Pro Article

Archive for June, 2009

Whether or not you are selling a product over the web or writing fiction, you need to be able to connect with your reader. While it is obvious that quality content it essential for fiction, it is also essential for good advertising content in order to drive more content to your website. But it is a competitive market out there, and you know you are against many others who are competing for the same customer base as you.

So how hard is it to connect with your reader and create good content? Well, some do not think it is so hard. There are a multitude of software programs that claim to be able to generate thousands of articles that you can use to market your products. While these are nifty little items, the truth is that these types of article just barely “make sense” much less connect with a reader. Many web businesses are realizing that there is an art to connecting with readers, and that there has to be some thought put into good web content. This can only be done with a good writer.

That is right. Selling products is not just about writing anything that comes to mind in hopes that it gets the attention of some random reader. It is about putting together compelling content that will practically force a reader to buy the product being sold. It is not enough to hope that an emotion is evoked I a reader. That is simply a waste of time for you and the customer. If you can focus on connecting with your readers then you will have a much better chance at drawing them in.

For most web marketing, a simple conversational tone will do. Proper grammar is a must, and using contractions can help in forming a conversational tone, but just remember not to use too many or else it will dissolve your credibility. Start out by relating to a frustration the reader may have. Perhaps they continue to use products that fail or do not live up to their hype. Try to draw upon your own experiences to relate to the consumer with the notion that you “feel their pain”.

From there to relate a little bit of your own journey to finding a solution, which may mean going through a list of things that may or may not have helped. Eventually though, you want to show utter relief when you found your final solution. You want to relay what product or service saved you money and gave you the best results. You want it to feel like a testimonial, taking the consumer to the edge of their emotions without actually sounding fake.

Ultimately, connecting with your reader is a combination of telling the truth about your own experiences but highlighting points that will draw your reader in. And when you have them on the “hook”, you can relate to them what can solve their problem for them. And lastly, you want to make sure to entice them to do something about it now which is preferably to buy the product you are advertising for.

Neil Bartlett is the founder of ProArticle.com. Pro Article provides writers with Tips and Techniques for improving their writing skills. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Tips For Successful Online Writing”

As a struggling writer, you may be concerned that your writing style has become too wordy or “flowery” as they say. Perhaps you have heard this from various editors or friends. Perhaps you have heard some feedback that the person simply cannot make it through your story, novel or article. When you ask why they may respond that it just did not seem to be going anywhere. Perhaps they got bored or felt like you were not connecting with them.

Writing without thinking of your point, or becoming too overindulged with your prose can lead to a lot of readers to feel disconnected and sometimes even bored. While eloquent prose is good, it should never be wasteful or nonsensical. At the very least, it should stick to the main point of the content with the sole purpose drawing the reader in. In other words, do not simply write to say “Look at me, I can write!” You have to focus on writing concisely.

This is a problem with many writers both old and young. Even experienced writers can go off on tangents or forget what it means to create sentences that get to the point, and that can be damaging to a writer when it comes to keeping readers interested. This is especially important when writing content for the web. You want to make sure you keep the reader captivated, relate to them, and then send them happily off to the place where they can make their purchase.

While writing concisely does require some natural ability, it is also good to get in lots of practice. Anyone who wants to develop a voice for concise and meaningful prose only needs to start working on articles and content. Of course, it always helps if you can make some money along the way. Writing prose on a daily basis will allow you to have enough content out there to analyze and will eventually help you perfect your craft.

The best way to review your material to see if it seems off point is to ask yourself some questions. As you read it back out loud, do you feel bored or sent off track? Do you see any noticeable problems that would keep a reader from following your point? It really is like grocery shopping off a list you made earlier. Do you see things in your cart that you did not have on your list? Are there things you can put back so that you can use them another time?

As you develop these questions for yourself, you will find it start to come more naturally with everything you write. Not only will you know what you mean, but you will be able to write it as well. Sentence structure and length may not make such a difference as long as what you are writing is on point. However, breaking up sentences into different sizes will keep the reader interested. You can always hit them with an emotional simple sentence to really get their attention!

Neil Bartlett is the founder of ProArticle.com. Pro Article provides writers with Tips and Techniques for improving their writing skills. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Tips For Successful Online Writing”

You are putting in the effort to create quality articles. Now you are ready to submit them to the article directories. There are hundreds if not thousands of them, you scratch your head and ask yourself, “Where do I start?” Don’t waste your time submitting to all of them. Actually you really want to submit to only the best directories. Here I am going to list the top ten article directory sites that you should make sure that you get listed on.

These ten sites are listed below in order of page rank on Google and Alexa Ranking. You know the smaller the page rank number the higher it is up on Google.

1.GoArticles.com is owned by Canadian publishing giant, Jayde Online, Inc., and has been around since 2000. PageRank: 3 (http://GoArticles.com)

2.Searchwarp.com is a very nice article directory, it feels more like a friendly community than an article directory. It’s very colorful and vibrant. You can also publish your photo with your article. Searchwarp has been around since 2002. PageRank: 3 (http://SearchWarp.com)

3.Isnare.com is an outstanding article directory owned by Glenn Prialde of the Phillipines. Isnare has been around since 2004. PageRank: 4 (http://Isnare.com)

4.IdeaMarketers.com is a great article directory that will not only let you submit articles; you can build your own ezine as well. IdeaMarketers is owned by highly respected entrepreneur, Marnie Pehrson. IdeaMarketers has been around since 1998. PageRank: 5 (http://Ideamarketers.com)

5.AmericanChronicle.com is another one of my favorite article directories. Actually, it’s a family of 21 different article directories. Like Buzzle below, it’s technically an online news magazine. And also like Buzzle, you can still submit your articles to them, once you pass their approval process. AmericanChronicle has been around since 2004. PageRank: 5 (http://www.americanchronicle.com/notices/submit_info)

6.Buzzle.com features its own directory, free e-mail, message boards, news, articles and short stories online. Buzzle provides information on health, travel, science, technology and lifestyles. Technically, Buzzle is an online news magazine. But you can submit articles to them, once you pass their approval process. Buzzle has been around since 1999. PageRank: 5 (http://www.buzzle.com/authors/become-author.asp)

7.WebProNews.com is an articles and newsletter database covering a variety of ebusiness topics including SEO, SEM, and Affiliate marketing and ebusiness site design/development. WebProNews has been around since 2000. PageRank: 6 (http://WebProNews.com)

8.ArticleDashboard.com bills itself as “the premier source of free content for newsletters, ezines, and websites.” The site also offers free syndication services for authors and publishers. ArticleDashboard has been around since 2005. PageRank: 6 (http://ArticleDashboard.com)

9.ArticleCity.com bills itself as “your one-stop source for free articles.” And not only can you submit articles; you can submit press releases as well. ArticleCity has been around since 1999. PageRank: 6 (http://ArticleCity.com)

10.EzineArticles.com is a matching service between tens of thousands of expert authors and millions of readers & publishers looking for expert solutions to millions of problems. EzineArticles is owned by highly-respected entrepreneur Chris Knight, and is arguably the king of article directories. EzineArticles has been around since 1999. PageRank: 6 (http://EzineArticles.com)

My final piece of advice on submitting your articles is this, do it yourself. If you don’t have time to do it yourself then hire someone to do it for you. Don’t use software that is going to do it for you. Doing it yourself will save you time and frustration and it will allow you to stay on top of the which sites are doing their job and which sites have vanished from the net.

Neil Bartlett is the founder of ProArticle.com. Pro Article provides writers with Tips and Techniques for improving their writing skills. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Tips For Successful Online Writing”