Need Article Ideas – Site
Need Article Ideas
Bonnie Jo Davis
Writers block...need I say more Every writer experiences writers block at one time or another. For a writer using the marketing with articles technique the block often starts with trying to generate a new article idea. There are many creative ways to discover article ideas no matter what your topic and well cover several of them below.
Your first step in finding article ideas should be to create a "swipe file." Copywriters initially used swipe files for collecting examples of outstanding copywriting techniques. Swipe files included clippings from magazines, direct mail pieces, copies of e-mails, web site copy, etc. For the marketing with article techniques our swipe file consists of a file in your favorite word processing program. In this swipe file you will collect article ideas for future articles. Begin by typing in any article ideas that you may have already. Then build your swipe file using the following suggestions:
Chat Rooms - Participate in these online forums where you can chat with others by typing messages, which are instantly displayed. Choose a chat room in your topic area that is frequented by your target audience and discover the hot topics everyone is discussing. You can find chat rooms by visiting http://chat.yahoo.com/, http://web.icq.com/icqchat/ and http://chat.msn.com/.
Forums/Message Boards - Users communicate with each other in these web based message centers by posting text messages that can be viewed using a web browser. Some forums and message boards allow you to follow a topic by asking for e-mail notification when a new posting is made. Find threaded conversations on hot topics in your niche by visiting http://messages.yahoo.com/index.html,
http://www.ivillage.com/boards/ and http://www.delphiforums.com/.
Newsgroups/Discussion Lists - Classified by subject matter these communication driven groups are categorized by topic and can be read on-line or via an e-mail newsreader often included in your e-mail software. Hot newsgroups and discussion lists can be found at http://groups.google.com/, http://groups.yahoo.com/ and www.topica.com.
Article Directories - Sites that archive article submissions by topic are gold mines of ideas for article writers. Read articles written for your target audience to obtain ideas but never plagiarize the actual articles. Ideas can be gleaned from the list of the most popular or newest articles if offered. My favorite article directories are at http://www.opportunityupdate.com, http://wwwgoarticles.com and http://www.articlecity.com.
Newspapers - You can obtain a wealth of article ideas by reading your daily newspaper. Keep a notepad with you while you read and jot down topic ideas. Many newspapers offer on-line versions that can be found by visiting http://www.allyoucanread.com/newspapers/, http://broadcast-live.com/newspapers/ and http://www.localfreepress.com/.
Calendars - There are hundreds of holidays and special occasions every year. Search through http://www.holidays.net/dailys.htm, http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/countrysearch.php and http://www.madmanmike.com/us_events_dates.html. Using holidays tied to your niche will impress your readers and show that you are current and up-to-date with your article topics.
Surveys - Conduct surveys with your web site visitors or newsletter readers. Ask them what topics they would like you to cover and always have a field asking for questions. Surveys can provide you with a wealth of topics that are sure to please your audience. Use free survey generators such as http://www.ezquestionnaire.com/ or http://www.surveymonkey.com/.
Hoaxes - There are enough hoaxes and old wives tales in just about any topic that can give you plenty of article ideas. Explain or dispute the hoax or tale and relate the story to your topic area. You can find hoaxes and old wives tales at http://www.snopes.com, and http://www.stiller.com/hoaxes.htm.
Conferences - Meeting planners are charged with the task of bringing in speakers and arranging roundtables on the hottest topics for their target audience. You can take advantage of their hard work by checking out conferences in your field and making note of the workshop and keynote topics. You can find conference listings organized by topic at http://www.tsnn.com, http://www.allconferences.com and by searching http://www.Google.com.
Get started today building your swipe file and add to it on a daily basis. This will help you become more organized and will ensure that you never run out of article ideas!
c 2004, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights in all media reserved.
About The Author
Bonnie Jo Davis is the webmaster of the Articles That Sell Center. The ATSC site offers free articles, newsletter and e-books. Visit http://www.ArticlesThatSell.com/newsletter.htm to sign-up for your free subscription to the Articles That Sell Update monthly newsletter.
How To Write A Profit Pulling Article – Site
How To Write A Profit Pulling Article
Rich Hamilton, Jr
Having an article published is one of the fastest and easiest ways to build your credibility as an industry expert. At the end of the each article you are given the opportunity to gain free exposure for your online business or affiliate program.
As more and more people realize the true power of having your article published, the Internet has become saturated with them. Everywhere you turn there are plenty of articles to choose from, making it tougher to get yours noticed, let alone read.
If you cant get your article noticed, then it wont be read, therefore, no free exposure or profits. But getting your article noticed is only the beginning, you also need to hold your readers attention with good quality content.
In this article we are going to go over the key elements of writing a succesful article and how to get them noticed. We will also go over how to turn an article into an unstoppable profit generator, even if you dont have your own product or service. Thats right, you dont need your own product or service to take advantage of this golden opportunity.
Research Before Choosing A Topic
When most writers write their articles, they only write about what they want to write about. This is not an effective way to write an article. The most effective and recommended way to write an article, is to write one on a topic that your targeted market is already interested in. To find out what kind of article your targeted market is interested in, will require some research.
You should always do the research before you actually pick a topic to write about. When researching for your article you should try going to forums that cover your targeted market. Observe to see what they are talking about and even looking for. The best approach to use, is to find a problem, then write an article that resolves the problem.
By using this approach you are showing your dedication as a problem solver. When you help people resolve their problems and/or endeavors, you will strengthen your credibility and then the profits will soon follow.
Article Title
Choosing the title of your article will be one of the most important decisions you will make and will determine whether or not it will be read. You need to take your time, when it comes time for you to select an article title and it will require you to do some brainstorming.
Your article title should reach out and grab the readers attention and compell them to want to read it immediately. The best thing to do when trying to come up with an article title is to write the biggest benefit that your reader will receive while they are reading it. The biggest benefit may not be the exact article title, but it is a good place to start.
When I choose a title for an article I write down several before I intially select a one. So dont choose just one title, write down several different ones, get the feel of the word variations, and tweak the weak areas.
Content
Most of the articles out there are nothing more than an abstracted sales pitch or material that does not contain any valuable information, therefore is useless to the reader. The best way to get your article read, is to educate the reader. Any good article will be educational to their readers and have some sort of value. If you cant sell your article, than dont publish it.
If you publish a poorly written article, then people will not read it. This will have an impact on your credibility and on any future articles you publish, so do it right the first time by educating them.
Promote
If you want to make some cash with your article, then at the end of it, will be the time to promote your product, service, or affiliate program. Make sure that the product, service, or affiliate program is relevant to the article, youd be suprised at how many people get this wrong.
Not sure, let me give you an example, I previously wrote an article that was entitled "The Wrong Email Format Can Destroy Your Offer". In this particular article I discussed the advantages and disadvantages of text and html email formats. At the end of the article I presented an autoresponder that is capable of performing both formats.
If you promote a product, service, or affiliate program that corresponds with the article, your chances of getting a click through is very high. If you dont have a product or service that corresponds with the article, then I recommend finding an affiliate program that does.
About The Author
Rich Hamilton, Jr is the CEO/President of www.ElitesMarketing.com a.k.a. Elites Marketing, Inc and the Author of "Inside Internet Marketing". Unlock the absolute truth internet marketing without ever paying a cent for advertising. www.InsideNetMarketing.com