How To Really Make Your Articles Work For You
[ Feel free to copy this article for your own or business use, but please do so in its entirety. Contact me if you wish to run *your own* affiliate links in my byline. ]
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by Darren Andrews
(1) The Purpose of the Article
Articles -- whatever the subject -- are like nuggets of information, bread tossed to the waters of the World Wide Web in the hope of being snapped up by a hungry fish in the somewhat-less-poetic form of an ezine editor.
These nuggets, of varying quality and length, are very seldom paid for by publishers; rather their purpose seems one of endearment to the author and his or her MWR.
The MWR is your Most Wanted Response -- it's what you want the reader of your article to do once he has done reading. This may be a link to your web site, a mini-course or whatever you want it to be.
Getting that offer across really is the ultimate aim of all those articles. If it's not then I hope you are being paid for your articles!
But this is not an article about bylines, resource boxes or anything else you've ever read on the subject. This little 'nugget' is about using Internet technology to really make your articles work for you.
So let's get started...
(2) Co-Branded Bylines
We've all heard about ezine editors agreeing to advertise each others' newsletters in their publications ("ad swapping") but how about doing this with bylines/resource boxes?
This need not be a verbose addition to your byline, though it should be related to the niche or to the general demographics you write for.
Using the Internet there are ways
and means to make your own link (whatver it is) *viral*. Viral marketing simply means that your initial effort is all you need to set in motion for the offer to perpetuate - just like a flu virus, though hopefully a lot more pleasant ;)
Another way is to compound that viral effect so that you increase the singular effect of that first effort. This would be a little bit like passing on the flu and chicken pox at the same time -- everyone would be infected with your article, and those who don't catch the flu might well catch chicken pox.
It obviously stands to reason that the bigger or more wide- spread your intial effort, the greater the spread of the infection or virus. This can be achieved by choosing and setting up automation software.
The tools to achieve this do exist online and there are no doubt many "hidden" resources out there too. Don't think conventionally -- marketers (whether writers or not) always do something *different* to the rest of the crowd; they take the initiative, the risk. They find a way of doing the usual in an unusual way.
Check out my byline beneath if you want to know more!
Darren Andrews is the creator of the Writers' Marketing Toolbox http://www.writers-and-publishers.com/membership.html and runs the recently-launched Writers' Viral Syndicator http://www.writers-viral-syndicator.com Contact him at mailto:darren@writers-and-publishers.com
NOTE: If you join either or both of the programs above then contact me and you can put *your* affiliate links in my byline! Limited offer.
(c) Darren Andrews, 2002.
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