimal effort.
Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at October 2nd, 2008 | Comments (1)
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Alright, so you know that with your resource box you need to tell the reader the following things:
1) Who you are (giving your name and a little bio info)
2) Give them an idea why you're a trustworthy authority on this topic you're writing about
3) Give them a reason to click through to your website
4) And also give them a link to your website
Whew–that's a lot of information, and did I mention that you need to do all of this in no more than 450 characters (including spaces)?
(Oh, and when I say "characters" I mean letters and spaces)
So, it's a bit of a magic trick really to be able to cram so much super important information into such tiny space…but it can be done!
From our recent Resource Box Rehab Lab, the "War & Peace" style resource box was something that I noticed quite a bit.
I know how that is–you have such a short space, and it's sometimes hard to do the streamlining necessary.
But remember, in addition to the technical space requirements that most article directories have for a resource box, you want to make your resource box as concise as possible to better draw the reader's attention to the bits of information that are the most important.
What do you cut out? What should you put in?
Let's take a look at some examples from our Resource Box Rehab Lab participants, and we'll see what info makes the cut from these resource boxes that are a bit too long.
Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 29th, 2008 | Comments (1)
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We've talked about the purpose of article directories and how when you get your article published on a directory that the chances of your article being re-published compound.
Now, who are these websites that are picking up your article for publication at the article directories?
Well, sometimes they're ezine editors, sometimes they're blog owners, sometimes they're folks with websites who want to have a good article waiting for their target readers when they arrive at their site.
You don't get to pick and choose which sites pick up your article for publication any more than the author of a book in the library gets to choose who checks it out.
But what if someone from an smaller or brand new website reprints your article on their site? That isn't a high ranking website that can bolster your rankings in Google–what's the purpose of that?
There are a few key things you need to know:
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 25th, 2008 | Comments (2)
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I really appreciate all the participants in the Resource Box Rehab Lab — as I look through the entries, I see some great teaching opportunities and chances to help fellow article marketers take things up a few notches!
Today we'll be looking at what I'm calling "the Sig Line resource box" phenomenon .
This is where the information put in the author resource box would more appropriately be seen at the end of an email, where your signature line and various contact information usually appears.
Or, I guess this could also be called the "business card resource box" phenomenon–it's the same info as you might find on a person's business card.
Just to be clear–don't think of your author resource box as a business card, but as an opportunity to:
a) introduce yourself to your reader
b) tell a little about yourself
c) inspire some confidence in your expertise on the subject you're writing about
d) give the reader a reason to go to your website
e) give a link to your website
There is a finesse to an author resource box that a business card or sig line doesn't have.
We have the opportunity to talk to our readers, to make a personal connection, so let's get creative when we're doing our resource boxes!
Also, remember–we do want to include our author name, a little bio info that will inspire some confidence in the reader, a reason to click, and a link to our website.
If your resource box look like a business card, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 22nd, 2008 | Comments (5)
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That may sound like a pretty simple question with a really obvious answer, but it's one of those topics that is so basic that many folks have forgotten the fundamental reason why we submit articles to article directories.
An article directory is like a library of articles, where online publishers can "check-out" articles and publish them on their websites.
With a library you need to return every book that you check-out, but with an article directory publishers get to "keep" the article (publish it on their site) as long as they give credit to the author and include the author resource box when they republish it.
This is why articles used in article marketing are called "free reprint articles".
Publishers can reprint them for free, but the author gets paid back by having his resource box reprinted (including a link to his website) every time his article is republished.
It's a win-win situation for both parties!
So, exactly how does this work?
Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 18th, 2008 | Comments (0)
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Well, I don't know if these folks are actually rich and famous, but these are the first round of folks who are being added to our Resource Box Rehab Hall of Fame, because their resource boxes are pretty darn good just as they are!
Let me go through this first batch (we'll add more folks to the Resource Box Rehab Hall Of Fame as time goes on), and then I'll tell you why these resource boxes have got the right stuff:
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David Haslett is Senior National Director of the Freedom Equity Group. To discover how modern debt management technology can help you pay off your mortgage and other debt, go to: http://www.fastestmortgagepayoffplan.com
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Gerri D Smith apparel designer and creative writer wishes you love, beauty and wellness. You are unique and must be treated with all the individual attention you deserve. Pick up your Free craft gift when you visit, http://www.distinctive-elegance.com
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Robert Harden, fitness coach at Extremely-Fit, invites you to visit http://www.extremely-fit.com for more fitness and nutritional articles, like this one. You may also feel free to contact Robert via the contact form for fitness advice and questions.
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David Hurley is an Internet marketer based in Hiroshima, Japan. His website focuses on developing viable Internet marketing strategies and features a FREE Internet start-up course for your home based business success. No sign up required! Check it out at: http://grasp-the-nettle.com
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Why do these resource boxes get a gold star?
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 15th, 2008 | Comments (0)
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Recently we've been collecting resource boxes from folks who would like some pointers on how the author bio box that sits below their articles could be better.
I did an initial "triage" of the resource box candidates and this is what I noticed:
- Some resource boxes were absolutely excellent, and I wouldn't change a thing!
- Some resource boxes were pretty good, but could benefit from some simple tweaks to take them from good to great.
- Some resource boxes were passable, but could definitely be made better with a moderate overhaul.
- Some resource boxes were on life support and in need of attention NOW!
We'll cover a variety of resource boxes and different types of challenges in upcoming posts, but for now in true "triage" fashion, we're going to attend to the resource boxes that are the most needy.
You may be wondering, "What constitutes a resource box that's on life support?" Read more…
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 11th, 2008 | Comments (9)
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Do you have a resource box that you need help with?
Want some feedback on your resource box?
Want pointers for how to make it better?
Want to harness the power of article marketing TO THE MAX by luring readers into your website with an enticing author bio (resource box)?
So, go ahead and toss us your resource box below in the comments if you want some free advice and some simple makeover suggestions.
Seriously, we want to help you get the most bang for your article marketing buck, and if you want to do that you need a strong resource box.
Don't be shy–even the best article marketers are always trying to improve that powerful little bio box that sits at the end of their article. Believe me, it really helps to get objective feedback, and that's what we're doing.
We don't know how many folks are going to respond to this, so I cannot promise that we'll get to every single person, but we will look through the entries and pick out one or two a week to discuss in a post on Creative Article Marketing and brainstorm ways it can improve.
We can't wait to see your "before" resource boxes!
P.S. Oh, and some of you might be saying, "You're asking for my one resource box, but aren't I supposed to make a new one each time?"
Yes, ideally you would customize each resource box to each article, even when the articles are on the same topic, but we're doing a rehab here–let's start with the basics and be sure you at least have one really strong resource box.
Then, as you learn how to craft a really powerful resource box you can certainly take things up a notch by customizing each one to suit your particular article.
For now though–just give us your basic one, and we'll try to help make sure you've at least got one resource box that packs a punch!
Related Resources
Resource Box Rehab: Making Your Author Bio Short And Sweet
Resource Box Rehab: How To Turn Your Business Card Into A Resource Box
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Posted by Steve Shaw at September 8th, 2008 | Comments (74)
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