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8 Tell-Tale Signs That Forecast Writing Success!
‘Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” Stephen King Ever wonder what the hands of fate will deal you in the way of success as a writer? Or why...
Business Writing Skills Part III: Avoiding Sexist Language
Many businesspeople are unfamiliar with business writing. Concise writing will build your business because you will better connect with customers and prospects. In this four-part series, I will teach you how to make your writing and other business...
How to Improve Your Writing Without Writing a Word
Many an ad, business letter and TV commercial comes into being slowly, even painfully. Maybe because some of us write as if we were still using an IBM Selectric, wite-out and a badly worn Webster's. For that matter, maybe some still are. And that's...
The Bible - The Source Of All Copywriting Secrets
I've been a student of the Bible for practically all my life.
There is a lot of reason why this book remains the number one
best-seller year after year. I think that it is the source of
ALL wisdom, yes, including successful copywriting!
What...
Writing Web Copy That SELLS - How It Compares With Offline Copy
Whoever said "long copy" doesn't work on the web obviously doesn't know how to sell online. In fact, online marketers are making an absolute fortune with web pages spanning 1200 or more words used to sell their software and manual products. There's...
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Article Writing Do's and Don'ts
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article marketing? Ahh, I'm so pleased! With any luck, you'll be an article-writing machine by tomorrow. But before you being submitting articles on the web as a brand-building strategy, keep the following Do's and Don'ts in mind.
Article Writing Do's
1. DO use keywords in your article title and through the supporting paragraphs. What are keywords? Quick answer: they're the most popularly searched terms that folks in your niche market are using in Google and other search engines. You MUST learn more about keywords before beginning your foray into the world of article-writing. Find out about keywords here.
2. DO feature information your reader can use. If you never give away any good secrets in your articles, your reader is going to see through the facade, and quickly. A great marketer shares the wealth (of knowledge). This is how the internet experts build their credibility! Do you know a thing or two about internet forums? Tell some people about it in your articles. Acquire adoring fans by offering useful information!
3. DO include live links to your website. Everyone on the web who picks up content from article distribution sites like Ezinearticles.com adheres to their strict policy of including live URL links and a bio from every article author. This is huge, and the sole reason to write the article in the first place! So, take the time to include links to your website (or sales letter page if you have one,) and make them live. If you don't know how to do this, maybe this article can help: Essential HTML Skills for Article Authors-- 7 Tips. But please keep your links to three or less!
4. DO follow a tight article body structure that's easy to read. If you're still keeping up with this article, it's probably because I've made it easy for your eye to follow along. There's nothing worse than having to sift through a long trail of endless information that's all lumped together. Be kind to your reader and break up your article into easily-understood sections.
5. DO include an Author Bio that positions you as a market leader. Your author bio should be dynamic, timeless, and include a call to action. Don't forget that your article is going to be read within the context of someone else's website. If your bio is dull and boring, your reader won't feel compelled to
"follow you home." Tell them flat-out what to do. "Visit Wordfeeder.com to find out how expert articles can position you as an expert in your field!"
Article Writing Don'ts
1. DON'T skimp on quality! Just because you've committed yourself to writing hundreds of articles does not mean that the articles should be sub-par reading. The quickest way to destroy your own credibility is to submit sloppy work. So please proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, and maintain solid sentence structure throughout.
2. DON'T start rambling incessantly! We've all had our chatty spells. Sometimes we get going on a topic and just can't seem to stop. Just because you're on a roll does not mean the reader is following. In the name of professionalism, stick to the topic at hand.
3. DON'T write an article that's vague. Always check your article for informational value. Be specific! Your reader will thank you for including well-developed thoughts, and the payoff will come in the form of purchased product on your website.
4. DON'T be tempted to rip off someone else's work. While some people may not be paying close attention to your online conduct, the people who matter usually are. If you steal someone else's ideas, you may be able to fool people into thinking you're somebody you're not... for a while. Eventually, that facade will quickly fall away when your future clients attempt to know you on a deeper level. And that will totally wreck you in a heartbeat. So don't do it!
5. DON'T include too many personal stories. Every once in a while, it's nice to get an up-close impression of a fellow internet marketer. Wow, real people with real lives, kinda neat! But if you're constantly blowing hot air about how you did this or that, potential customers are going to lose interest. The key question is "What's in it for the customer?"
Okay! So we've covered the basics of What to Do and What Not to Do in your articles. If you feel that you don't have time to devote to such painstaking detail, that's okay. There are plenty of ghostwriters who have perfected this craft and will gladly write targeted articles for you. I'm one of them!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
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