Three Things You Must Do Before You Submit To Article Directories

To all writers and non-writers out there, now is the time to start digging up those creative writing skills.With modern communication technology comes the popularity of information-based marketing, which is one of the oldest and most effective techniques in getting targeted prospects to sites and converting them into buyers. This is

As a List Building Superstars (LBS) speaker, Sean Mize stuck to the same straight-ahead approach that he uses in his own e-mail correspondence, sales letters, and teleseminars. A style undoubtedly welcomed by listeners often jaded by fast-talking self-promoters.

Sean's Three Strategies for Generating Article Marketing Content.

1. Volume, Volume, VOLUME!

Mize is unwavering in his call for large quantities of quality articles that merit placement in the best e-zines. Therefore, set aside 2-3 hours for uninterrupted writing every day, plus another 2-3 hours for article submissions to the directories.

2. Adding Back Links through Article Submissions.

By tracking purchases of his information products, Sean discovered that traffic generated through articles converted best. So, the message is clear - give motivated readers the information they seek, and they are more likely to become buyers and repeat customers. Like many marketers, Mize uses free giveaway reports to attract list subscribers.

3. Stick to the Basics.

Sean Mize's formula for article marketing success is simple: Produce 20 original articles weekly, and have the patience to let them percolate up the directory and search engine rankings. Mize is definitely anti-Private Label Rights (PLR). He opposes reused and slightly altered content on the grounds that they do not work for the reader nor the marketer looking for traffic. Search engines flag duplicate articles, and consequently do not rank them.

Even if they did work, it would be an unfair manipulation of search engine rankings. The articles most likely would be poorly written, aimed at robots instead of human beings.

Words of Caution...

Sean noted that expanding broadband technology is making it harder for Internet Marketers to capture, hold, and retain a prospect's attention. There is a lot of readily-accessible stimuli (i.e. audio, video, graphics, podcasts, etc.) and users no longer have to wait for one download before moving on to the next thing. So, offer incentives for users to opt-in to your list, even at the risk of attracting too many "tire-clickers".

Article marketing is definitely not for everyone. Experience shows that only a small percentage of people have the discipline to carry out such a "ruthless" writing campaign and make it succeed. Furthermore, marketers who crave speed probably have a skill set oriented towards other areas (e.g. Pay-per-Click (PPC)).

Mize suggests that we get to know potential joint venture (JV) partners as people first before making a commitment, article marketing-related or otherwise. Also, be selective about what affiliate products and programs to promote. Affiliate marketing, by definition, removes a lot of personal risk. However, your reputation will be determined by the recommendations you make to subscribers.

What it Really Takes...

Writing-oriented marketers should welcome the idea that you can succeed online without state-of-the-art graphics, a killer app, or a significant advertising budget.

However, the amount of articles demanded by Mize's formula for success raises some questions:

1. What role should "ghostwriting", i.e. paying someone to write original articles for you, play for a serious article marketer?

2. Does Sean personally use services like elance and getafreelancer? If so, what percentage of his articles are "ghost-written"?

3. Can you really control the originality and quality of outsourced writing? Is it really any better than PLR articles?

This is the age of globalization, and outsourcing is a fact of life in all fields including Internet Marketing. At the very least, even prolific authors need to consider the ghostwriting option and its implications.

Conclusion.

Sean Mize is an articulate speaker who is quite direct about why he is successful. His online business tactics are transparent, and neatly tie together all three core Internet skills:

Traffic generation through article marketing to build a monetizable opt-in list that is ready, willing, and able to purchase information products...

Provided your copy works, of course!

Rahul Majumdar is a full-time Information Marketing Specialist who focuses on teleseminar reporting, list-building techniques, and information product creation. Sign up for more of his insights at: http://www.info-entrepreneur-rm.net