• By William Gold
• Published 02/18/2011
• Article Writing

Though having experienced a resurgence in popularity with the advent of the internet, article marketing is a method of advertising that has existed for as long as there has been printed mass media. Article marketing differs from traditional print advertising in that, as opposed to a short, concise advert, a relatively short (four hundred fifty to five hundred fifty words) informative article is used to advertise a company’s products or services. Though these articles can be independently written by a third party simply praising the company through reviews or commentary, the articles are predominantly written by the company itself. But there are many purposes for article marketing to fulfill and most of them involve the lucrative advertisement. To attract potential customers, the articles themselves are typically written on a subject that is tangentially related to whatever the company is hoping to sell. So for example, a company that deals in indoor heating might shortly before winter release an article about the most efficient ways to keep your home heated during the colder season. By informing the reader of information relevant to their present circumstances, the company draws attention to its products and services.

When referring to printed article marketing, these articles are then published in readily available print sources – newspapers, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, etc. Unlike conventional adverts, however, companies tend to avoid paying for publication. Instead, publishe

rs in need of content for their publications are generally happy to accept relevant, informative articles from companies invested in article marketing. The company, looking to expose their article or advertisement, is happy to provide free content to the publisher, in exchange for the publisher allowing them to include post-scripted references to the company so that readers interested in the material would subsequently seek out the company for further inquiry, possible becoming a customer. The invention of the internet provided a place for article marketing to flourish. Given the interactivity and convenient interface of a web browser, article marketing is perfectly suited to the world wide web. Instead of simple post scripted references, articles can now include hyperlinks leading to the company’s website – instantly bridging the gap between the reader’s interest in the article, and the availability of the products and services offered by the company. The presence of hyperlinks, if used properly with specific keywords, can also potentially boost the company website’s relevance in search engine queries, the practice of which is the core principle behind search engine optimization.

Because web space is cheap, if anything at all, companies may no longer even need third party publishers to expose their articles to the public. Articles can instead be published on websites and blogs maintained for minimal cost by the company itself. Also, because web space is virtually unlimited, the article can be published in multiple locations, in multiple variations, exposing it to a much, much wider audience.