How do I get my small business on the internet? How do I promote my website on a shoestring budget? Who can help me with my home based business? If you are asking yourself these questions, then read on ... you will find plenty of useful marketing tips for your small or home-based business.
Articles Writing articles is an excellent way for you to get free publicity. Getting an article published is free. The publicity you receive by having your article published in a newspaper, magazine or website can be worth thousands of dollars in equivalent advertising space. Well written articles yield better results than advertisements and earn you respect from customers, who see you as an expert in your field. The best articles are “tips” or expert pieces. People are looking for guidance and will purchase from the experts who show them how to solve their problems.
Your article should include the following elements:
(a) The Headline
This should be attention grabbing and use power words and phrases, such as “How to …” “10 Ways that …”, “Do you want to …”
(b) Lead Paragraph
The first couple of sentences should tell your readers why they should read the whole articles. Show them the benefits they will gain or the pain that they will avoid by reading the article.
(c) Body Copy
This is where you inform the reader how to do something that will enrich their business or personal lives. Use short sentences and provide step-by-step directions that they can easily follow.
(d) Conclusion
At the end you will want to summarise the topics you covered and briefly review the main points. Since you have helped your readers they will most likely want to know more. This is your chance to make your sell by making them an offer with a call to action.
(e) Resource Box
The resource box should supply the reader with the following information: - Your name - Company name - Contact information - Website details - How to order your product, etc
If writing an article seems too daunting for you initially, you can hire a ghost writer to do this for you – generally at a very reasonable price. If you need someone to help you with this, you may wish to check out: www.elance.com
Once your article is written you will need to submit it to various publications on-line and off-line. For a listing of Australian printed publications, including the editor’s details, you may wish to buy “The Australian Writer’s Marketplace”, available from most bookshops.
For a listing of on-line magazines (e-zines), visit: www.ezine-dir.com. You can then contact the editor of each magazine and offer them your article.
If you don’t have a lot of time to submit your articles manually, you may wish to consider using article submission services by companies such as: