Tips For Identifiying A Home Based Big Money Business
Il y a 17 ans
samedi 28 février 2009
Essential Cover Letter Writing Tips
One of the most common mistakes which many people make when writing cover letters is to neglect the entire purpose of a cover letter. While some may go overboard with the amount and details of information they include in the letter, others, in an attempt to be informal, take an entirely-too-casual approach. It cannot be too strongly stressed that writing a cover letter is not the same as writing to a friend or a family member. Please resist the urge to be chatty, humorous, or overly personal.
The purpose of a cover letter is to provide your prospective employer with a brief view of the person who is seeking the job and the benefits and value you would bring to the company as an employee. It is meant to spark his interest in reviewing your resume and requesting an interview. The cover letter is your way of introducing yourself, making a good first impression, and outlining how you are the perfect "solution" to the employer's needs.
A good cover letter will help the prospective employer decide that he wants to know more about you, and what you can offer to his company. If you keep this in mind, you will be well on your way to writing a cover letter that does its job.
As your cover letter is the employer's first introduction to you, preparing it correctly is essential. It is a good idea to write an initial draft of the letter then "sleep on it" and review it the next day. In addition to taking care that the letter is written in the proper form for a business letter, you want to pay special attention to your spelling and grammar. One misspelled word can make the difference between capturing the employer's interest and landing your letter and resume in the "toss" pile rather than the "to interview" pile.
The information you provide in your cover letter should be clear, brief, direct, and to the point. As it is meant to be an overview of what you can bring to the company, you should focus on the most relevant facts while leaving the details for your resume. For example, if you have earned a college degree or have had prior experience that is relevant to the job, you can state these qualifications in your cover letter, but reserve dates and other specifics for your resume.
Your cover letter should inform the employer that you are interested in the job, and that you will be an asset to his company. It should let him know that you have the qualifications or experience that he is looking for in a new employee. It is your chance to make a positive impression, and to convince him that he wants to know more about you.
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As one of the leading authorities on resume writing, cover letter writing, and job searching, Michelle Dumas is the founder of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Since 1996, Michelle and her team have empowered thousands of professionals worldwide with results-generating resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies. Visit http://www.distinctiveweb.com to get your free "Revive Your Resume" audio mini-seminar.
The purpose of a cover letter is to provide your prospective employer with a brief view of the person who is seeking the job and the benefits and value you would bring to the company as an employee. It is meant to spark his interest in reviewing your resume and requesting an interview. The cover letter is your way of introducing yourself, making a good first impression, and outlining how you are the perfect "solution" to the employer's needs.
A good cover letter will help the prospective employer decide that he wants to know more about you, and what you can offer to his company. If you keep this in mind, you will be well on your way to writing a cover letter that does its job.
As your cover letter is the employer's first introduction to you, preparing it correctly is essential. It is a good idea to write an initial draft of the letter then "sleep on it" and review it the next day. In addition to taking care that the letter is written in the proper form for a business letter, you want to pay special attention to your spelling and grammar. One misspelled word can make the difference between capturing the employer's interest and landing your letter and resume in the "toss" pile rather than the "to interview" pile.
The information you provide in your cover letter should be clear, brief, direct, and to the point. As it is meant to be an overview of what you can bring to the company, you should focus on the most relevant facts while leaving the details for your resume. For example, if you have earned a college degree or have had prior experience that is relevant to the job, you can state these qualifications in your cover letter, but reserve dates and other specifics for your resume.
Your cover letter should inform the employer that you are interested in the job, and that you will be an asset to his company. It should let him know that you have the qualifications or experience that he is looking for in a new employee. It is your chance to make a positive impression, and to convince him that he wants to know more about you.
----------------------------------------------------
As one of the leading authorities on resume writing, cover letter writing, and job searching, Michelle Dumas is the founder of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Since 1996, Michelle and her team have empowered thousands of professionals worldwide with results-generating resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies. Visit http://www.distinctiveweb.com to get your free "Revive Your Resume" audio mini-seminar.
How to Write a Good Resume
Over three million sites on Google offer information on how to write a resume. According to one of the best free keyword suggestion tools on the planet, almost 1,000 people a day search for information on résumé writing.
Regarding the proper spelling, the word is French and if the ‘acute' is to be used, it should correctly be used twice. Hence, résumé and not resumé. You can also use the word without any accents. The correct word is the French résumé and not the English resume which has a totally different meaning, though it seems to be internet practice to use resume and this what will be used here.
A resume and a CV, or curriculum vitae, are much the same thing, though the term CV is more relevant to professional applicants, providing information on academic distinctions, posts held and theses that have been published. A CV is more of an informational document than a sales pitch, and used by doctors, scientists, solicitors, etc.
Here are the salient points to keep in mind when writing your resume:
* A resume is a sales pitch: you are the product and the employee reading it is the target.
* Your objective when you write a resume is to secure an interview – nothing else! It is a sales tool that you can use to your advantage, and give you a head start over your competitors.
* Sell yourself in writing, get the interview, and thensell yourself in person. Learn what you can about the company and sell yourself as filling the exact position being advertised.
* Stress how you can fill the job. Stress any previous experience IN THAT POSITION.
* Highlight your strengths when writing your resume and include numbers and figures. Include cash benefits you brought your last company.
* If you lost your last job, rather than leaving voluntarily, leave it for the interview. That's a different skill. If you must mention it, state something to the effect that you were a victim of your own cost cutting recommendations that the company took up too vigorously.
* Action words are always good – such as managed, developed, gained and presented. Do not use weasel words such as best, most, terrific. Don't bum yourself up. Be accurate and informative when writing. You're selling yourself, not an insurance policy.
* Use bullet points such as I am doing here, to the extent that the article directory allows. Use your strongest points, which are relevant for the job being offered, at the beginning. When writing a resume, you should always present information about your achievements in a positive manner. Don't state that "I was responsible for 10 other salesmen." Write "I was responsible for a sales department that secured $500,000 sales every month." Put yourself in the place of the reader and consider what would stand out to you.
Unless you are requested to do so don't include information irrelevant to the position such as your age, religion, hobbies or interests. Stick to RELEVANT employment history. If you don't think you have a lot of that, then perhaps you should find a job that is more relevant to your experience. An employer is not interested on your opinion on your abilities. Proven ability and experience are what are required.
Writing "I have done this job well and can demonstrate it" is meaningful. "I know I can do this job because it fits in with my abilities", is not.
You must be honest. If you try to make false claims you have a very good chance of being found out. This applies whatever country you live in. In the current litigious climate most companies will do what they can to avoid negligent hiring, and employment background checks and pre-employment screening are commonplace. Tell the truth, and if the truth is not good either do not write it, or add it to the bottom of your resume. The reader will probably not get that far and you can discuss your last position during your interview.
Keep in mind that a resume has 10 – 20 seconds to make it. Nobody is going to read all the way in that time. Sell yourself, and if you don't think you have the literary ability to do so, then hire a writer to do it for you. A professional freelance writer will be able to give you advice on how to write a resume, and even do it for you.
----------------------------------------------------
As a former manager of two multinational companies Peter has much experience in reading resumes and knows what is required in writing them. More information is available on his web site http://www.article-services.com from which he provides freelance writing and ghostwriting services.
Regarding the proper spelling, the word is French and if the ‘acute' is to be used, it should correctly be used twice. Hence, résumé and not resumé. You can also use the word without any accents. The correct word is the French résumé and not the English resume which has a totally different meaning, though it seems to be internet practice to use resume and this what will be used here.
A resume and a CV, or curriculum vitae, are much the same thing, though the term CV is more relevant to professional applicants, providing information on academic distinctions, posts held and theses that have been published. A CV is more of an informational document than a sales pitch, and used by doctors, scientists, solicitors, etc.
Here are the salient points to keep in mind when writing your resume:
* A resume is a sales pitch: you are the product and the employee reading it is the target.
* Your objective when you write a resume is to secure an interview – nothing else! It is a sales tool that you can use to your advantage, and give you a head start over your competitors.
* Sell yourself in writing, get the interview, and thensell yourself in person. Learn what you can about the company and sell yourself as filling the exact position being advertised.
* Stress how you can fill the job. Stress any previous experience IN THAT POSITION.
* Highlight your strengths when writing your resume and include numbers and figures. Include cash benefits you brought your last company.
* If you lost your last job, rather than leaving voluntarily, leave it for the interview. That's a different skill. If you must mention it, state something to the effect that you were a victim of your own cost cutting recommendations that the company took up too vigorously.
* Action words are always good – such as managed, developed, gained and presented. Do not use weasel words such as best, most, terrific. Don't bum yourself up. Be accurate and informative when writing. You're selling yourself, not an insurance policy.
* Use bullet points such as I am doing here, to the extent that the article directory allows. Use your strongest points, which are relevant for the job being offered, at the beginning. When writing a resume, you should always present information about your achievements in a positive manner. Don't state that "I was responsible for 10 other salesmen." Write "I was responsible for a sales department that secured $500,000 sales every month." Put yourself in the place of the reader and consider what would stand out to you.
Unless you are requested to do so don't include information irrelevant to the position such as your age, religion, hobbies or interests. Stick to RELEVANT employment history. If you don't think you have a lot of that, then perhaps you should find a job that is more relevant to your experience. An employer is not interested on your opinion on your abilities. Proven ability and experience are what are required.
Writing "I have done this job well and can demonstrate it" is meaningful. "I know I can do this job because it fits in with my abilities", is not.
You must be honest. If you try to make false claims you have a very good chance of being found out. This applies whatever country you live in. In the current litigious climate most companies will do what they can to avoid negligent hiring, and employment background checks and pre-employment screening are commonplace. Tell the truth, and if the truth is not good either do not write it, or add it to the bottom of your resume. The reader will probably not get that far and you can discuss your last position during your interview.
Keep in mind that a resume has 10 – 20 seconds to make it. Nobody is going to read all the way in that time. Sell yourself, and if you don't think you have the literary ability to do so, then hire a writer to do it for you. A professional freelance writer will be able to give you advice on how to write a resume, and even do it for you.
----------------------------------------------------
As a former manager of two multinational companies Peter has much experience in reading resumes and knows what is required in writing them. More information is available on his web site http://www.article-services.com from which he provides freelance writing and ghostwriting services.
vendredi 27 février 2009
Persuasive Copywriting Tips: How To Write An Attention-Getting Headline, Part 2
Headline Tip #3: Communicate A Benefit or Implied Benefit
People ultimately buy benefits. So it's important to communicate a strong benefit in your headline.
I once critiqued a brochure with nothing on the outer flap except the words "Going Beyond The Paycheck." It was for a company offering wellness programs for corporate HR departments. Once I understood this, my response was, "Oh... now I get it."
But unless you happened to know what the company did, it would be impossible to derive any meaning or benefit whatsoever from the headline. Consequently, their brochure wasn't nearly as effective as it could have been.
On the other hand, it's important to communicate MORE than just a benefit. To use an earlier example, "Lose Weight Now" is a great benefit. But because it's so over-used it's just not very effective on its own.
The key thing to remember is that while the benefit (or implied benefit) is important, a headline almost always needs other elements to make it stand out and get attention. Take my earlier example:
"How To Melt Your Fat Away And Keep It Off For Good Using This Little-Known Detox Secret The Diet Industry Doesn't Want You To Know About..."
Notice how the benefit—communicated using different language than the overused "lose weight"—is woven in with other elements to give this headline much more impact.
Headline Tip #4: Have A Sense Of Urgency
If there is a deadline to respond, or a limited number being sold, then you have a great opportunity to communicate some urgency in the headline. For example, here is a headline I wrote for Eric Lofholm. It was for a limited promotion, and was to be mailed to his database of buyers (who already knew who he was)...
"A LIFETIME OF SALES TRAINING With Eric Lofholm; Expires June 29... And There's Only Room For 200."
This is an example of what I call "external urgency". It is manufactured in order to spur people into action. It can be very effective—but not without what I call "internal urgency"...
You tap into your prospects own "internal" sense of urgency by being very relevant to your target audience. The headline must be newsworthy, and it must promise a solution to a problem your prospect is having and thinking about right now.
Take the following pre-head from a recent sales letter I wrote:
"SPECIAL INVITATION To L.A. Area Business Owners & Entrepreneurs Worried About The Recession..."
Notice how it not only flags the target audience. It addresses a serious concern. This was written in January 2009, when the recession is the big worry on everyone's mind. The headline continues by promising a solution to the "recession problem" in the form of a "Recession-Busting" marketing seminar.
This approach is much more powerful than leading with a scarcity tactic because it builds value FIRST. Once the value has been established, then scarcity can definitely help light a fire under your prospect's hindquarters and spur him into action!
Both kinds of urgency are critical to the success of your sales letters.
----------------------------------------------------
Joshua Aaron Stanley is an online sales copywriter, or "Salesman in Print", who turns words into wealth using the power of persuasive sales copy. For more persuasive copywriting tips, visit http://www.CovertWrittenPersuasion.com
People ultimately buy benefits. So it's important to communicate a strong benefit in your headline.
I once critiqued a brochure with nothing on the outer flap except the words "Going Beyond The Paycheck." It was for a company offering wellness programs for corporate HR departments. Once I understood this, my response was, "Oh... now I get it."
But unless you happened to know what the company did, it would be impossible to derive any meaning or benefit whatsoever from the headline. Consequently, their brochure wasn't nearly as effective as it could have been.
On the other hand, it's important to communicate MORE than just a benefit. To use an earlier example, "Lose Weight Now" is a great benefit. But because it's so over-used it's just not very effective on its own.
The key thing to remember is that while the benefit (or implied benefit) is important, a headline almost always needs other elements to make it stand out and get attention. Take my earlier example:
"How To Melt Your Fat Away And Keep It Off For Good Using This Little-Known Detox Secret The Diet Industry Doesn't Want You To Know About..."
Notice how the benefit—communicated using different language than the overused "lose weight"—is woven in with other elements to give this headline much more impact.
Headline Tip #4: Have A Sense Of Urgency
If there is a deadline to respond, or a limited number being sold, then you have a great opportunity to communicate some urgency in the headline. For example, here is a headline I wrote for Eric Lofholm. It was for a limited promotion, and was to be mailed to his database of buyers (who already knew who he was)...
"A LIFETIME OF SALES TRAINING With Eric Lofholm; Expires June 29... And There's Only Room For 200."
This is an example of what I call "external urgency". It is manufactured in order to spur people into action. It can be very effective—but not without what I call "internal urgency"...
You tap into your prospects own "internal" sense of urgency by being very relevant to your target audience. The headline must be newsworthy, and it must promise a solution to a problem your prospect is having and thinking about right now.
Take the following pre-head from a recent sales letter I wrote:
"SPECIAL INVITATION To L.A. Area Business Owners & Entrepreneurs Worried About The Recession..."
Notice how it not only flags the target audience. It addresses a serious concern. This was written in January 2009, when the recession is the big worry on everyone's mind. The headline continues by promising a solution to the "recession problem" in the form of a "Recession-Busting" marketing seminar.
This approach is much more powerful than leading with a scarcity tactic because it builds value FIRST. Once the value has been established, then scarcity can definitely help light a fire under your prospect's hindquarters and spur him into action!
Both kinds of urgency are critical to the success of your sales letters.
----------------------------------------------------
Joshua Aaron Stanley is an online sales copywriter, or "Salesman in Print", who turns words into wealth using the power of persuasive sales copy. For more persuasive copywriting tips, visit http://www.CovertWrittenPersuasion.com
Persuasive Copywriting Tips: How To Write An Attention-Getting Headline, Part 1
The headline is one of the two most critical leverage points in any sales letter or ad. (The other is the offer.) A strong headline can make a huge difference in influencing your prospect to continue reading. For that reason, it's absolutely critical to have a strong, powerful headline.
This article series covers 7 key tips for writing powerful, attention-getting headlines that pull your reader into your body copy. Use these tips as a guide for creating a headline... and as a test to determine the strength it.
Headline Tip #1: Flag Your Target Audience
I make a distinction between your target market and your target audience. Your target market represents the total number of potential prospects for your product or service. It is defined by certain shared characteristics with your existing buyers.
Your target audience, on the other hand, is the subset of that group who are most likely to buy from you. This represents your "starving crowd", and is the target you're aiming for. For example, if you sell a product to help people quit smoking, your target market may be smokers who want to quit... but your target audience will most likely be smokers who so desperately want to quit they are willing to try your solution, even though nothing else has worked for them. There's a subtle but important distinction here that can make all the difference in your results.
You can flag your audience either explicitly or implicitly. For example, if you were to explicitly flag your audience, you might come out and say, "Attention: Smokers Who Desperately Want To Quit..."
Alternatively, you can be a little more "smooth" by implicitly flagging your audience like this: "Introducing A Scientifically-Proven Method To Help Smokers Quit Cold-Turkey WITHOUT The Intense Cravings. Guaranteed To Get You Over The 'Hump' Or Your Money Back."
When flagging your audience, it's critical to have an understanding of who they are, what most resonates with them, and what problems they're really concerned about.
The best way to find out is to talk with your buyers in person. Interview them to find out what they were going through when they bought your product. You'll be surprised at what you uncover! I guarantee what you learn will help make not just your headline, but all of your copy much more powerful and focused on your target audience.
Headline Tip #2: Be Unique
One hallmark of a weak headline is it could be used by anyone selling a similar solution. Take the weight loss market, for example. "Lose Weight Now" is not a very powerful headline because there is nothing unique about it. Anyone selling any type of weight-loss product could use it.
On the other hand, the following headline is much more powerful...
"How To Melt Your Fat Away And Keep It Off For Good Using This Little-Known Detox Secret The Diet Industry Doesn't Want You To Know About..."
Notice how this headline is suddenly much more interesting as a result of communicating a unique idea. It's also more specific (Tip #5) and has an element of intrigue (Tip #6).
----------------------------------------------------
Joshua Aaron Stanley is an online sales copywriter, or "Salesman in Print", who turns words into wealth using the power of persuasive sales copy. For more persuasive copywriting tips, visit http://www.CovertWrittenPersuasion.com
This article series covers 7 key tips for writing powerful, attention-getting headlines that pull your reader into your body copy. Use these tips as a guide for creating a headline... and as a test to determine the strength it.
Headline Tip #1: Flag Your Target Audience
I make a distinction between your target market and your target audience. Your target market represents the total number of potential prospects for your product or service. It is defined by certain shared characteristics with your existing buyers.
Your target audience, on the other hand, is the subset of that group who are most likely to buy from you. This represents your "starving crowd", and is the target you're aiming for. For example, if you sell a product to help people quit smoking, your target market may be smokers who want to quit... but your target audience will most likely be smokers who so desperately want to quit they are willing to try your solution, even though nothing else has worked for them. There's a subtle but important distinction here that can make all the difference in your results.
You can flag your audience either explicitly or implicitly. For example, if you were to explicitly flag your audience, you might come out and say, "Attention: Smokers Who Desperately Want To Quit..."
Alternatively, you can be a little more "smooth" by implicitly flagging your audience like this: "Introducing A Scientifically-Proven Method To Help Smokers Quit Cold-Turkey WITHOUT The Intense Cravings. Guaranteed To Get You Over The 'Hump' Or Your Money Back."
When flagging your audience, it's critical to have an understanding of who they are, what most resonates with them, and what problems they're really concerned about.
The best way to find out is to talk with your buyers in person. Interview them to find out what they were going through when they bought your product. You'll be surprised at what you uncover! I guarantee what you learn will help make not just your headline, but all of your copy much more powerful and focused on your target audience.
Headline Tip #2: Be Unique
One hallmark of a weak headline is it could be used by anyone selling a similar solution. Take the weight loss market, for example. "Lose Weight Now" is not a very powerful headline because there is nothing unique about it. Anyone selling any type of weight-loss product could use it.
On the other hand, the following headline is much more powerful...
"How To Melt Your Fat Away And Keep It Off For Good Using This Little-Known Detox Secret The Diet Industry Doesn't Want You To Know About..."
Notice how this headline is suddenly much more interesting as a result of communicating a unique idea. It's also more specific (Tip #5) and has an element of intrigue (Tip #6).
----------------------------------------------------
Joshua Aaron Stanley is an online sales copywriter, or "Salesman in Print", who turns words into wealth using the power of persuasive sales copy. For more persuasive copywriting tips, visit http://www.CovertWrittenPersuasion.com
How to Pick the Best Article Directory!
When it comes to picking out an article directory, there are many things that you should consider. Firstly, why do you need to take the time out to pick an articles directory instead of just choosing one randomly? What does an article directory do? These are all fantastic questions and if you are new to article directories, it can definitely be confusing. In this article, we will explore why an article directory is extremely important in any business you are in and why you should start submitting articles to an article directory as soon as possible.
Article directories are being one of the hottest ways to advertise. Whether you are trying to promote your own website and drive all sorts of traffic to it or if you are attempting to amp up the number of people viewing your blog, an article directory is a great place to get people to notice your website or blog and get your name out there! Honestly, article directories are the single greatest advertising tool that anyone could ever come up with.
Now that you know the purpose behind submitting articles to an article directory, you now need to know how to pick one. There are many different article directories available and for you to just find one that you want to submit too can be an over-whelming task. For this purpose, we will explore some of the things you should look for in an article directory and what you need to watch out for!
Firstly, you always want to make sure that you do your research on any article directory that you may be looking to submit too. For example, you want to make sure that the article directory has been around for over a year. The longer the article directory has been around the better, if you can find one that is over five years old that is going to be your best bid. The reason for this is because if you are submitting your articles to promote your website to a website that is brand new, you are probably not going to see much feedback, but if you are submitting your articles to an article directory that is already established, you will have a better chance of seeing some production and traffic.
Next, you want to check and make sure that the site contains the owners contact information. This will allow you to contact the owner directly if you ever have any problems, you should definitely beware of article directory sites that hide the owners contact information. That is all! Just take these steps into consideration and you should have no problems!
----------------------------------------------------
Abhinav Srivastava is owner of http://www.articleslide.com
Article directories are being one of the hottest ways to advertise. Whether you are trying to promote your own website and drive all sorts of traffic to it or if you are attempting to amp up the number of people viewing your blog, an article directory is a great place to get people to notice your website or blog and get your name out there! Honestly, article directories are the single greatest advertising tool that anyone could ever come up with.
Now that you know the purpose behind submitting articles to an article directory, you now need to know how to pick one. There are many different article directories available and for you to just find one that you want to submit too can be an over-whelming task. For this purpose, we will explore some of the things you should look for in an article directory and what you need to watch out for!
Firstly, you always want to make sure that you do your research on any article directory that you may be looking to submit too. For example, you want to make sure that the article directory has been around for over a year. The longer the article directory has been around the better, if you can find one that is over five years old that is going to be your best bid. The reason for this is because if you are submitting your articles to promote your website to a website that is brand new, you are probably not going to see much feedback, but if you are submitting your articles to an article directory that is already established, you will have a better chance of seeing some production and traffic.
Next, you want to check and make sure that the site contains the owners contact information. This will allow you to contact the owner directly if you ever have any problems, you should definitely beware of article directory sites that hide the owners contact information. That is all! Just take these steps into consideration and you should have no problems!
----------------------------------------------------
Abhinav Srivastava is owner of http://www.articleslide.com
Free Articles Publishing: The Best Way To Advertise!
In this generation it is pretty obvious that budgets are shrinking and every company is trying to find ways in order to advertise their company for little to no money. That is exactly where free articles publishing come into play! Think about it, when was the last time that you did some research on a company or even just a product. The article that you read about that company or product was probably submitted freely using a free articles publishing website and honestly, these types of websites are the way to go, especially when you are trying to save on some cash!
Now, even if you are new to the free articles submission websites, it is super easy to get into it and to be honest, you will not have any problems as long as you know exactly what you are looking for and how free articles publishing websites work! First, you might want to do your research. Submitting free articles is a fantastic advertising tool but you always want to make sure that you do your research before you commit yourself to something.
After you have done all of your research and realized that free article submission websites are simply the best way to go, it is now time to find yourself one of these fantastic websites. Free articles submission websites are not hard to find, especially now-a-days. All you need to do is a quick online search for 'free articles submission websites' and you should have tons of results pop up! Now, you do not want to just dive in, you want to make sure that you are going to be submitting your articles to a credible website.
There are a few different ways that you can tell which websites are going to be credible versus which ones are not. First, check out the website itself, does it seem to have a lot of members on it? Can you find the created date? If the websites created date is older than five years, it is going to be a fantastic website to promote your own website or company, if you are thinking about signing up with a fairly new website; it might end up being a waste of your time.
Next, you want to make sure that you can see the website owners contact info. Now, you are probably wondering why this is important, but if the website has nothing to hide, it is probably going to do you a lot of good instead of wasting your time.
----------------------------------------------------
Abhinav Srivastava is running a Article Directory http://www.articleslide.com
Now, even if you are new to the free articles submission websites, it is super easy to get into it and to be honest, you will not have any problems as long as you know exactly what you are looking for and how free articles publishing websites work! First, you might want to do your research. Submitting free articles is a fantastic advertising tool but you always want to make sure that you do your research before you commit yourself to something.
After you have done all of your research and realized that free article submission websites are simply the best way to go, it is now time to find yourself one of these fantastic websites. Free articles submission websites are not hard to find, especially now-a-days. All you need to do is a quick online search for 'free articles submission websites' and you should have tons of results pop up! Now, you do not want to just dive in, you want to make sure that you are going to be submitting your articles to a credible website.
There are a few different ways that you can tell which websites are going to be credible versus which ones are not. First, check out the website itself, does it seem to have a lot of members on it? Can you find the created date? If the websites created date is older than five years, it is going to be a fantastic website to promote your own website or company, if you are thinking about signing up with a fairly new website; it might end up being a waste of your time.
Next, you want to make sure that you can see the website owners contact info. Now, you are probably wondering why this is important, but if the website has nothing to hide, it is probably going to do you a lot of good instead of wasting your time.
----------------------------------------------------
Abhinav Srivastava is running a Article Directory http://www.articleslide.com
Article Marketing: 5 Reasons Why Your Next Article Should Be a 'HowTo'
The most frequent question I get from authors is "What should I write about?"
When you're doing article marketing, that question is easily answered--write a 'How To' article!
The 'How To' article is the perfect medium for an article that teaches readers, pleases publishers, and appeals to Google.
Here are 5 of the best reasons why you should make your next article a 'How To':
1) How To articles are educational articles.
Probably the most "popular" reason for an article being declined is what publisher's call "promotional" or "self-serving" content. That means that the article toots the horn of the author rather than providing objective and useful information to the reader.
This is something that you want to avoid!
The trick to writing educational articles is to save your promotional information for your resource box and focus on writing 'How To' articles.
It's very difficult to turn a "How To' article into a self-serving one because typically your energy is focused on teaching your reader something that will benefit them rather than you.
The bright spot is that in writing for your readers (rather than to make a sale) you receive benefits as well!
2) 'How To' articles show readers that you're an expert.
When you're writing a 'How To' article, you have specialized knowledge that the reader wants and needs. In writing an instructional article that readers find easy to understand and implement, you build the reader's confidence in your knowledge and abilities.
The more a reader believes that you are capable and knowledgeable, the greater chance that they will think of you when they need services or products like yours (and they can tell what your services are from looking at your resource box).
3) 'How To' articles are easy to read.
Most of the time instructional articles are written in list form.
When you're writing a 'How To' you'll break your instructions down into a sequential series of steps and just seeing Step 1, Step 2, etc helps a reader follow your train of thought.
It's much easier to skim and glean information from a list, and 'How To' articles make perfect list articles. The easier your article is to read and understand, the more benefit it will be to your readers.
4) 'How To' articles are easy to write.
When your article is in a list, you can start by writing down the major steps you want to cover and then use that as an outline for your article.
Writing a 'How To' article as a list (Step 1, Step 2, etc.) gives you a head start and helps get the creative wheels of your brain moving. Our brains find it easiest to think in sequential, rational steps anyway (first do this, then do this, thirdly do this), so a 'How To' article very neatly conforms to our desire for order and makes the article easier to write.
5) Your customers are looking for 'How To' articles.
Let me ask you--when you do a Google search, what types of information are you looking for?
Most of the time we're looking for information on how to do something--how to wallpaper a bathroom, how to write a novel, how to start a business, etc.
We hop on the internet in search of information on how to do things, and when your customers are doing searches on Google, they're looking for instructional content too.
Website owners are always trying to figure out how to lure Google to their websites and sometimes think that they need to be very technically minded to do so, but I tell you, the easiest way to lure Google to your website and rank higher in the search engines is to write articles on topics that interest your target market.
Your target market wants instructional information, so write a 'How To' article and tell them how to do something!
When you're doing article marketing, the first few articles may come easily to you, but after a while you have to really get creative when coming up with topics on which to write.
'How To' articles can be your bread and butter when you're doing article marketing--once you start writing reader-centric articles that teach your readers how to do something specific, you'll find that writing is easier and that you're producing content that Google and publishers love.
----------------------------------------------------
Written your 'How To' article? Now you need to get your article to as many publishers as possible. For more information on how to distribute your articles to hundreds of targeted publishers with the click of a button, go to=> http://www.SubmitYOURArticle.com
When you're doing article marketing, that question is easily answered--write a 'How To' article!
The 'How To' article is the perfect medium for an article that teaches readers, pleases publishers, and appeals to Google.
Here are 5 of the best reasons why you should make your next article a 'How To':
1) How To articles are educational articles.
Probably the most "popular" reason for an article being declined is what publisher's call "promotional" or "self-serving" content. That means that the article toots the horn of the author rather than providing objective and useful information to the reader.
This is something that you want to avoid!
The trick to writing educational articles is to save your promotional information for your resource box and focus on writing 'How To' articles.
It's very difficult to turn a "How To' article into a self-serving one because typically your energy is focused on teaching your reader something that will benefit them rather than you.
The bright spot is that in writing for your readers (rather than to make a sale) you receive benefits as well!
2) 'How To' articles show readers that you're an expert.
When you're writing a 'How To' article, you have specialized knowledge that the reader wants and needs. In writing an instructional article that readers find easy to understand and implement, you build the reader's confidence in your knowledge and abilities.
The more a reader believes that you are capable and knowledgeable, the greater chance that they will think of you when they need services or products like yours (and they can tell what your services are from looking at your resource box).
3) 'How To' articles are easy to read.
Most of the time instructional articles are written in list form.
When you're writing a 'How To' you'll break your instructions down into a sequential series of steps and just seeing Step 1, Step 2, etc helps a reader follow your train of thought.
It's much easier to skim and glean information from a list, and 'How To' articles make perfect list articles. The easier your article is to read and understand, the more benefit it will be to your readers.
4) 'How To' articles are easy to write.
When your article is in a list, you can start by writing down the major steps you want to cover and then use that as an outline for your article.
Writing a 'How To' article as a list (Step 1, Step 2, etc.) gives you a head start and helps get the creative wheels of your brain moving. Our brains find it easiest to think in sequential, rational steps anyway (first do this, then do this, thirdly do this), so a 'How To' article very neatly conforms to our desire for order and makes the article easier to write.
5) Your customers are looking for 'How To' articles.
Let me ask you--when you do a Google search, what types of information are you looking for?
Most of the time we're looking for information on how to do something--how to wallpaper a bathroom, how to write a novel, how to start a business, etc.
We hop on the internet in search of information on how to do things, and when your customers are doing searches on Google, they're looking for instructional content too.
Website owners are always trying to figure out how to lure Google to their websites and sometimes think that they need to be very technically minded to do so, but I tell you, the easiest way to lure Google to your website and rank higher in the search engines is to write articles on topics that interest your target market.
Your target market wants instructional information, so write a 'How To' article and tell them how to do something!
When you're doing article marketing, the first few articles may come easily to you, but after a while you have to really get creative when coming up with topics on which to write.
'How To' articles can be your bread and butter when you're doing article marketing--once you start writing reader-centric articles that teach your readers how to do something specific, you'll find that writing is easier and that you're producing content that Google and publishers love.
----------------------------------------------------
Written your 'How To' article? Now you need to get your article to as many publishers as possible. For more information on how to distribute your articles to hundreds of targeted publishers with the click of a button, go to=> http://www.SubmitYOURArticle.com
mercredi 25 février 2009
Writing Articles for High Listings
Before providing you with article writing tips, it is important that you understand why writing articles should be important to you. Some of it is due to Google's beneficence with respect to the power of article directories, and even more is related to the even greater importance of offering useful and genuine content on your website.
First, let's agree on the definition of an article, since mine is unlikely to be yours. To me, an article is written content that provides non-commercial information about a specific topic. So adverts are not articles, and neither are reviews. What I am writing now is an article. Articles are important because search engine algorithms have been written to detect good quality content that provides useful information on a specific topic as defined by the search term, or keyword, used by the search engine user.
A good article can work wonders for your website because it offers you 5 benefits:
1. Google PageRank votes from directories that accept your article for publication.
2. The same votes from web pages to which your article has been copied.
3. Clicks to your site from the web pages referred to in item 2.
4. Clicks to your site from readers of your article on the directories.
5. Free advertising through high listings of your article on search engines.
Most benefit comes from items 1, 4 and 5, with 5 in the majority. Writing articles is the best way to advertise your website and individual pages within it, and these article writing tips are intended to help you make the most of the articles that you write.
First, it is not essential for you to write your own articles. You can pay to have them written for you by a professional article ghostwriter, but you have more control over how you present your content by writing them yourself. Here are a few article writing tips to help you get most benefit from the articles that you write.
USE OF KEYWORDS
Keyword Choice
Your article should be search engine optimized for specific keywords, and not just written in a literary sense. In this article I have chosen two keywords: 'article writing tips' and 'writing articles'. One, the latter of the two, has a fairly high demand (people using it to search) with not an excessive supply (other pages using it) while 'article writing tips' has a demand of 1000/month but a very low supply. 'Article writing' is another keyword there, with a larger demand than either of the above two.
Keyword Use
So, I have included 3 good keywords in my title. That is important since the title is what potential readers of your article will see first. You should also do as I have done, and use the keywords in the first 100 characters of your article (including spaces). The search engine spiders give highest weighting to words contained in these characters. You must, however, avoid excessive use of the keyword. 1% keyword density is enough.
Article Semantics
Google uses the latent semantic indexing (LSI) algorithm in calculating the relevance of your article to the keyword. This means the use of vocabulary related to the keyword, and using words that explain exactly the meaning of your article.
IMPORTANT SECTIONS
The important sections of your article are the title, the first 100 characters, the opening paragraph, the final paragraph, the resource and the summary. The last two are important only when your articles are written for distribution.
The resource is where you advertise yourself and your website or product. Try to persuade your readers to click to the web page you want them to visit, and when they do make it worth their while. You should be confident in telling them exactly what you want them to do, as I am doing here, and the way to achieve that is to be honest in what you say, and deliver what you offer.
Finally, write naturally, as if you were speaking to a person. In that way you should avoid the problems that you could get yourself into by trying to write for a search engine - never forget that people read your website content and people buy your products.
If you put these article writing tips into practice, you should see an improvement in traffic to your website. Writing articles can be one of the best internet marketing promotional techniques available to you, and is not only free but extremely effective if done properly.
----------------------------------------------------
These are just a few of the many article writing tips you will find on Pete's website http://www.articleczar.com/gift.html where, in addition to free gifts, Pete offers you a free article writing course. His site http://www.article-services.com also offers his article ghostwriting service.
First, let's agree on the definition of an article, since mine is unlikely to be yours. To me, an article is written content that provides non-commercial information about a specific topic. So adverts are not articles, and neither are reviews. What I am writing now is an article. Articles are important because search engine algorithms have been written to detect good quality content that provides useful information on a specific topic as defined by the search term, or keyword, used by the search engine user.
A good article can work wonders for your website because it offers you 5 benefits:
1. Google PageRank votes from directories that accept your article for publication.
2. The same votes from web pages to which your article has been copied.
3. Clicks to your site from the web pages referred to in item 2.
4. Clicks to your site from readers of your article on the directories.
5. Free advertising through high listings of your article on search engines.
Most benefit comes from items 1, 4 and 5, with 5 in the majority. Writing articles is the best way to advertise your website and individual pages within it, and these article writing tips are intended to help you make the most of the articles that you write.
First, it is not essential for you to write your own articles. You can pay to have them written for you by a professional article ghostwriter, but you have more control over how you present your content by writing them yourself. Here are a few article writing tips to help you get most benefit from the articles that you write.
USE OF KEYWORDS
Keyword Choice
Your article should be search engine optimized for specific keywords, and not just written in a literary sense. In this article I have chosen two keywords: 'article writing tips' and 'writing articles'. One, the latter of the two, has a fairly high demand (people using it to search) with not an excessive supply (other pages using it) while 'article writing tips' has a demand of 1000/month but a very low supply. 'Article writing' is another keyword there, with a larger demand than either of the above two.
Keyword Use
So, I have included 3 good keywords in my title. That is important since the title is what potential readers of your article will see first. You should also do as I have done, and use the keywords in the first 100 characters of your article (including spaces). The search engine spiders give highest weighting to words contained in these characters. You must, however, avoid excessive use of the keyword. 1% keyword density is enough.
Article Semantics
Google uses the latent semantic indexing (LSI) algorithm in calculating the relevance of your article to the keyword. This means the use of vocabulary related to the keyword, and using words that explain exactly the meaning of your article.
IMPORTANT SECTIONS
The important sections of your article are the title, the first 100 characters, the opening paragraph, the final paragraph, the resource and the summary. The last two are important only when your articles are written for distribution.
The resource is where you advertise yourself and your website or product. Try to persuade your readers to click to the web page you want them to visit, and when they do make it worth their while. You should be confident in telling them exactly what you want them to do, as I am doing here, and the way to achieve that is to be honest in what you say, and deliver what you offer.
Finally, write naturally, as if you were speaking to a person. In that way you should avoid the problems that you could get yourself into by trying to write for a search engine - never forget that people read your website content and people buy your products.
If you put these article writing tips into practice, you should see an improvement in traffic to your website. Writing articles can be one of the best internet marketing promotional techniques available to you, and is not only free but extremely effective if done properly.
----------------------------------------------------
These are just a few of the many article writing tips you will find on Pete's website http://www.articleczar.com/gift.html where, in addition to free gifts, Pete offers you a free article writing course. His site http://www.article-services.com also offers his article ghostwriting service.
mardi 24 février 2009
Persuasive Copywriting Tips: How To Write An Attention-Getting Headline, Part 1
The headline is one of the two most critical leverage points in any sales letter or ad. (The other is the offer.) A strong headline can make a huge difference in influencing your prospect to continue reading. For that reason, it's absolutely critical to have a strong, powerful headline.
This article series covers 7 key tips for writing powerful, attention-getting headlines that pull your reader into your body copy. Use these tips as a guide for creating a headline... and as a test to determine the strength it.
Headline Tip #1: Flag Your Target Audience
I make a distinction between your target market and your target audience. Your target market represents the total number of potential prospects for your product or service. It is defined by certain shared characteristics with your existing buyers.
Your target audience, on the other hand, is the subset of that group who are most likely to buy from you. This represents your "starving crowd", and is the target you're aiming for. For example, if you sell a product to help people quit smoking, your target market may be smokers who want to quit... but your target audience will most likely be smokers who so desperately want to quit they are willing to try your solution, even though nothing else has worked for them. There's a subtle but important distinction here that can make all the difference in your results.
You can flag your audience either explicitly or implicitly. For example, if you were to explicitly flag your audience, you might come out and say, "Attention: Smokers Who Desperately Want To Quit..."
Alternatively, you can be a little more "smooth" by implicitly flagging your audience like this: "Introducing A Scientifically-Proven Method To Help Smokers Quit Cold-Turkey WITHOUT The Intense Cravings. Guaranteed To Get You Over The 'Hump' Or Your Money Back."
When flagging your audience, it's critical to have an understanding of who they are, what most resonates with them, and what problems they're really concerned about.
The best way to find out is to talk with your buyers in person. Interview them to find out what they were going through when they bought your product. You'll be surprised at what you uncover! I guarantee what you learn will help make not just your headline, but all of your copy much more powerful and focused on your target audience.
Headline Tip #2: Be Unique
One hallmark of a weak headline is it could be used by anyone selling a similar solution. Take the weight loss market, for example. "Lose Weight Now" is not a very powerful headline because there is nothing unique about it. Anyone selling any type of weight-loss product could use it.
On the other hand, the following headline is much more powerful...
"How To Melt Your Fat Away And Keep It Off For Good Using This Little-Known Detox Secret The Diet Industry Doesn't Want You To Know About..."
Notice how this headline is suddenly much more interesting as a result of communicating a unique idea. It's also more specific (Tip #5) and has an element of intrigue (Tip #6).
----------------------------------------------------
Joshua Aaron Stanley is an online sales copywriter, or "Salesman in Print", who turns words into wealth using the power of persuasive sales copy. For more persuasive copywriting tips, visit http://www.CovertWrittenPersuasion.com
This article series covers 7 key tips for writing powerful, attention-getting headlines that pull your reader into your body copy. Use these tips as a guide for creating a headline... and as a test to determine the strength it.
Headline Tip #1: Flag Your Target Audience
I make a distinction between your target market and your target audience. Your target market represents the total number of potential prospects for your product or service. It is defined by certain shared characteristics with your existing buyers.
Your target audience, on the other hand, is the subset of that group who are most likely to buy from you. This represents your "starving crowd", and is the target you're aiming for. For example, if you sell a product to help people quit smoking, your target market may be smokers who want to quit... but your target audience will most likely be smokers who so desperately want to quit they are willing to try your solution, even though nothing else has worked for them. There's a subtle but important distinction here that can make all the difference in your results.
You can flag your audience either explicitly or implicitly. For example, if you were to explicitly flag your audience, you might come out and say, "Attention: Smokers Who Desperately Want To Quit..."
Alternatively, you can be a little more "smooth" by implicitly flagging your audience like this: "Introducing A Scientifically-Proven Method To Help Smokers Quit Cold-Turkey WITHOUT The Intense Cravings. Guaranteed To Get You Over The 'Hump' Or Your Money Back."
When flagging your audience, it's critical to have an understanding of who they are, what most resonates with them, and what problems they're really concerned about.
The best way to find out is to talk with your buyers in person. Interview them to find out what they were going through when they bought your product. You'll be surprised at what you uncover! I guarantee what you learn will help make not just your headline, but all of your copy much more powerful and focused on your target audience.
Headline Tip #2: Be Unique
One hallmark of a weak headline is it could be used by anyone selling a similar solution. Take the weight loss market, for example. "Lose Weight Now" is not a very powerful headline because there is nothing unique about it. Anyone selling any type of weight-loss product could use it.
On the other hand, the following headline is much more powerful...
"How To Melt Your Fat Away And Keep It Off For Good Using This Little-Known Detox Secret The Diet Industry Doesn't Want You To Know About..."
Notice how this headline is suddenly much more interesting as a result of communicating a unique idea. It's also more specific (Tip #5) and has an element of intrigue (Tip #6).
----------------------------------------------------
Joshua Aaron Stanley is an online sales copywriter, or "Salesman in Print", who turns words into wealth using the power of persuasive sales copy. For more persuasive copywriting tips, visit http://www.CovertWrittenPersuasion.com
lundi 23 février 2009
What Should I Write About If My Website Sells Many Different Products?
Article marketing is a great way to drive traffic back to your website by increasing your inbound links, elevating your search engine ranking for your keywords, and also giving your website widespread exposure.
When you're doing article marketing, the articles you write will be on the topic of your website--you're trying to attract targeted readers who will read your article and then be interested in clicking through to your website.
But what if your website sells products, and lots of different products at that?
What if you have a section of your website that sells electronics, and then another section that sells children's clothing, and then another section that sells gardening tools?
With such diverse topics on one website, you may find it confusing trying to figure out what to write about, but writing for a website that sells many different types of products is not all that different than writing for a website that just represents one thing.
What you need to do is think of your website as being a collection of niches--while another author might write on one topic all the time, you will be writing on several different niches (all the niches on your website).
For example, if you were writing articles to drive traffic back to the gardening part of your website, you could write an article called "The Top 10 Gift Ideas For Gardeners".
Then in your article you would write about 10 types of products that you have at your site (rather than specific products), such as gardening tools, gardening clothing, gardening pots, etc.
I know that whenever you're writing for a product based website that it's tempting to write about a specific product and then say "go to my website to get it!", but that's not the way you want to go with article marketing.
The only place where you can mention your own website is your resource box, and in the article body it's best to keep things as general and educational (not sales oriented) as possible.
So, you could say in your article "I've seen gardening pots that are so beautiful they look like jewelry for your yard--any gardener would enjoy receiving one as a gift!".
Then in your resource box you would say something like, "If you're in search of the perfect gift for the gardener in your life, visit here => [insert your URL]"
See how easy that is?
That's a very intelligent way to write for a product based website, and when you have several types of products on your site you would simply write other articles that addressed the other departments on your site.
And what part of your website should your resource box link to?
You can vary it--you may wish to link directly to the main page of your website sometimes. If you've written about a certain type of product, you will likely have a listing of your various departments on the front page of your site (and you'll probably have a search box as well).
So, it's fine to link to the main page of your site from your resource box, but you may wish to mix things up a bit by having some articles link to the department page, and still others that link directly to a product page.
Remember, there are just a few points to keep in mind:
*It's best if you don't mention specific products in your article.
If you do mention specific products in your article and you then link back to a sales page for that item, then the article will appear to be promotional, and many publishers routinely decline what they consider to be promotional or self-serving articles (articles that try to sell things).
*Write about a particular area of your site--think of your site as collection of niches and write articles for each niche.
That's not that hard, is it?
So many times business owners who own websites that sell lots of different products get stumped when trying to figure out what to write about when they're doing article marketing because they don't have just one topic to write about.
But if you just tweak your thinking a bit, you'll see that if you do own one of these websites that sells several different types of products that you actually have a bountiful selection of writing topics--you'll probably never run out of ideas for articles!
----------------------------------------------------
Getting your article to as many publishers as possible can have a positive impact on your product sales, so it pays to submit articles automatically. To find out how to distribute your articles to hundreds of targeted publishers with the click of a button, go to: http://www.SubmitYOURArticle.com
When you're doing article marketing, the articles you write will be on the topic of your website--you're trying to attract targeted readers who will read your article and then be interested in clicking through to your website.
But what if your website sells products, and lots of different products at that?
What if you have a section of your website that sells electronics, and then another section that sells children's clothing, and then another section that sells gardening tools?
With such diverse topics on one website, you may find it confusing trying to figure out what to write about, but writing for a website that sells many different types of products is not all that different than writing for a website that just represents one thing.
What you need to do is think of your website as being a collection of niches--while another author might write on one topic all the time, you will be writing on several different niches (all the niches on your website).
For example, if you were writing articles to drive traffic back to the gardening part of your website, you could write an article called "The Top 10 Gift Ideas For Gardeners".
Then in your article you would write about 10 types of products that you have at your site (rather than specific products), such as gardening tools, gardening clothing, gardening pots, etc.
I know that whenever you're writing for a product based website that it's tempting to write about a specific product and then say "go to my website to get it!", but that's not the way you want to go with article marketing.
The only place where you can mention your own website is your resource box, and in the article body it's best to keep things as general and educational (not sales oriented) as possible.
So, you could say in your article "I've seen gardening pots that are so beautiful they look like jewelry for your yard--any gardener would enjoy receiving one as a gift!".
Then in your resource box you would say something like, "If you're in search of the perfect gift for the gardener in your life, visit here => [insert your URL]"
See how easy that is?
That's a very intelligent way to write for a product based website, and when you have several types of products on your site you would simply write other articles that addressed the other departments on your site.
And what part of your website should your resource box link to?
You can vary it--you may wish to link directly to the main page of your website sometimes. If you've written about a certain type of product, you will likely have a listing of your various departments on the front page of your site (and you'll probably have a search box as well).
So, it's fine to link to the main page of your site from your resource box, but you may wish to mix things up a bit by having some articles link to the department page, and still others that link directly to a product page.
Remember, there are just a few points to keep in mind:
*It's best if you don't mention specific products in your article.
If you do mention specific products in your article and you then link back to a sales page for that item, then the article will appear to be promotional, and many publishers routinely decline what they consider to be promotional or self-serving articles (articles that try to sell things).
*Write about a particular area of your site--think of your site as collection of niches and write articles for each niche.
That's not that hard, is it?
So many times business owners who own websites that sell lots of different products get stumped when trying to figure out what to write about when they're doing article marketing because they don't have just one topic to write about.
But if you just tweak your thinking a bit, you'll see that if you do own one of these websites that sells several different types of products that you actually have a bountiful selection of writing topics--you'll probably never run out of ideas for articles!
----------------------------------------------------
Getting your article to as many publishers as possible can have a positive impact on your product sales, so it pays to submit articles automatically. To find out how to distribute your articles to hundreds of targeted publishers with the click of a button, go to: http://www.SubmitYOURArticle.com
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