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Article Marketing - Do It Right Or Don't Do It At All

by: Maurice Snell

This may seem like a harsh title, tinged with arrogance, but like all worthwhile online marketing ventures, it hasn't taken long for the holes to start appearing in the fabric of the system once the benefits of article marketing were introduced to a much wider audience. If you are thinking about entering the article marketing arena, or even if you've been at it for a while and are disappointed in your results, I hope that this article will give you some ideas on the way to go about things, as well as some things to avoid at all costs. A lot of people will tell you that you don't need to be a good writer to use articles to promote your business

This is rubbish, pure and simple! If you can't write at least reasonably well, your efforts will actually do you more harm than good.

Think about it - rightly or wrongly, your credibility will be affected by what you write and how you write it. As a reader, when I see things like "Are You Tired Of Loosing Money Online", my idiot radar switches on immediately, and I click away. It's true that you don't have to be Shakespeare, but if you can't spell (spell checkers aren't that difficult to use), can't punctuate and don't have a basic grasp of English grammar, you will appear, to a large number of people, to be an idiot.

People don't often want to place their trust in those they perceive to be idiots, much less do business with them. It doesn't matter if it's fair, or right or wrong, it's just true.

As an article directory owner and publisher of articles myself, I'm quite often appalled at the standard of writing on display. Having been raised to believe that if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well, I can't help but cringe as an editor when I see so many poorly constructed efforts. So, if you struggle with writing, think twice about proceeding, and, if you prefer, use a ghost writer to create your copy. This doesn't guarantee quality of course. I've seen pieces by freelance writers and ghost written articles of a very poor standard too and can only admire the audacity of these people who are getting paid for what they do, and yet manage to do it so very badly.

If English is not your first language, submitting horribly mangled efforts is unlikely to work either. It's not that editors are unkind or unfeeling or don't understand and appreciate the effort you may have put in, but they usually don't have time to proof read every article they receive and poor translations are among the first to end up coming under the unforgiving hammer of the delete button.

As a writer, remember that the directory owners are looking for a reasonable standard. If they fill their directories with rubbish, they won't get returning visitors, and the usefulness of their site soon becomes questionable to anyone who drops by looking for some good content to republish on their websites or blogs. This is a serious threat to authors, publishers,directory owners and the entire fabric of article marketing.

Moving on, let's talk about keywords. So many people get this aspect wrong, it's worth mentioning it yet again. If you are targeting the key phrase "dog kennels" for example, you want to try and use it in your title, and to sprinkle it around in your content, probably ending up with a hyper-linked example in your resource box. However, overuse will kill your work and probably see your article rejected by any decent directory. If the following were to appear in the first paragraph, you will, in all likelihood, be zapped immediately by any savvy editor....

"Dog Kennels come in all shapes and sizes. When shopping for dog kennels you can often find them at better prices online. Dog kennels are important for your dog's well being and choosing dog kennels that are not suited to the dog you own is a common mistake. So, how do you choose dog kennels and where should you start when looking to buy dog kennels online?"...

Now, if you think that looks OK, I'll save you some time and effort. Don't try your hand at article marketing. This example is not uncommon. With the proliferation of automated writing software and the insistence by "experts" that keywords are vital, this is exactly the sort of dross that fills the moderation queues of directories everywhere. End result - cyber garbage tip.

You will also notice, through the painfully manipulated and halting style, that the article already sounds like an ad. That's because it is - it's not an article, it's poorly written ad copy and it won't work. Writing articles and writing ads are two completely different disciplines and you will do well to remember this if you want to succeed with article marketing.

Editors quickly recognize and reject such obvious ads. Sure, if you mass submit, one or two of your efforts will make it into some of the less discerning directories, but who is going to pick up your work and publish it elsewhere? Poor articles will deliver poor results every time - that's a guarantee I can give with confidence.

If it's all beginning to sound like a lot of hard work, well, it is. However, following a few simple rules will ensure that article marketing works for you. Remember that quality is always preferable to quantity and you won't go too far wrong.

Read the submission guidelines of the directories you submit to as they all have their own rules and getting off on the wrong foot won't help your efforts.

If you use article submission software, some directories won't accept your work, although the majority will. If you use an article distribution service, choose carefully as many directories view these in a very poor light due to extremely bad or non existent quality control. As you will be paying for the service, ask around about their reputation and effectiveness before buying.

Although it's tempting to want to get your article into hundreds of directories, it's sometimes better to be selective. Often, a well written article submitted to a handful of quality sites will be a better bet. There are plenty of niche directories as well as general ones, so your choices are plentiful. 'Good' doesn't always mean only those with high PR for example; there are plenty of lesser known and smaller sites where your work will get good exposure and not be lost in piles of dross.

There is a lot more to this subject, but these points should give you an idea of some of the pitfalls and help you to avoid making some of the more common mistakes. There is no doubt that article marketing can be a powerful and effective promotional tool for almost any business. Just be sure to do your research and provide a worthwhile product in your writing efforts, and your reputation will flourish.

where authors and publishers can benefit from their article marketing efforts. Visit his article directory today.

7 Easy Steps to Hiring a Virtual Assistant

by: Angela Wills

There comes a point in every online business where you need to start outsourcing but the task can feel so overwhelming and time consuming that you keep putting it off. You don't know who to choose to trust your business to, or where to find them and you definitely don't have the time to spend preparing materials to train them on what your business needs.

Eventually you are just working too many hours a day and you must start outsourcing in order to keep up with your current workload and grow further.

How do you know you're ready to hire a virtual assistant? You may or may not be making a profit when you decide on bringing a virtual assistant into your business. It's more important that you have a process for creating profits then it is to have a lot of extra cash on hand. If you have an action plan for creating real income and making the investment of a VA back then you're ready to outsource.

Here are 7 easy steps to hiring a virtual assistant (or assistants) that will be a great asset to your business:

1. Start Writing Down Processes - Any virtual assistant who becomes an important part of your online business will get to know it very well. You can help speed up the learning curve and the process of getting your new VA setup by writing down your business processes.
   
   I know, you're busy, but if you just take a few minutes anytime you do anything important that you can eventually see yourself outsourcing it will save you a lot of time and money later on. Take a screenshot, or make a short video of each important task. Over time this effort will add up and you'll have a full stock of training materials. This is a big help to a virtual assistant!

2. Ask Friends/Colleagues For Referrals - One of the very best ways to find a virtual assistant you'll be happy with is to ask other business owners you know who outsource.

3. Look at Their Website - A virtual assistant should have a professional website, it is their virtual 'office'. Check out the website of the assistant you are considering. Do they pay attention to detail? What services do they offer? What is their availability?

4. Interview a Number of Virtual Assistants - You probably don't want to hire the first virtual assistant you come across. Take some time to interview a number of VAs and compare the responses.
   
   Most virtual assistants will have a free 30-minute interview which will give you plenty of time to give good consideration to what they have to offer your business.

5. Ask for Portfolios or Testimonials - Most virtual assistants will have testimonials on their websites of satisfied clients. Have a look for these and read them through.

6. Wait For a Follow Up - If you have some time before you need to hire a virtual assistant, wait and see if the VA will follow up with you. This shows that the VA you've contacted is organized and on top of things.

7. Try a Trial Run - Before booking a 10 hour per month retainer, ask if you can do a trial run of working together. Tim Ferris suggests in his book, the 4-Hour Work Week, that you test your new virtual assistant by providing some small tasks and setting deadlines. Make sure the directions are clear and see if the VA follows them and gets the project completed on time. If the VA can't meet these expectations then move on to one who can.

Finding a virtual assistant who works well with your business can sometimes be a challenge. It will be well worth the time and effort once you do find the person who fits perfectly with your plans for growing your business.