Online Marketing for Local Business
Posts tagged Article Marketing
5 Tips to Attract New Readers to Your Articles
13 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
Attracting a new set of readers to your articles or other web content isn’t always an easy task.
Of course, you’re always looking to grow the size of your audience, but it can be tricky hard to pinpoint exactly what makes one article more interesting/exciting/entertaining than the next one.
Increasing the reach of your article writing requires a balance of focus on not only the quality of your content, but also your ability to promote articles after publication. And every step in the process is important, but today’s focus is on the first basic requirement – writing good content. Here are five steps you can use to create a good article:
1. Tell a Story – Create a central theme or hook for each of your articles. Craft a story that your audience can relate or connect to versus just plainly stating facts with little narrative. How you choose to present information to your audience can make a big difference. A well-written story will attract and influence more readers.
2. Speak to One Person – Write your article as if you are communicating directly to a single reader. Try to use “you” instead of “they”, “he”, “she”, etc. This creates a perception with the reader that you are speaking directly to them and not to just anyone out in cyberspace. And if it’s your first impression with a reader, it’s a great way to start building a future relationship with them.
3. Provide Original Information – Even though a portion of your information or data will undoubtedly come from other sources, present your story in a fresh and original way. Always put your own personal, unique insights and spin into everything that you write. Your originality is what will ultimately set you apart from other authors.
4. Draw Inspiration – Use business or personal experiences in your everyday life for your writing inspiration. Live in your niche, and try to write the ideas that come to you during personal experiences down right when they pop into your head. Then you’ll have them ready when it’s time to write.
5. Be Creative – Even if you discuss or share information on the same basic topic(s), tell a new story with every article you write. Get creative and break the mold. The more you incorporate your creativity into your articles, the more likely you’ll start to gain a wider and more engaged audience.
And remember, quality still matters, and having an original, interesting article is just one part of the equation. Your article needs to be built soundly with proper grammar and punctuation too.
Keep these quick tips in mind to attract new readers while writing your next set of quality, original articles or other web content.
More On The Future Of Web Content
13 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
Building upon our last post, I wanted to further expand the conversation re: the future of web content and the trends that will get us there.
I recently read that there will be 30 Billion smart devices in the year 2030. Yes, Billion with a “B”. This is a staggering number, which equates to an average of 7 devices per person. By then we will be living in what I (and others) have called the Age of Ubiquitous Internet – a time when individuals are constantly “plugged in” to the web via one device or another, no matter the situation, usually via multiple ones.
In fact, this is already becoming a reality for many. With iPads and other tablet computers, smart phones, Internet TV and gaming systems, and of course home computers and laptops, etc. there are lots of individuals who spend the vast majority of their day online. Ubiquitous Internet takes it one step further. Imagine an entire platform devices interconnected, all with access to the same data. At this stage, all data will be available to you in the “cloud”, making for seamless transition between one device and another. The cloud makes this all possible, since you don’t need much (or any) computing power within the device itself, other than some basic processor and memory to keep the device powered and connected, though stand-alone memory will probably still be an option.
The cloud will contain all the computing power that you will ever need, allowing devices to shrink even further in size. Think of having a large monitor on your desktop, with nothing else but the keyboard and mouse. Backup of your data and files will be automatic.
What does web content look like in this world? Probably different than it does now, though exactly how remains to be seen. One thing is sure – your website must be able to connect to all sorts of devices, with different functionality, sizes and operating systems. The content you share will almost exclusively be interactive and multi-media, much more so than now. Static content will be a thing of the past, replaced by personalized content, directed just at you. Updates to devices that relate to your current environment will be instantaneous. Use imagination again, and think of having all your preferences stored within your mobile devices. When walking down an aisle, a small device attached to the shelf automatically prints a coupon based on your previous purchase history, or shares relevant information that might help you make your purchase decision.
The vast majority of content in this world will probably be concise, allowing for the limitations of smaller screens and displays. Long form information or data would probably be available on an on-demand basis only, meaning that many of today’s websites will change, some drastically. This will actually increase the need for content creators as well, since as any professional writer will tell you – the shorter the piece, the better the content must be written, since every single word takes on added significance. And the fact that content will be individual or group specific will only increase the overall volume of content that must be produced, even when taking into account the shorter it will be. Which once again makes me happy in my chosen profession!
All of this means that business owners and marketers must be even more flexible and well versed in current trends and best practices.
What are your thoughts on the future of web content and the Internet itself?
Proofreading Tips For Your Next Article
14 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
Article marketing can be one of the most user-friendly, reliable and cost-effective methods to boost your site’s SEO and overall traffic. But it does require some work. Every article you submit or distribute should be high quality, free of any spelling and grammatical errors and the misuse of any words. In general, something that you would be proud to see representing your company or brand.
In addition to the eyeballs that will be reading your article – and judging the company or author that created it – publishers also have guidelines, sometimes very strict, about what they will and will not accept. That’s why proofreading your articles is so important. Here are a few tips:
Give Your Article a Cool Off Period
After you’ve finished writing, step away from your article for a few hours before reading back over it. When you’ve been looking over a block of copy for an extended period of time, it becomes more difficult to see glaring errors, the kind you would instantly notice in other situations. Your mind may start to automatically fill in what you expect to see, not what is actually there on the page.
Read Your Article Backwards
This is a technique I have often used. Have you ever read an article so many times that you can almost recite it without looking? The more familiar you are with a piece of writing, the harder it becomes to proofread. So read the last sentence of your article, and then the second to last sentence, third to last, etc. Reading out of sequence takes away any familiarity and can help you to see grammar and spelling errors.
Print Your Article, Stand Up, and Read Your Article Out Loud
Hearing an article spoken aloud can be extremely effective at highlighting grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Your ears can sometimes be more perceptive than your eyes. For maximum effectiveness, combine tips 2 and 3, and stand up and read your article aloud AND backwards.
Find a Friend with Excellent Editing Skills
If you have someone close to you with great grammar and spelling skills, see if you can enlist his or her help in looking over your article. A second set of eyes can be very helpful!
Make Sure Spell Checker Is On, And Grammar Checker Too
Spell checker has pointed out countless routine errors and typos from my documents, and though I find grammar checker to be a bit less useful, it doesn’t hurt to keep it on. But these are never substitutes for proofreading of course, since spell checker won’t find words misspelled that are still actual words (“Come to my part tonight” instead of “Come to my party tonight”) or words used incorrectly (“affect” instead of “effect”).
Remember that proofreading is important. It pays to take the extra time up front before publishing a blog post, e-marketing piece, uploading website copy or submitting an article or press release. This ensures that your online content represents your company in the best possible way, and puts the spotlight on your expertise and professionalism to all who you interact with online.
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Need Help With Your Next Writing Project?
Contact me directly at: jhaynes@hattrickassociates.com or visit our Contact page and fill out the brief form.
Jim