Before we jump right into some more of the article marketing secrets, I wondered if you've been noticing the "big picture"?
If you're going to cash-in (or get rich - yes it is possible) on the internet, you must have traffic. You can have the best product or service, the coolest website or blog and the best customer service... but without traffic you will never make one red cent. In fact, you will most likely lose money.
I'm guessing, since you're here, you've already figured that part out.
So what's the big picture when it comes to traffic? It's simple really and it boils down to just two things:
1. Offer something of value - real value - to people (preferably free - like content/information) on your website or blog. Do NOT just try and sell them...
and...
2. Use a SYSTEM to drive traffic. Don't waste all you're time looking for that single technique to generate millions of visitors to your site overnight. It doesn't exist. Try the free techniques we list here, find a few that work the best for you and then use them consistently.
Now you have a system that drives a steady flow of traffic to your site or blog.
It's really a very simple formula for success that many folks try to over-complicate...
The reason I wanted to mention all this to you before diving into more article marketing secrets, is because it's also a vital part of the formula for success with article marketing itself.
1. Your article must offer real value to the reader. It can't be some crap you just threw together in two minutes that makes little or no sense or offers no real content.
2. You will use a system. Submit an article to Ezine. Rewrite it a bit and submit it to another article directory. Rewrite it a bit again and submit to other sites. Write a new article related to your topic and repeat the process.
The most important part of that two step process is number one - VALUE. You can and will succeed in article marketing if you offer value. If your articles have value you can still succeed by "skimpling" a bit on part two. If your articles are crap, you can put part two on steroids and you will still NOT succeed.
This does not mean you have to be a professional writer. Not at all. That's not what I mean.
Think of tips and how-to's when it comes to value. Show your reader how to do something, where to get something for free, how to use a particular piece of software, how to make or design something, etc., etc. Sky is the limit here.
For a good example of value in an article, click here, to see an article my partner wrote about Las Vegas Restaurants.
== SHORTCUT SECRET TIP: The article mentioned above is very long, however it only took about 10 min to put together. An openeing paragraph or two, then copy and paste the actual "list" giving the original author credit and an ending paragraph. That's it. Totally above board and widely accepted. Very cool stuff.
===
The article offers value on two levels. One it shows the reader how and where they can find their own deals and, two, it gives a very specific list of some actual restaurants and the deals available right now. Good Stuff and very quick to create.
What was the "payoff" for this article? A couple hundred views in less than 24 hours, Google page one rankings for specific keyword phrases and, most importantly, immediate AND long term TARGETED traffic to a specific blog.
That is the power of article marketing. 30 minutes to create, edit and submit a high value article... which will payoff in a nice dividend of traffic for weeks, months and possibly even years.
And that is only ONE article. Imagine the sheer power of MULTIPLE articles in the same niche? That is why in our last post I emphasized the need to rinse and repeat.
I think this is such an important traffic topic that I'm going to spend some more time on this in the next few posts... I hope that after seeing the results that just one article can bring, you feel the same way and are just as excited!
Bigger, Faster, Stronger Traffic
always!
Paul Kaiser
