How Do You Know What Topics Strike A Nerve With Your Target Market?

arrow found the target
Originally uploaded by melilab

A key aspect of article marketing is providing valuable educational content for your target market, but how do you know what sorts of information your target customers are looking for? 

Of course we always write on the topic of our websites, but beyond that, where can we get specific ideas for articles? 

The crazy thing is that we (the experts) oftentimes are so waist deep in our field that we overlook the most obvious questions and topics.

As business owners who are marketing focused, sometimes our brains are not completely customer-centric when we're deciding what to write about.

That is just human nature–in order to get a read on questions that are circling through our customers' brains, we need to venture beyond ourselves and our expertise and journey into the turf of our customers. 

But where do you find that turf, and how can we get into the minds of our customers?  

Please check out these 5 main areas where you can get a read on your target customers so that you can then produce content that will satisfy their needs: 

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

5 Creative Ways To Get Multiple Marketing Uses Out Of Your Articles

my swiss army knife
Originally uploaded by Alesist

You're doing article marketing, and on top of that you have a blog, a newsletter, and also participate in various social media activities.

You start to wonder–

"How in the world can I write enough to keep all of these marketing activities going? I feel like I'm writing all the time–articles, blog posts, newsletter articles, e-books, Squidoo lenses. Something's gotta give!" 

I hear you–I've been there before, and there was a time when I was writing, writing, writing and felt like I would never catch up with all the worthy projects I wanted to do. 

I can't explain what happened, but gradually over time things just started to fall into place.

I was creating lots of quality content, and then I started to see how the various types of online content could play off of each other. I started to get multiple uses out of one burst of effort, reaching different people in my target market, and all the while getting customers and potential customers saying, "Thank you for all the free information you offer! It's a big help–keep it comin'!"

I discovered that the real trick is seeing how one bit of writing for one online tool can be used as a marketing multi-tasker. 

I'm happy to share how I get double (and sometimes triple and quadruple) duty out of one piece of content, such as articles:

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

How To Write an Article Quickly with an Outline

Moleskine map of 婺源 by Gaoyuan
Originally uploaded by ♥ China ♥ guccio

How do you start writing an article? 

Do you:

A. Just sit down and start writing

B. Make a few notes, then write

C. Create a full-blown outline to work from

D. Use a previously written piece of content as an "outline" for a re-worked article

I have experimented with all of these methods, but I find that I can write a quality article the speediest when I take the time on the front end to create an outline (options C & D).

Now, I'm not talking about one of those cumbersome and intimidating outlines we did in school when we were kids–you know, the ones where you had Roman numeral I, II, III, IV, etc, and then points A, B, C, and then sub-points a, b, c.

No, no, no, no, no–that is not where we're going with this (thankfully! )

This is a very simple and useful outline created simply for your benefit (with no formality involved) that will allow you to shave time off of your overall writing time.

Here's how you do it: Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

Do You Give Your Articles A Cool Off Period?

Cooling off… Detroit RiverWalk
Originally uploaded by NoneOther… {Captured In Lights}…

In the online world where publication can take place immediately, it's easy to overlook one of the most important parts of the writing process–the cool off period. 

What's the cool off period?

Well, after you write your article it's a great idea to set it aside for at least a day or so before you submit it.

What should be happening during that cool off time?

When we're in the heat of the writing process we can get so used to looking at our article that obvious mistakes escape our eyes. We also get used to reading and re-reading our article to the point where awkward sentences and phrasing may start to sound normal to us. 

Taking a step back from your article gives your mind a chance to rest.

Really, you may leave your article thinking, "This one is perfect–I'm absolutely certain that I've proofread it backwards and forwards and there are no mistakes here!"

Then, after being away from the article for a day or so you look at it again, and it's like you're seeing it for the first time.

You say, "Where did all these errors come from? I forgot to put a conclusion to my article! Can you believe that embarrassing typo in the title that I almost sent out to publishers?! Thank goodness I caught these before submitting!"

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

How To Customize Your Resource Box In 3 Steps

Roberto Clemente Bridge
Originally uploaded by michaelrighi

Lately we've been going backwards and forwards over how to craft a really strong resource box.

We've established that first off, you need to have a really great basic text resource box.

Once you have a strong text resource box, you can create an HTML resource box that is just as effective pretty easily. 

But what about customizing your resource box? 

If your article is what lures reader's in, why not capitalize on the momentum you create in your article and tailor your resource box to perfectly suit the subject matter you've just been sharing with the reader?

Customizing your resource box is the final stage of Resource Box Evolution.

The trick is to create a bridge between your article (which is educational) and your resource box (which has some info about yourself, your website, and a call to action to visit your website).

Let's take a look how it's done…

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

5 Essential Ways To Build Credibility On The Web Through Your Articles

Believe, Love, Fly, Watch
Originally uploaded by *BlueMoon

When you start an article marketing campaign you'll often hear advice on ways to improve the technical SEO oriented side of article marketing, but there is one very powerful aspect of article marketing that folks commonly overlook:

Building credibility with readers

What is credibility? 

According to Dictionary.com, credibility means:

1. capable of being believed

2. worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy

Remember, as respectable business owners we're not just trying to "drive traffic to a website"–we also want to form relationships with our readers where trust and confidence will grow over time and where the reader/potential customer would eventually say,

"I believe him/her. I think I can trust him/her. I have confidence in his/her abilities to provide me with what I need." 

But how do you build credibility, trust, and reader confidence through your articles?

I think there are 5 crucial make-or-break areas where an author has the chance to start building a healthy relationship with a reader:

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

How To Write A Killer List Article in 10 Easy Steps

Image by Helle V

From a reader's perspective, list articles are very attractive–there is something about a good list that just draws readers in.

A list is basically like providing a built in road map for your readers to navigate your article (and it's true that we usually skim content that we read on the web, isn't it?).

A list makes it easier for a reader to grab the basic facts and to take away a few points of value, so if you haven't tried this article writing technique, I encourage you to give it a go! 

But how do you write a great list article?

It's actually not that hard, but it may have more elements to keep in mind than you imagined.

When you're writing a list to use in article marketing, here are some key steps to follow:

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

Do You Have These 3 Qualities of Superstar Article Writers?

Teacher and Sudents
Originally uploaded by connectedclass

I remember when I was sitting down to write my first article for article marketing. I was wondering,

"Am I even doing this right?" 

"What sort of stuff should I be writing about?"

"Are there certain types of people who are just naturally good at writing articles, and if not, can this skill be learned?" 

I have written a lot of articles since then, and I have been pleasantly surprised by what I've discovered along the way.

I DO think that article writing is a skill that anyone with a knowledge of the English language can learn (I say English language, because we're submitting articles in English).

If you can write a letter to your Mom, then odds are you can write a great article. You don't have to be Hemingway or anything, but you do need to have a few key characteristics if you want to craft valuable educational articles. 

There are probably more than just these qualities, but I think these are the major 3 that no article marketer can do without:

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

How a Simple Kitchen Timer Can Help You Write More Articles in Less Time

Image by Helen in Wales

It's the day before you leave for vacation.

You're working a half day, but there's still a list of things that you need to complete before you shut your computer down and grab your plane ticket. 

What do most of us do when we're in this situation?

We write down what we need to accomplish before our time is up, and then when we sit down at our desks we work like we're on a mission. 

I mean, it's a life and death situation (not really, but it can feel like it!) to know that you have a certain amount of work you need to complete by a concrete deadline.

Have you ever noticed that on days when you have a time crunch and a whole bunch to do, that your concentration is like a lightning bolt, and you're able to accomplish everything you need to do (or at least much more than you usually would in that amount of time)?

It's like you're working in overdrive!

Whether you've realized it or not, this is Timeboxing at work. 

What is Timeboxing?

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)

Resource Box Rehab: Why You Should Always Include Your Name In Your Author Resource Box…

Photo Hello, my name is…

Imagine this: 

You've just slaved away writing an extremely eloquent, insightful, helpful article that you've proofread backwards and forwards and have polished to a high sheen.

You submit your article and eagerly await all the publishers who will see it and republish it on their websites.

Remember–this is what you want: You submit your article to publishers, and then the idea is that folks will find your article and republish your article with your resource box on many, many websites.

Everything goes as planned–your article is a hit with the publishers, and it's getting picked up right and left!

There is only one problem–you forgot to include your name in your resource box, eek!

Why is this a problem? 

Read more… | Article Submission Service (SubmitYOURArticle.com)