[EzineArticles] Avoid Becoming Irrelevant: How to Create Your Expert Author Identity

Avoid Becoming Irrelevant: How to Create Your Expert Author Identity Use the Power of Branding in Your Efforts As more and more big brands, offline brick and mortar businesses, online entrepreneurs, professional writers, and other organization representatives discover how article writing and content marketing is a must in any online strategy, your risk of getting lost in the shuffle increases greatly. How can you ensure your success? Begin forging a validated Expert Author identity to increase your ability to be ranked higher (and seen by readers) today! What does validation mean? It means absolute transparency, added relevance, and branded consistency across your platform to seamlessly help readers (and search engines) connect the dots. Validate your expertise in your niche by shaping your Expert Author identity with the following checklist. Your Expert Author Identity Checklist Your Author Name Give your byline the love it deserves by treating your author name like a brand. Let's say your Expert Author name on EzineArticles.com is "Sam E. Smith." Ensure "Sam E. Smith" (and not "S.E. Smith," "Sammy Smith," "SamLove08," "Sam Smith," etc.) is transparent across your entire platform. Say goodbye to posts attributed to "Admin" on your website. Ensure all of the content you publish (e.g., articles, website posts, and guest posts) clearly identifies you as the author by using your author name on your website, your Facebook page, your Twitter account, your Google+ account, your blogs ... everywhere. Your Author Photo Take a little time carefully selecting your author photo. If you have the resources, invest in a professional photographer for that extra polish. Alternately, stage your own photo shoot with a friend or family member. Give the photo a little polish by using a photo-editing app. In today's image, I staged a photo shoot with our very own Product Marketing Manager, Marc, in under 5 minutes using an iPhone - it's that easy! Similar to your author name, use your author photo across your platform. Your Email Address Set up an email account that uses your domain name. Why? Some folks feel a personal email address is too unprofessional and you don't have a vested interest in your platform. Is it necessarily true? No. Should you still do it? Yes, because you're more likely to succeed if your reader or visitor is positively focused on your message, product, or services rather than your personal email address. You can always set up the email from this account to forward emails to another account. Your EzineArticles Expert Author Profile Have you completed your EzineArticles Expert Author Profile? Use the How to Complete Your Expert Author Profile Infographic as a guide to upload your Author Photo, write your biography, list links, and more. In doing so, you will increase your reader's trust, drive more traffic, build your Expert Author identity, and foster search-engine relevance by reinforcing your brand. Your Website About Me Include an "About Me" page on your website or blog that features your author name, Author Photo, company or organization history, achievements, awards, etc. Also, give your visitors an easy opportunity to connect with you by featuring alternate methods to contact you (e.g., contact form and social media). Use this information across your platform for a branding boost and message consistency. Google Authorship Don't have a Google+ profile yet? Sign up today. It goes without saying that if you want to be the life of the party, you have to be in the room first. Tailor your Google+ profile to your Expert Author identity and include all of these checklist items. Once you have a complete Google+ profile, get on the Google Authorship fast track by building a solid Expert Author identity. Don't lose hope! You can and will increase exposure by coordinating your article writing efforts with the power of a quality article portfolio and a solid Expert Author identity. What do you do to increase your transparency and create your Expert Author identity? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Like us on Facebook for more great tips every day. EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... the process of writing has been profoundly rewarding!" Writing articles is truly the best way to become a leader of thought in your industry or within your circle.... Thank you, EzineArticles - You literally changed my life, and the process of writing has been profoundly rewarding! Camille Rodriquez PolkaDotImpressions.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8517442-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Inspirational Article Template

Inspirational Article Template What Inspires You May Inspire Your Audience Inspiration is all around us: The elation we feel about a loved one overcoming a life threatening illness. The encouragement we feel listening to the story of someone overcoming adversity. The optimism we feel reading about someone, who perhaps like you, started with nothing and built a multi-million dollar empire. Whatever the source of inspiration may be, inspirational stories give us vision and scope. They motivate us to seek out ways to better ourselves and the lives of those around us. It's for these reasons that inspirational stories are such a great source for articles. The Inspirational Story Article Template First, take a trip down memory lane and brainstorm inspiring experiences, events, people, and even books that you've encountered in your life. It could be someone you know or maybe even a person/situation that you've read about. Next, select one of those inspirational stories. If the story isn't directly related to your niche, does it remind you of a particular topic, strategy, etc. in your niche? Create a list of relevant topics that correspond with your inspirational story and select the strongest topic. Finally, inspire your readers using the following template: Introduction: Provide the reader with a short summary of the story. Create a WIIFM (what's in it for me) effect by illustrating how your hero of the story relates to the reader. Let's say you're writing about Dan, an inspirational friend, who climbed the highest of high mountains even though he has asthma. Introduce Dan, why his story is relevant to readers, and provide a quick overview of his story.   Strategies/Tips: Extract tips or strategies from the story that benefit readers. Tie each of these tips or strategies into your niche by outlining them using a list format. Be as specific as possible when you're listing your tips. Compare a specific example from the inspirational story to a specific example of what occurs in your niche. In our previous example, we can pick out 3 universal traits (humor, perseverance, and support) that Dan exhibited in his tremendous feat and can easily apply them our niche.   Conclusion: What's the moral of the story? Tie up any loose ends and provide a moral to the inspirational story and how it applies to your niche. If you can, let the reader know what your hero is doing today or what his or her next great feat will be. Share your motivating and moving stories with the Inspiration Article Template. Inspiration is a great way to hearten and entertain your readers to build trust and exposure while providing valuable information in your niche. Are you looking for more article templates to increase your article portfolio and increase your exposure? Download EzineArticles' 52 interactive Article Templates on PDF! Do you have any inspirational stories that you have used to convey your message in an article? Share your articles or stories in the comments section here! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Christopher M. Knight, Publisher http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Take control of your article's publication schedule with an EzineArticles Premium Membership subscription. Sign up today! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "You guys are simply the BEST!" EzineArticles.com is truly a reputable directory article site that gives so many writers an opportunity to publish their work and have it exposed to a huge global audience. You guys are simply the BEST! Kym Gordon Moore FromBehindThePen.WordPress.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8510826-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Are You Connecting with Your Audience? 5 Tips to Write Compelling Articles

Are You Connecting with Your Audience? 5 Tips to Write Compelling Articles Grab Hold of Your Audience and Keep Their Attention By Providing Expert Advice That Resonates If you're simply writing "for" your targeted audience without fully grasping how to engage them, then you may be missing an important component. After performing the strategic research, you now know what your audience wants to hear, but do you know how they want to hear it? Writing compelling articles and motivating readers to truly become vested makes a tremendous difference in activating your call-to-action with terrific click-through power. Showcase your expertise and intrigue your audience with these article writing tips: Write Compelling Articles With These 5 Strategies 1. Appeal to Emotions What drives you? What do you feel directly before you take action? Desire, fear, hope, and flattery are examples of common emotional appeals. A desire to succeed is an excellent foundation to keep in mind while writing articles. Readers are searching for information from you to succeed in their niche. This is where big picture thinking comes into play (i.e., seeing the entire perspective on a topic, situation, or issue). How do you use this notion to attract (and keep) readers? Add a bit of spark: Standard title: "5 Article Writing Tips" Emotionally charged title: "Get Your Articles Read: 5 Powerful Writing Tips to Succeed" 2. Use Power Words Let your audience know you're talking to them! Power words, such as "you" and "your," engage your reader and make them feel unique and singled out. The Internet is utilized by hundreds of millions of people every day, so making your readers or the visitors to your blog or website feel welcome in a personal way is essential in ensuring they return. Standard text: "In order to become a freelance writer, one must practice in their free time as much as possible." Powerful text: "Do you want to become a freelance writer? Practice as much as possible during your free time to achieve your goal!" 3. Answer Potential Questions As an Expert Author and a commander in your niche, you're aware of any possible inquiries your audience will have in response to your message. "What ifs," will inevitably cross your readers' minds. Don't leave them hanging! Answer those potential queries and bring up possible objections within the same piece. This will gain their trust and also exhibit your credibility on the topic. For example, if you're writing about finding time to write more often, a prospective reader might automatically object (cue Sweet Brown's "Ain't nobody got time for that!"). Sooth any objections by proposing how easy it is to schedule time during free periods of their day because the rewarding benefits they will gain will far outweigh their doubts. 4. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Repetition is key! It takes the typical person about three weeks to form a habit. You have a minute percentage of time to ingrain your message in your readers' memory. Integrate your desired theme and your key take away (WIIFM) several times throughout. For example, begin your text with the sentiment, "Practice writing in your free time as much as possible," and end with the similar notion, "Be sure to use your free time wisely by practicing your writing as often as possible." 5. Stay Short and Sweet Repeating your message doesn't mean being verbose or derivative! We naturally process information best in short, manageable chunks. Long, drawn-out paragraphs become overwhelming and the direct message is lost in the shuffle. This doesn't mean your style needs to be brusque ("succinct" doesn't mean "brash"). Be concise and thorough to be efficient. Provide your audience your expert opinion in reasonably sized passages or numbered lists to keep them interested and wanting more. For the best results, discover how to identify your readers and how to turn your audience into clients. Do you use any writing guidelines to keep you in tune with how to stay connected to your readers? Visit this post online and let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Not following us on Twitter? You're missing out on a lot of great article writing tips and wisdom. Follow us today! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... establish your voice and brand ..." The marketing principle of giving away of something of value for free in order to sell something else, resonated with me. It is also a way to establish your voice and brand in a more structured professional manner than typical social media i.e. Facebook, Twitter, et al. They have their place and are useful to an author/writer. However, the growth of the internet creates a huge demand for quality content. I still think the key is to write "quality content". If it is well written, accessible, and of timely interest to people it will get plenty of attention. EzineArticles is a wonderful reservoir of good content on many topics. Bruce Kaler M.D. Seattledoc.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8504457-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Article Marketing for the Brick & Mortar Business

Article Marketing for the Brick & Mortar Business How EzineArticles' Premium Membership Can Make All the Difference The perception of the typical article marketer is that of the lone entrepreneur working from home or a small office. However, the reality is that many of our authors write for traditional brick and mortar companies that produce and/or sell products or provide services. They typically have a dedicated building or larger office where one or more employees come to work. Their company could be anything from a small hardware store to a huge manufacturing facility. If you're a brick and mortar author, you have needs that are similar to those of our other members. These needs may include general article writing and marketing resources that we provide regularly in our Blog, newsletters, and other resources. However, you may have additional needs that are above and beyond those of our other Expert Authors. It's because of your unique needs that EzineArticles' Premium Membership was designed to help you succeed: Promoting Multiple Products or Services - You're most likely promoting more than one product or service - each with its own voice. The articles you're writing reflect that diversity ... and so should the Resource Box. Having only a handful of generic Resource Boxes for more than a handful of products is not a wise idea. Each Resource Box should support a particular product or service and appeal to the ideal potential customer. This is where a Premium subscription can help. With Premium, you'll get 12 Resource Boxes instead of just 3. That's 9 additional ones that you can use to specifically target each of your individual offerings. Understanding Your Potential Customers - Market research is all about understanding your customers and prospects. You need to know what draws them to your product or service (and what doesn't) so you can adjust your approach accordingly. In article marketing, one of the best indicators is the keywords that are used to find your articles. For most of our members, the top 5 keywords provided in our free membership is adequate enough, but for a larger company (with tighter margins) more detailed data is required. With a Premium subscription, you'll receive up to 30 of the top keywords used to find each of your articles. This information can help you drill down into the thought processes of your customers and clearly identify what's driving them to your articles. Coordinating Your Marketing Efforts - Larger companies typically have more complex marketing campaigns where multiple components deliver the marketing message simultaneously or on a predetermined schedule. The article component of this strategy should be no different. Your articles should be delivered at a time that's in harmony with the rest of your marketing efforts. Premium addresses this issue with article scheduling. Rather than publishing an article as soon as it's approved by our editorial team, you can schedule when (right down to the minute) it gets published. This is vital when various marketing items rely on the timely delivery of others. Managing Tight Deadlines - Rolling out new products, services, or marketing campaigns requires the coordinated effort of the entire organization. As a result, you're often faced with tight deadlines, especially if you're not the primary decision maker. Any delay in getting an article reviewed or working with Member Support could have severe consequences for both you and your organization. For this reason we include priority article review and VIP Support in the Premium Membership package. With this benefit, your articles will go to the front of the review queue and your questions to Member Support will be answered in less than one business day. With turnaround like this, you can be assured that you'll meet those tight deadlines. Monitoring Results - A larger organization like yours is typically in-tune with the results of your marketing efforts. You know what works and what doesn't and you react accordingly. Your strategies and campaigns are constantly being adjusted to meet the ever-changing needs of your customers and prospects - your article writing and marketing should be no different. An EzineArticles Premium subscription provides the information you need to stay on top of your results. Each month, you'll gain access to your articles' performance over the last month. If you need more in-depth information, simply go to "Monthly Summary" found under the "Performance" tab of your member account. Your article writing and marketing needs as a traditional brick and mortar company may be slightly different than the solitary entrepreneur, but they're definitely manageable. The added benefits of a Premium Membership can make managing them a whole lot easier. Spend some time reviewing the features and benefits and see if you agree. For a limited time, we'll make it even easier to subscribe. Go here, select any length Premium subscription, enter the promotional code NEWPREMIUM at checkout, and we'll give you $15 off the already reduced subscription price. If you're writing articles for a traditional brick and mortar business, click here to leave a comment and tell us about some of your unique challenges. To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Marc, Product Marketing Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: In article writing and marketing, speed matters. Increase yours with an EzineArticles Premium Membership! Discover how at http://EzineArticles.com/Premium EzineArticles Member Endorsement "The benefits will be dramatic" EzineArticles has been one of the best Internet marketing decisions I've made over the years. One thing that is important with Internet marketing is to produce content consistently, not once a month. The benefits ... will be dramatic in that regard. The whole process is a marathon, not a sprint! David Greene PreferredPainCenter.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8493592-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Top Misused Words Part VI

Top Misused Words Part VI If he formerly stepped down, does that mean he never stepped down, or he stepped down in the past and now he has resumed his position as CEO? Even the most adept Expert Authors will make grammar mistakes because of distractions. However, there is also another phenomenon that occurs - too much focus! Such strenuous focus on one area may be causing your brain to filter out incoming information, which may be causing some errors to hide in plain sight. What's the remedy? Give your brain one task at a time to focus by writing in stages: Outline (Everything you need to say) Draft (Flesh out the outline) Edit (Add/Remove content) Proofread (Search for grammar errors) What should you be looking for? Aside from misspelled words, run-on sentences, and the usual suspects, keep an eye out for these commonly misused words. Upmost vs. Utmost upmost - another term for UPPERMOST; highest in place, rank, or importance. Incorrect: Jed said he would clean the utmost stairwell in the building. Correct: Jed said he would clean the upmost stairwell in the building. utmost - most extreme; greatest. Incorrect: Ping pong is a sport that requires the upmost display of athleticism. Correct: Ping pong is a sport that requires the utmost display of athleticism. Unkept vs. Unkempt unkept - a commitment not honored or fulfilled. Incorrect: Kim's calendar is full of unkempt appointments. Correct: Kim's calendar is full of unkept appointments. unkempt - (especially of a person) having an untidy or dishevelled appearance. Incorrect: Sally's hair looked unkept today. Correct: Sally's hair looked unkempt today. Wont vs. Won't wont - as a noun, one's customary behavior; as an adjective, (of a person) in the habit of or accustomed to doing something. Incorrect: David said he would wont to stay on the couch all day and play video games with his friend Jack. Correct: David, as is his wont, stayed on the couch all day playing video games with his friend Jack. won't - contraction of will not. Incorrect: Line dancing is something Jessica wont do. Correct: Line dancing is something Jessica won't do. Bellow vs. Below bellow - to emit a loud roar in pain or anger; a deep roaring sound. Incorrect: "Bwwwwwaarrrrrr!" "What was that?" asked Jack. "That's the below of a dying beast," replied Jeanne. Correct: "Bwwwwwaarrrrrr!" "What was that?" asked Jack. "That's the bellow of a dying beast," replied Jeanne. below - extending underneath; at a lower level. Incorrect: Adhere to the tips bellow to succeed! Correct: Adhere to the tips below to succeed! Formerly vs. Formally formerly - in the past; in earlier times. Incorrect: Mike formally believed that rabbits produced chocolate eggs. Correct: Mike formerly believed that rabbits produced chocolate eggs. formally - in accordance with the rules of convention or etiquette; officially. Incorrect: The headline read: "CEO Formerly Steps Down." Correct: The headline read: "CEO Formally Steps Down." Proofread to maintain your credibility with your audience by focusing on these misused words. Keep your eyes peeled for more words to add/remove to or from your grammar arsenal. If you have any misused words you'd like to see added to the Top Misused Words series, click here to fire away by sharing them in the comments section - we'd love to hear from you! Check out Top Misused Words Parts I, II, III, IV, and V for more! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Looking to boost your articles' traffic-driving potential? Give Premium a try! Find out more here. EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... professionalism and excellence ..." EzineArticles has impressed me with their standards of professionalism and excellence. I am happy to be one of their authors. Gerald Gillis GeraldGillis.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8487304-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Are You Over-Optimizing Your Anchor Text? 5 Strategies to Natural Link Profiles

Are You Over-Optimizing Your Anchor Text? 5 Strategies to Natural Link Profiles Create a Natural Link Profile Old SEO paradigms used to say if you linked to a page about hedge trimmers, then you should use a number of content-oriented sources that link back to the page via the anchor text "hedge trimmers." If only it were that easy! It's never quite that simple - any "strategy" that places SEO before the user is bound to fail. In fact, when search engines see dozens of links that derive from the same targeted anchor text (e.g., "hedge trimmers"), this may appear as though the links are paid for, spammy, and unnatural. Thankfully, over-optimized anchor text is becoming a thing of the past, as search engines have been finding ways to reward natural webpages with organic link profiles that don't appear overused or manipulated. Certified Natural Anchor Text SEO is not without its advantages, but there's a wrong way to do it (forced) and a right way (natural). Here are five strategies you can incorporate into your efforts to give yourself a natural boost. Conduct a Backlink Analysis - Compare your backlink analysis with a competitor's. Not only will this give you a few insights into how you can adjust your efforts, it will keep you updated, help you improve your website, and motivate you to generate new ideas to meet your audience's needs and interests.   Clean Up Your Website - Perform a quality investigation on your own website. Are there any pages that are lackluster? Do you repeat content on your website? Are you still utilizing pop ups or automatic audio? Double check each page on your website and eliminate any pages that are poor performers. Derivative content or pages with little content and tons of ads are toxic to your efforts.   Target the Middle - Recall the long-tail strategy? Aim for the middle of the long-tail by "sandwiching" your keywords in anchor text. Include the anchor text you want to use with an extension of relevant text to refine the topic. For example, if you're writing an article discussing weight loss strategies for women over 40, then instead of using a generic anchor text link like "weight loss," use "weight loss for women over 40."   Use Your Brand/Company Name - Practice co-occurrence or brand association! In addition to your brand name, use keywords associated with your brand in your Resource Box to reinforce your transparency, relevance, rank, and click rate.   Focus on Your Message - Don't forget your reader! Solidify your credibility by writing naturally and focusing on your reader's benefit-oriented message. Build an original, quality article portfolio to cultivate interest and build exposure, but let your unique experience be all the natural SEO you need to succeed. Break from the norm and avoid controlling your anchor text like a regimented program. Create a natural link profile to your website with anchor text that is optimized with some degree of random variation. Do you have any additional suggestions you would like to add to this list? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Like us on Facebook for more great tips every day! EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... my original articles still bring traffic to my first website!" I began my first website in November of 2006 and by early 2007 I had enough content to start promoting it ... I first learned about article marketing from my site's webhost and their guide to getting traffic to your site. They also recommended EzineArticles as a high-quality article directory ... Some of my original articles still bring traffic to my first website! Kristen Burgess MilkAndMud.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8475477-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Are you Reaching Your Potential? How to Turn Your Audience Into Clients

Are you Reaching Your Potential? How to Turn Your Audience Into Clients The Easy Step-by-Step Formula to Turn Readers Into Clients or Customers Creating quality content and seeing its effect is addicting. What's even more exciting? Turning readers into clients. There is an inevitable sense of accomplishment to see new viewers from your articles to your blog or website, but is that enough? Come full circle; convert your readers into clients. Provide your audience benefit-oriented content via quality articles to gain their trust and you will foster prospective clients to create a thriving business. It's well worth it. 1. Eye on the Target Your message will fall on deaf ears if you don't target your audience. Are you addressing new readers? Do they have any knowledge of your article topic? For every audience, your message and approach will differ. Profile your readers and find out where their interests lie within your business to target them with informative, relevant content. Identify, write accordingly, and go get 'em! 2. Benefits, Benefits, Benefits You've heard it before: Great content targets benefits, not features. Hook readers with the benefit by answering the very first question on their mind before they've started reading your article: "WIIFM (What's In It For Me)?" Consider the topic you're addressing and what goal it helps the reader achieve. For example, "ten exercise tips" is a feature and "lose weight to get a sexy body" is the benefit. Always lead with the benefit. 3. Pull Your Readers In Think of all of your readers as prospective clients walking into your "store." If you were in front of them, how would you entice them into going further within your business? It can be difficult persuading your audience to invest if they're given a desperate, feature-oriented sales pitch or an unfocused greeting (like you're bored by their very presence). Readers can sense this same desperation or boredom in your articles as well! Pull your readers in by showing passion and excitement for the topic as well putting all of your focus on the reader. 4. Compel with a Call-to-Action Top notch article! Now what? In your Resource Box, direct your readers to your website with a simple and effective call-to-action. But wait! Don't forget: Always lead with the benefit and keep your energy high to create a motivating call-to-action that motivates readers to act. Create momentum, add a sense of immediacy, and encourage your reader to act by providing an enticement, e.g. a discount, a free gift, or a free download. 5. Provide Easy-to-Navigate Links There's a reason why the word "easy" appears so readily in marketing copy. Anything that promises to be simple and delivers is incredibly appealing. You've provided your readers with quality, informative content and now they're at your website. You don't want them to search for your opportunities - they'll get tired and eventually give up. Go through the steps as though you're a new visitor. Is it difficult to find what benefits you? Set up your website in a way that speaks to potential clients and makes it easy for them to get involved. Benefit your bottom line and build your quality, article portfolio to reap the positive effects turning readers into clients will bring. What are some of the strategies you use to turn readers into clients? Have the above tips worked for you? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! PS: Always lead with the benefit! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PPS: Whether your business is offline or online, a Premium Membership can significantly enhance your efforts. Give it a try at http://EzineArticles.com/Premium EzineArticles Member Endorsement "EzineArticles.com has worked out extremely well ..." The relationship with EzineArticles.com has worked out extremely well. As a consequence of publishing articles on EzineArticles.com, I have built a huge body of material that enhances my credibility and search engine optimization. However, and most importantly, I have been able to use EzineArticles.com as a way of helping others. Nigel Brooks NigelAlBrooks.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8462861-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Are You Turning Off Visitors? 3 Website Mistakes to Stop Today

Are You Turning Off Visitors? 3 Website Mistakes to Stop Today 3 Toxic Website Practices to Avoid! You spend your precious time focused on gaining exposure, building an audience, and writing great content that will benefit your readers. Why waste all of your energy and everything you have gained by linking to a toxic website? What's a toxic website? All of your off-site, exposure-building strategies - from article writing to social media - help you build trust with your readers in order to gain credible traction and traffic back to your blog or website. However, if your website has poor-quality traits that lead visitors to click away because of a poor user experience, your website is a poisonous burden to your efforts. There's always a remedy! Improve the quality of your blog or website to encourage visitors to stay on your webpage (and convert visitors into clients) by avoiding these top 3 website mistakes. 1. Pop Ups and Exit Pop Ups If you feel the need to utilize a pop up of any kind, stop right there. There's a reason Web browsers have add-ons that block pop ups - pop ups are universally irritating. Avoid appearing desperate and annoying by considering what you're attempting to achieve with the pop up and if there is another design element you can incorporate in the webpage as a whole. 2. Infinite Scroll Scrolling inhibits a visitor's ability to immediately see everything that's relevant to them on a webpage and it's considered tedious. Websites like Facebook and Pinterest can successfully use infinite scroll because they don't have to curate content - their users do. Organize your website content by creating categories, limit scrolling to 1-2 screens, and make the navigation easy. 3. Automatic Audio or Video Visitors love video and audio, but on their own terms. There's nothing more jarring then audio unexpectedly leaping into a user's environment. Let your visitor decide when they want to watch or listen by giving them the opportunity to start and stop the audio. If there's no purpose to adding audio besides aesthetics (e.g., background music), avoid it. Bonus Mistake: Filler Content Content will help you get your website on page one, right? No. Any old content can HURT your rank and your credibility. Only great content will help you increase your credibility and rank. Great content is content that is creative, informative, relevant, helpful, clever, quality, etc. It's not spammy, stuffed with keywords, repetitive, or riddled with incorrect grammar. Consider your content as an extension of yourself. No matter where it is, your content reflects you and what you offer the reader. Spend time with your content: Ensure it's relevant, benefit-oriented, and proofread. It's so important. Why limit everything you have to gain? Avoid these mistakes and get on the right track to a quality blog or website. Want more quality practices? Click here to discover whether your website is a high-quality site with these 5 litmus tests for Expert Authors. What poor website practices would you like to add to this list? Alternately, what are some fantastic features that you look for in a website? Click here - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Vanessa, Editorial Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Not following us on Twitter? You're missing out on a lot of great article writing tips and wisdom. Follow us today! https://Twitter.com/EzineArticles EzineArticles Member Endorsement "I have grown my monthly newsletter to over 14,000 subscribers." I started article writing when I started my newsletter in late 2006. At that time, I had about 25 subscribers - mostly friends and family. Since then I have grown my monthly newsletter to over 14,000 subscribers. Lee Binz TheHomeScholar.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8452342-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[EzineArticles] Freedom Article Template: Help Your Readers Achieve the Ultimate Benefit

Freedom Article Template: Help Your Readers Achieve the Ultimate Benefit What Do Readers Ultimately Want? The ultimate benefit: To be self-sufficient and independent ... to achieve freedom. Whether it's to lose weight, gain financial success, DIY steps, or to ultimately find happiness, readers want to be free of obstacles that prevent them from achieving their dreams. You have all of the tools and experience to help them, but why should you give them the answers you fought so hard to get? Helping your reader helps you. Not only are you giving them the answer, you're building a relationship forged on your authority. In turn, you will achieve your goals - even if those goals are to increase your credibility, exposure, traffic to your blog or website, or all of the above. Help your readers and gain in your efforts by providing an informative, quality article using the Freedom Article Template. 5 Easy Steps to Write a Freedom-Benefit Article Introduction: Hook your reader by leading with a benefit that helps the reader address their needs or overcome a problem in order to achieve freedom. Tie-in your proposed strategies or methods as the solution.   Headline: Create a benefit-oriented headline before your list to help break up text and guide the eye down the page. Define how many strategies or methods you will recommend to achieve or gain freedom (e.g., "5 Ways to Gain Financial Freedom" or "7 Steps to Be Free of Painful Exercises and Fad Diets Forever!").   Strategy: Create a list of 3, 5, or 7 strategies or methods. Describe each strategy and what it achieves. Limit each list item to 2-3 sentences, but provide just enough informative content so the reader has a good lead. If you feel the need to continue further, remember that you can expand each list item in another, standalone article.   Headline: Create a headline that bolsters the reader's confidence - these strategies will help them achieve freedom (e.g., "How and Why These Methods Helped Me Gain Financial Success" or "5 Years Ago, I Lost 30 Pounds and Never Had to Diet Again").   Conclusion: How did these strategies or methods help you gain freedom? Stand in your readers' shoes and reassure them by briefly sharing your experience in a non-promotional manner. Provide evidence and avoid vague generalities by adding details to be more engaging with a personalized touch. Ready to Write? Start Brainstorming Create a list of obstacles you overcame in your niche. With each obstacle, consider how you broke free. Help readers achieve independence and freedom by providing strategies and recommendations through your experience using this article template. Want more article templates? Increase your exposure and your article library simultaneously by downloading EzineArticles' 52 interactive Article Templates on PDF. Click here for more details! Have you written an article using this style? Click here to share your article and experiences! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Christopher M. Knight, Publisher http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Don't forget about our Premium benefits package. It can have a huge impact on your bottom line. Find out how at http://EzineArticles.com/Premium/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... build an expert reputation ..." After submitting articles to EzineArticles.com, I experienced a dramatic improvement in my website's search engine rankings -- and the increases in traffic and sales that come with top rankings. I recommend EzineArticles.com to anyone who wants to increase their web visibility and build an expert reputation. Cathy Stucker IdeaLady.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-8446952-4591749.2ee37a53b1b55f6b57794ace0b613d97@lists.ezinearticles.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.