Online marketing has been a vast and rapidly growing outlet over the past decade. Obviously, there are many approaches to online marketing, but very few that come close to the effectiveness of article marketing. Article Marketing has provided a large portion of the visitors for some of the web’s most successful businesses and it has proven to be one of the most cost effective marketing techniques today.

What is Article Marketing and How Does it Work?

Article Marketing is the publication of written content on websites other than your own. Sometimes these websites may have similar content or products as your business. Sound like helping your competition? Here’s the catch. Your article includes a backlink – a link that leads to your own website. Simply put, you provide an article on other people’s websites that ends with a link back to your own website. The idea is that for those sites using your article, they must include the link back to your site.

The quality of your article’s content is a deciding factor in how many people will publish it on their sites. This is why it is very important that your articles be well written, purposeful, and relevant to the subject. If you don’t or can’t write the articles yourself, you might want to consider paying for someone to write for you. In the long run it will be worth it.

Is Article Marketing Effective

Article Marketing has become extremely popular because of the way search engines do their searching. There was a time when the number of visitors to a site was a critical factor in its listings with search engines such as Google or Yahoo. Today, however, the key determinant is the number of backlinks: pointers from other sites to yours. To understand how the backlinks work in relevancy to your page listing, you must first understand the search engine process.

Your page’s popularity, known as the page rank, is judged by two factors: how many backlinks there are to your site; and the popularity of the sites that those backlinks are on. For example, let’s say you have two backlinks to your site listed on two different websites. One of those sites, say Microsoft.com, has a very high page rank. The other, BobsDoItYourselfComputerRepair.com, has a pretty low page rank. Your site will receive more notice from the search engines because of the link on the more popular site. So, backlinks on high-profile sites will inevitably raise your page ranking.

Creating and Submitting Articles

When creating your articles, remember that quality is of utmost importance. People are looking for information, and a well-written, relevant article will position you as someone who knows what they are talking about in a reader’s mind. If you don’t think you can write your own articles, there are many online outlets for finding writers.

Once the article is written, add a link to your site along with your by-line. This is called a resource box and can include a little bit about you and your business as well as the link to your website.

Next, you will need to get your article submitted to other sites. You don’t have to do this yourself. There are literally thousands of article marketing source sites on the Internet that can do it for you. However, the more popular ones are those that produce the most effective traffic. Among these are EzineArticles.com, ArticleDashboard.Com, and GoArticles.Com. Each of these will provide excellent sources for backlinks, but be prepared to submit only well-written articles, as they tend to be quite thorough in their screening process.

Check Your Article Marketing Campaign

Once you have submitted your article, give it a few weeks to make its way out onto the World Wide Web. Then, use one of the many backlink-checking tools available on the net. Most are free and can be found by doing a simple web search. Domain-Pop.com and IWebTool.com provide some of the more popular tools. The larger search engines (i.e. Google.com) provide backlink-checking tools also. These programs are usually easy to use and require no download. Simply go to the site, put the web address of your site into the appropriate space, and hit enter. In a few seconds you will be able to see how many backlinks your site has and, in most cases, exactly what sites those backlinks are listed on.

Article Marketing is not only one of the most effective techniques for building your page rank and popularity, but is also one of the most simple and most inexpensive, particularly if you have good writing skills of your own. Remember to keep your article content similar to the content of your site. People surfing for the information in your articles will only click on the link in your resource box if it is relevant to their own personal interests. Also remember that article marketing takes time and effort. It doesn’t happen overnight. With every article you put out onto the web, you are putting out another way for potential visitors to find you. Over time, this will increase the traffic to your website and will eventually increase your sales.

Author’s Note: This article also published here.

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Enzo F. Cesario is a Copywriter and co-founder of Brandsplat. Brandcasting uses informative content and state-of-the-art internet distribution and optimization to build links and drive the right kind of traffic to your website. Go to http://www.Brandsplat.com/ or visit our blog at: http://www.brandsplatblog.com/

Read more articles written by Enzo F. Cesario

Even with no product and no Web site, you can get paid for what and who you know

Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.

But it’s hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on “make money online” and “making money online”, and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, “Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?”

So I put together a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:

Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money
Don’t require you to have your own Web domain or your own products
Don’t involve any hard-selling
Aren’t just promoting more Internet marketing
Give a good return on your time investment

In the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.
Help friends find better jobs.

Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, Bohire and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking – the people who know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars – not chump change. If you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn’t these days?), this is a great way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.

Connect suppliers with buyers.

Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they haven’t been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell and uRefer now provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they’re willing to pay (and for what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well as transactions.

Write.

A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog posts. Associated Content and Helium will “pay for performance” based on page views for just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics they’re looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are probably low for established writers, but if you’re trying to break into the field and have time on your hands, they’re a great way to start. Also, a lot of companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.

Start your own blog.

You don’t have to have your own Web site, or install blogging software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate links whenever you refer to those items. You’ll have to get a lot of traffic to become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you’re off to a good start.

Related: Monetizing Your Blog

Create topical resource hubs.

Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol. Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You’ll get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.

Advertise other people’s products.

If you already have a Web site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and brands – they’re easier to sell. To promote those products:

Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your site

Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control

Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular product

They all work – it just depends on how much time you have to spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing.

Related: How to Really Make Money on the Internet With an Amazon.com Affiliate Site

Microstock photography.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don’t have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people’s faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise – you’d be amazed what people need pictures of, so don’t make any assumptions. If it’s a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime and iStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it’s truly “set it and forget it”.

The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.

Author Bio: Click the link, to learn how to make money online by some of the most successful people to date http://TopSecretOnlineProfits.com

I recently put a survey together asking my list what their most important question was in regard to marketing and growing their business. The results showed a common theme. Many of you enquired, “How can I get people interested in what I do?”

In this article I share some tips to increase your visibility, get the attention of YOUR target audience and help elevate your expert status, making YOU the natural choice.

This week whilst I was working with a client I was asked a similar question. Jane (not her real name) explained that she’d been attending a number of local networking events, collecting business cards and following up with those that she’d met. She’d also spent time using Facebook and Twitter. Despite consistent effort she’d been unable to generate attention and still had nothing to show for her efforts. Jane wanted to know how to capture interest and then turn that interest into income!

1. Demonstrate your expertise

This will quickly filter out anyone who is not part of your target market and immediately give you a greater return on your investment of time. You’re ONLY communicating with those that WANT to hear your message. Marketing becomes much more enjoyable because you’re not forcing yourself on people who don’t want to hear from you.

2. Write an article on your area of expertise

Your article should recognise your target audiences’ wants, needs and problems just as I’ve done here. I’m answering my readers’ questions and challenges whilst simultaneously building rapport and breaking down the scepticism associated to buying. Publish your article within your ezine and post to article submission sites across the internet.

3. Repurpose your content

In light of the current economic downturn it’s vital to make a PERSONAL connection with your audience. Use media such as video or audio to repurpose your article. Chop it up into 140 characters for Twitter tips. Post it at your blog and drive traffic from Facebook. Chop it into sound-bites for a series of audio tips to share on Friendfeed or video yourself and post it to YouTube.

4. Use social proof

Nothing builds credibility more than other’s showering you with praise. It’s also a powerful tool in leading people to buy. It works on the idea that, if everyone else is doing something then you‘re going to want to do it as well. Here are examples of Tweets I received yesterday that I re-tweeted (RT) to my social networks: -

RT: @SusanSavery @VictoriaPlayer Hi Victoria – great coaching call yesterday, I spent the rest of the day doing research lol thanks again for your fantastic marketing ideas! xx Ps the video diary is great : )

RT: @TerriBelford @victoriaplayer love your new audio/video blog Victoria. http://snurl.com/fvea8

RT: @Richard__White Just finished listening to free audio by @victoriaplayer – very useful tips on making internet marketing work for you: http://bit.ly/97vX3

Offer proof where possible by including testimonials, comments and case studies within your content. These can then be broadcast within your ezine or across social networks.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER, WEBSITE OR BLOG? Feel free but may I ask that you include the resource box below in full. You are also welcome to use my photo.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Player, also known to many as the Online Marketing Coach, is the founder of the small business growth website VictoriaPlayer.com. She works with coaches and other small businesses to help them develop their online presence; automate their marketing, attract more of their IDEAL clients and build financial freedom! To get your FREE audio training program packed full of practical how-to marketing advice, visit: http://www.victoriaplayer.com

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com

In the past few weeks I’ve had an influx of new clients and there appears to be a common trend amongst them. Fuelled by the economic downturn people are realising the need to crank up their marketing efforts but they are looking OUTSIDE their businesses for new leads and sales. The truth is that people are leaving bags of untapped revenue on the table. They are not harvesting the opportunities that lay dormant within their current business.

In this article I share my key credit-crunch busting tips for squeezing tons of untapped revenue out of your business even if you’re just starting out: -

1. Ensure Your Marketing Funnel Works

How are you handling new and existing leads? How is your marketing funnel working? Do you have an effective follow up sequence set in place or are people falling through the gaps? This is where you should be spending the majority of your time right now. Follow up is queen in this economy. Ensure that you are cultivating the relationships that you already have. These are the people who already know you, they may have bought from you before so will understand the value of your offerings.

2. Focus on Your Current Client Base

Begin harvesting the relationships that you’ve been cultivating in the past months and years. Acknowledge your community. Let them know that they are important to you. Make them feel special and thank them. Now is a good time to be utilising information marketing techniques. Be mindful of your clients needs and tailor everything you do to helping them fulfil them. Give away lots of meaty information; provide value and assistance that builds trust and confidence. Your clients do still have money to invest, but they need to understand the value of what you offer and be well informed to feel confident about making a purchase.

3. Design Special Pricing, Products and Programs

Begin by identifying the top 20% of your clients and the top 5% and start to create special pricing, products and programs that specifically cater to their needs. Ask your list and past clients what they need. Do a survey. What are they struggling with now? What are their obstacles? Think about ways that you can create both niche products and multiple offers at varying prices points that will fulfil those needs. A one price fits all business model will not work in this economy. Just remember, people STILL need your products and services, their challenges ARE still there. In fact, their situation is probably accentuated by the current economic climate. Be aware that if you don’t fill your clients needs they will look elsewhere. So it’s your job to be creative. Offer multi-level pricing for your services and offer information products at lower price points which act as the lead in to your higher priced products and programs.

4. Increase Customer Value

Don’t focus on getting more new people on your list unless you’re just starting out. Your focus should be on getting those you have to spend more with you. Your list will grow naturally when you’re seen to be doing well and your clients will refer you to others when you help them get results. People are most likely to buy from you when they have just made a purchase. Implement immediate upsells which will increase your customer value. Do your clients know that you offer other products and services? Are you upselling? Identify each customer touch point and ensure that you are upselling new and exciting products and services at each of these points.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER, WEBSITE OR BLOG? Feel free but may I ask that you include the resource box below in full. You are also welcome to use my photo.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Player works with coaches and small service-based businesses. Want to increase your online visibility, position yourself as an expert and attracting more of your IDEAL clients without the need to sell? Get your FREE audio training program packed full of practical how-to marketing advice for attracting repeat and increased business each and every month, visit http://www.VictoriaPlayer.com

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com