The Payoff
The whole purpose behind article writing is to generate loads of one-way links to your site and gain more traffic. Everything in this business is quid-pro-quo. (I do something for you; I get something in return...) Well, you've provided good content for someone's website and now you get something in return: A link and a chance for a subtle pitch. I say subtle because if it is too aggressive site owners will be hesitant to place it on their pages. Your payoff comes in the form of a resource box at the end of your article and there are some guidelines to creating it.
What to Include:
1. Name: Don't forget this! It is the first thing to place into your resource box. Take credit for your work.
2. URL: Your website address MUST be placed correctly into your resource box. This link is your payment for creating content for other sites.
3. The Pitch: Here, you finally get to make that request for sales that you have earned by writing the article in the first place. Get your message across in 1-3 sentences. This may not seem like a lot, but you can get a very good message across in three sentences. Just think for a moment, Google Adwords only gives you a few phrases and you have to pay considerable amounts of money to get the same traffic you can from articles. Plus, articles cost you nothing, but time. Once you have written your first few articles you'll knock out articles smoothly and gain more traffic than you can imagine. Remember to include a Call to Action in your pitch and to take the rest of this section into consideration when creating your resource box.
Guidelines for a Successful Resource Box:
Be Relevant
The article you have written has to have relevance to your website just as the link in the resource box has to have relevance. It is real easy to tell if your site link and article had relevance to your site because if it doesn't, you will receive a lot of short term visitors. This is due to people reading your articles, liking what they see, then following your link only to find that it is not what they were looking for.
No Enormous Resource Boxes
Don't make your resource box as large as your article. This may seem to go without saying, but some people have written some huge resource boxes.
Don't Write in the Third Person
If I were to stick something like, "Neil Morrical is an expert in his field and has helped website owners in......." You get the idea? I'm going to be direct here. When you read something like that, don't you have a suspicion that the person wrote it himself? Of course you do, so do many other people. Stay away from this approach. You're attempting to build a relationship with your reader. Doing something like talking about yourself or doing your own biography in the resource box only hurts your chances of success.
Give Yourself Some Credit
If you have accomplished something like writing your own book, developing software, or a product, mention it. You want to develop a positive image and if you have accomplished something worth mentioning, do so. This will aid in building a trusting relationship between you and your visitors.
Double-Check Your Link
There is nothing more irritating than writing a great article full of valuable content and receiving nothing in return. Your link is the payoff for your hard work and providing sites with content.
Make sure that it works!
Another thing to mention is that in most cases, you are only allowed to place one link into an article. Most directories want to encourage websites to use their articles and in order to provide quality content they place restrictions on the content. These restrictions can be numerous, but in most cases you follow the majority of the rules without even knowing it. Most of the rules are just to keep things in check. I suggest simply writing contact information and using the link to your site as the actual link. Warning: People will spam you so keep this in mind before you post your email address in front of the masses.
Note: Your link should send your readers to the corresponding web page. There's nothing more irritating than following a link you believe is relevant only to be sent somewhere of no interest.
Use Signature Files
Signature files are just like electronic business cards. They list your various forms of contact and sometimes, even a slogan or advertising message. (i.e. Keeps going and going...) This is your chance to place your one-way link to your site so do it right. Remember to mention any accomplishments you may have as well as provide contact information. For example:
To Your Success,
Neil Morrical Author of the Website Solutions Manual
Copyright 2004 by Neil Morrical
Website-Solutions-Manual.com
Promote Future Affiliates
Here's a good idea, if you can manage to not violate the terms and conditions of the article directory you are using for submission. In your resource box, inform the reader that they can make commissions for placing your article on their site. Inform them that they must replace the link in the resource box with their affiliate link and register with your affiliate program. Depending on which article directories you use for submission you may or may not be able to use this strategy. Have a link to your affiliates page located as your link and on your affiliates page fill them in on the rest of your directions. This could include the new resource box for them to use when placing their affiliate link into the article.
This is just a sample of the Manual you can download at No Charge from The Website Solutions Manual. To continue and read 'The Most Powerful Free Traffic Secret' visit http://www.websitesolutionsmanual.com and download the Manual from the window appearing in the middle of the screen.
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