• By Tiva Kelly
• Published 03/24/2008
• Article Writing

Article marketing is undoubtedly one of the best ways to market a small businesses online, as it is a great way to reach potential customers, to earn their trust and respect, and to elevate one’s web site in search engine rankings. Clearly, the choice to use article marketing is an easy one, but many small business owners are unsure about where to go from there. They are not sure how to write good articles, and article writing tips can be difficult to find. Fortunately, I’ve spent a great deal of time researching the issue, conducting interviews with successful article marketers, reading material on the subject, and even participating in the process myself. In the end, all of my research has lead me to one, earth-shattering conclusion: Article marketing is easy! Ultimately, you just have to write. That’s it. Everything else is secondary. Of course, that’s not to ignore the importance of writing high-quality content. But prospective article writers need to remember that, once they’ve generated the raw content, article marketing services are out there to provide feedbacks and tips about how to make the content desirable to article-hungry web publishers. That’s what these services are there for — to help you get published. The best article marketing services are populated by experts in the field of Internet marketing, so you should trust them. They know what they’re talking about, and they are happy to work with you. Before you go to your article marketing service for close help, though, there are a few things to remember when writing your articles.

First, your content must be original, and it must be useful. Before you begin, brainstorm some ideas of things you can write about. Maybe browse web sites that publish content in your field, and look for information gaps that you can fill. Remember, the most important thing is to attract new customers, and the best way to do this is to earn their trust. If

your content is genuinely original, informative, and useful, customers are sure to seek out your services. Next, in addition to earning the trust of potential customers, you also want them to like you. Make your sentences and arguments clear and easy to follow. Don’t sound too lofty or academic. Just pretend that you are speaking to your favorite customer, who is standing before you in person. Also, it is very important to carefully plan the length and structure of your articles. Length-wise, you want them to be in the 500-700 word range. If your article is shorter than that, then you probably haven’t said enough; if it’s longer, then you’re probably rambling or using too many unnecessary words. Structurally, you want your article to have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction draws the reader in, convincing her that you truly have something important and valuable to tell her. The body has a clear and logical progression; try not to jump erratically from one idea to another. Finally, the conclusion convinces the reader that you have shown her something they need. It drives your points home, and leaves the reader feeling satisfied. If you do all this, then you should have no problem. Plus, it’s important to remember that it does get easier after the first few articles. Many small business owners whom I’ve spoken with describe the first few articles as excruciating experiences, sometimes taking hours or days to write just one. After they get into the swing of things, though, many of these same people can write a full, substantial article in just an hour or two. And this is important, as the key to successful article marketing is to keep at it.

Yes, it is a challenge, but the potential benefits to you and your business are unlimited. In the end, it’s essential to find a high-quality, reliable article marketing service. This way, if your articles are still lacking, you will have partners to help you elevate your articles to the standards of Web publishers. Don’t be afraid; it’s easy, and simple. You just have to start writing.