Online Article Marketing Brings Customers To You

How It Works

The standard marketing approach for companies has, for a long time, been to take out a billboard, a yellow pages ad, or to pay for a radio or television commercial. The typical ad would basically proclaim that, "our company is the best". The trouble with this kind of advertising is that any company can say anything they want to about themselves without having a bit of proof to back it up.

Online article marketing is a much more unique approach. Begin by choosing any subject that has something to do with what your company does or sells, and write a short article about it. Better yet, create an informational article that will appeal to people who are in your target market. For example if you sell toilets, tell people how to install their own toilet. Or if you do landscaping, tell people how to landscape their own property --- and in the end, most readers will decide that although you have shown them how to do it themselves, the actual task is hard work and they would prefer to pay someone like you to do the task for them.

Next, find a company who will distribute the article online for you through various e-zines, newsletters and websites, etc. These distribution companies typically charge a small fee for sending articles to publishers, and if need be, some distribution companies can also write the articles for you.

At the end of each article there is something referred to as a "resource box." In this box, there will be a short, 2-3 sentence sales pitch telling people why they should visit your website, with links leading directly to your company's website. The goal of the resource box is to entice the reader to visit your website. It is that easy.

Once a potential client is on your website, he or she can see exactly what your company has to offer. Chances are, they will use your services because they have already received free, useful advice from you through the article. In this way, you have actually proven you are knowledgeable instead of just saying it. This low-key approach tends to be more appreciated by customers than some in-your-face proclamation of greatness.

Is It Worth It?

Absolutely! For your money, you will never find a broader scope of advertising possibilities. Distribution networks are making it possible for these written articles to be seen by hundreds and thousands of potential customers. And when your article is picked up by a website, it has the potential of residing on that website for many years to come, and often, your article could find its way into the search engine results for your article's topic. That means almost unlimited opportunities for your company's name to be seen and heard. No other type of advertising can deliver those types of results for such a small fee.

How Big Is Your Dream?

Ever heard of a small company called StubHub? This is an online ticket broker that helps put sold-out event tickets into the hands of fans everywhere. This company is also in the process of being purchased by EBay, Inc. for a measly 310 million dollars! Interestingly, article marketing was used as part of their marketing strategy. Of course, offering a great service didn't hurt either. In any event, this company saw the possible benefits of this newer type of marketing and gave it a shot. Who knows, maybe your company will be able to credit some of its success to distributing well-written articles online.

Don't Just Write It, Write It Well

In order for article marketing to be as effective as possible, it is important that the printed articles have very few mistakes, if any at all. Misspelled words, run-on sentences and other writing errors are really noticeable on a computer screen. You want potential customers to focus on the content of the article, not the mistakes in grammar or syntax. Inevitably, this inattention to detail will only succeed in making your company appear not to care about small issues. A carefully written article shows that details matter to your company. In today's customer service starved society, a little thing such as this can make all the difference in which company a customer will choose.

That said; if writing isn't your strong point, don't hesitate to hire a professional writer. As stated earlier, some online article distribution companies have writers on staff that can help you with this. Other writers do freelance work and can be found advertising their services online. The point is, once you decide to use online article marketing to promote your business, make sure the articles being written truly represent the image of your company that you want to get across.

The Skinny

Online article marketing gives you the opportunity to advertise your company 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and 365 days per year. It is an easy, inexpensive, and innovative technique being used more and more by Internet savvy businesses. Don't let this growing trend pass your company by. It could be the key to turning your small business into a major corporation.

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Tammy M. Ratcliff is a staff writer and editor for the Phantom Writers (thePhantomWriters.com); they have been writing and distributing articles for clients since 2001. If you would like to talk to a human being about their services, please feel free to call Bill Platt at (405) 780-7745 between 9am-6pm CST, Monday through Friday. To get a feel for their writing range, we encourage you to read the materials they use as exclusive content on: www.PenCircles.com