Here’s what article marketing can do for you

Recently one of my premier clients was invited to write a monthly article for a highly visible online magazine specific to her market.

The magazine is extremely well known, has a huge readership and is definitely a feather in my client’s cap.

These type of opportunities are huge and can open up a lot more opportunity. I consistently hear from men and women about how they would love this kind of opportunity but don’t do anything to create the opportunity.

Of course, there are those who will say my client is so lucky, but the fact is she created her luck by putting herself out in a big way to become visible to the powers that be with the magazine.

Great opportunities don’t just fall from the sky. We create them based on the actions we take and the foundation we make.

Gaining lots of visibility makes building your business a heck of a lot easier. And truth be told, visibility definitely equates to more revenue generating opportunities.
Granted, not everyone needs name recognition within their market. Yet, 99 percent of the clients I work with find that name recognition is essential to their success. If you are an author, coach, speaker, trainer, consultant, artist, or entrepreneur, you likely need name recognition.

One of the most effective ways to gain visibility is by writing and distributing articles – article marketing. I began article marketing in the late nineties when few people were doing it. I had very little visibility and market position compared to what I have today. Without a doubt, one thing that skyrocketed my visibility was article marketing.

If you haven’t yet begun writing articles to establish your expert status, build your subscriber list, and increase your credibility and market reach, now is a great time to begin. Article marketing:
• Positions you as an expert
• Increases traffic to your blog, website, and landing pages
• Increases sales potential
• Builds name recognition
• Gains trust and entry into your customer’s mind
• Builds a highly responsive subscriber list for any industry

Not Everyone Agrees

Years ago I received a very heated email from a subscriber who said article marketing for visibility, credibility, and increased revenues absolutely does not work. She claimed she tried this strategy with no success at all, and she was very upset. She supported her position by adding that many of her friends and colleagues had similar results. Here’s what she wrote: “I personally don’t know anyone who has gotten increased business from this tactic and none of my clients have either. Who is getting more business from this and what are they doing differently?”

Amazingly, the very strategy she said didn’t work was what had encouraged her to opt in to my subscriber list – she read one of my articles and responded to the free ebook offer mentioned at the end of the article. Hmmmm.

Success Strategies

It takes more than just throwing some words together and calling it an article for article marketing to work. Consider the following questions:
• How well written is the article?
• Is it geared to a specific market?
• Does the title grab people’s attention?
• Is there a resource box at the end of the article?
• Does the resource box include a compelling offer that encourages the reader to visit your website, blog, or landing page?
• Is your website set up to optimize those visits with a visible opt-in opportunity that is of high value?
• Do you have a follow-up plan to market to those who opt in to your subscriber list?
• Are you creating high value for those who receive messages from you?

When one or more of these elements is not in place, writing and distributing articles can be completely ineffective.

Be Realistic
Don’t expect to immediately increase revenue by posting one article. There’s a process involved in turning casual readers into paying customers, and this process should be part of your overall marketing strategy. It’s like baking a cake; if you don’t have all the right ingredients and use them in the correct order, you can have a total flop on your hands. But when article marketing is coordinated with the rest of your marketing plan, you can be extremely successful and enjoy a very tasty outcome.