STOP – LOOK – LISTEN

Those three words were probably drilled into you when you were a child.

You would also do well to remember them when copywriting.

That might seem a strange thing to say but when creating sales and marketing content, many people just dive straight in. That’s because it’s usually one of those jobs that is squeezed in between other projects.

And there’s the problem – content creation shouldn’t be seen as one of those jobs you have to fit in now and then. It’s vital for your business from an SEO perspective and for getting your message out to your audience effectively.

Stop

Before you start to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, stop and think about what you are doing and why. Every piece of copy must have a purpose so ask yourself:

• What is going to be the best platform for your message?
• What do you want to achieve from your copy?
• How do you want your audience to react?
• What do you want to tell your audience?
• What end result do you want to achieve?

Creating content is like creating a new product. You wouldn’t dream of making a new product without carrying out R&D first, so why just sit down and cobble together some half hearted sales copy?

Look

Although your content is important, so too is how it looks.

If it doesn’t have instant readability appeal, no one will read it. In which case there wasn’t a lot of point in writing it in the first place.

Using headings, subheadings, bullet points and images will make your content more attractive and accessible. A solid wall of text is a real turn off but a page with plenty of white space, bullet points and small chunks of text, is a far more interesting prospect.

Listen

You not only have to listen to the needs of your business and customers, you also need to listen to yourself.

Your content has to tell your reader what’s in it for them and represent the voice of your business.

Once you’ve written your content, read it out loud. This will help you make sure it flows, makes sense and will provoke an emotional response in your reader.

As you can see, content creation is much more than just stringing a few sentences together. A lot of thought, planning and shaping has to go into every piece of content you produce.

So remember - stop, look and listen before you publish.

If you’re into search engine optimisation the chances are you’re also a keen article marketer as it’s one of the most effective ways of boosting your web presence.

Not only will it help you ‘own more of the web’, it will also position yourself as an expert in your field and generate those all important back links to your website.

But your article marketing will only be effective it if is quality content that you’re putting out. It must be:

• Well written
• Written to addresses the needs of your readers
• Something that gives value

In a rush to produce shed loads of links, some companies become hung up on quantity rather than quality. They’d rather spend only a few pounds per article (these are written by writers who are frequently based abroad and for whom English is not their first language) than pay a decent fee and hire a professional copywriter.

It shouldn’t be a numbers game

It’s true that you need a lot of articles to build links but it’s better practice to submit quality, well written articles over a period of time than bulk submitting sub-standard ones.

Putting a considered, well researched and well written article together isn’t about scanning the internet and cutting and pasting bits from other articles. A copywriter will take the time to discover:

• What topic is to be discussed
• The focus of the discussion
• Who your audience is
• What they are looking for
• What tone should be used
• What do you want to achieve with the article

It’s your reputation at the end of the day

If you are entering into the article marketing world, what you submit and its quality are very important.

You’re putting your name to it; you’re using them as a way of establishing yourself as an expert. Sub standard articles will just make you look foolish.

Remember that your articles aren’t just about link building—people are actually going to read them. Can you really afford to be that careless with your brand?

You get what you pay for

As with all things in life, you get what you pay for so if you want quality you’re going to have to pay for it.

If you are more interested in your reputation, traffic and quality you’ll pay for it.

You’ll want to get the most from your marketing budget, but just make sure you also think about your reputation.

Writing articles is a great way to promote your business and to position yourself as an expert in your field.

But it does take time which puts off many people.

But what would you rather do? Spend loads of money on ineffective advertising or spend a bit of time putting together some articles which will drive traffic to your website and elevate your position within your industry?

As a copywriter I have been using article marketing for quite some time. As a result mine is a known name within my industry and approximately 80% of my work comes directly through my website – not bad.

So just in case you’re still wavering about whether to try your hand at article marketing or not, here are just some of the benefits you’ll enjoy if you take the plunge:

Free advertising

The submission of articles doesn’t cost anything, only time. But because they’ll remain on the sites forever, they’ll drive long term traffic to your website therefore lasting much longer than any advert will.

Expert status

As well as promoting your business, your articles will also be promoting you. Your name will become synonymous with your field – something that money simply can’t buy.

Attract sales

Although your articles shouldn’t be direct adverts, they will generate traffic which in turn will generate sales. Hyperlink your keywords within your article to send people to your sales site.

Build your mailing list

The potential readership for your articles is vast. By adding your link within the body of your article or your author biography, you can encourage people to sign up to your newsletter therefore building your in-house mailing list.

Opening doors

The sky’s the limit. Publicising yourself and your business through articles could open the door to all sorts of opportunities for you. Joint ventures, new projects and new partners could all be possible. But if you don’t write about what you do or your industry, how will they know you exist?

So there you do, writing articles is a valuable marketing tool for driving traffic to your website and raising your own profile. The more you write, the more you’ll enjoy it and the better your articles will become.

I’m willing to bet you have probably wasted valuable time and money trying to promote your online business. Buying ads on ezines and websites often leads to disappointing results.

There’s a better way to advertise your business or website – do you want to know what it is?

Article Writing

This is an ideal marketing tool for those who want great benefits without a huge price tag - so that’s just about everyone.

By submitting quality articles to online directories you’ll get loads of exposure and publicity without a financial investment. As I’m sure you’re aware, the internet is about information, so content brings visitors to your site. That’s a no-brainer.

Consider the possibilities of regularly writing for the internet:

• Your work may be seen by millions.
• Your articles can quickly appear on over 100 websites.
• Search engines are constantly looking for new content – make it yours.
• Your targeted traffic will increase.
• By writing regularly you’ll build a valuable bank of back links
• Your articles will be permanently displayed on the internet.

By simply writing and posting articles your reputation can spread over the internet and beyond. You’ll become known as an expert in your field - how amazing is that?

When submitting your work to directory sites such as ezinearticles, keep in mind that top-ranking sites are crawled by Google more often than other sites. When these sites publish your writing, you’ll soon see results.

An author’s work is often kept permanently on websites, so one keyword-rich article can bring thousands of hits for years to come. And of course, Google will love the one-way links you’ll achieve.

Your new expert status will help build credibility and trust. Your words can create your own brand for your website and business.

Writing articles can open surprising doors to success! Try is, it’s certainly helped my profile as a freelance copywriter, so it can help yours too.

How many times have you had a brilliant idea for an article only to be frustrated by the end result?

Something you’d hoped would be Booker Prize winning stuff ends up mundane and boring. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve started reading an article in anticipation of being entertained and enlightened, only to be bored to tears. So here are some pointers to help you create interesting and attention grabbing articles.

By understanding these tips, you will end up making your article writing incredibly powerful.

Words

I know that sounds pretty obvious but it is the choice of words that can make all the difference. Some writers try and make out they are incredibly intelligent by stuffing their articles with big, impressive words that no one understands. Don’t - simple language wins every time.

Structure

The structure of your article is also very important. Long blocks of solid text are a complete turn-off. Short, snappy sentences and paragraphs create an article that is compelling and easy to read. Don’t use five words when one will do.

The best way to achieve this is by writing a ‘How to’ article. If someone is reading it it is because they want to learn what you are about to tell them. As long as you stick to the topic and teach them how to do it, you will succeed at writing an interesting article, well, for them at least.

Tell ‘em a story

Everyone loves a story. By using this format you can illustrate how what you’re writing about has helped someone. People love reading about people.

Offer information

Finally you can keep your article interesting by offering information that is rarely found elsewhere and quite possibly information that you alone can offer.

It’s as simple as that. Article writing is a great way to promote your business. As a freelance copywriter I post numerous articles to directories to build back links to my main website.

Give it a try - after all practice makes perfect.