Article marketing involves the process of publishing articles to article directories, e-zines, or websites as a marketing tactic. The two biggest marketing benefits of article marketing are link-building and reputation-building within a niche. Here are the basic steps of article marketing:
1. Write a niche article (generally in the niche of the writer’s own website or industry in which they work), or hire someone to write a niche article.
2. Create a “resource box” at the end of the article, with the author’s or professional’s byline, and a short bio, which often includes one or more hyperlinks to the author’s website(s).
3. Distribute the article through article directories (for mass publication) or through e-zines and/or niche websites for links or exposure.
How to Use Article Marketing for Link-Building
Article marketing allows a webmaster or online business owner to build a potentially large number of one-way incoming links to their website. This is often done by using article directories, which are large collections of articles.
Article directories generally require an author to grant distribution permissions which allow visitors to the article directories to use those articles on their own websites, e-zines, or elsewhere online. Many directories then require users of the articles (or publishers) to maintain the resource box, including live links.
Every time an article submitted to an article directory is re-published, it provides an additional backlink to the author’s website. Article directories generally allow an unlimited number of publishers to re-publish the content submitted to the site.
How to Use Article Marketing for Reputation-Building
Using article marketing for reputation-building is very similar to using article marketing for link-building. An author would often follow the exact steps as in the previous case, but with a different end goal in mind. The links included in the resource box would point to their business website (such as a lawyer writing legal articles, and then linking to their law firm’s website). In this case, the authors would write on topics in their area of expertise. The idea is to build trust with readers, and their reputation as an expert in the subject matter, to hopefully encourage visits to their business site from potential clients.
Another option for article distribution when using article marketing for reputation-building is to keep the distribution more limited. Some authors will write only for one authority website in their industry or niche, which allows them to include a resource box or otherwise link to their business website. Some authors will distribute an article only to hand-picked niche outlets, although to none exclusively. Still others will distribute their articles through e-zines that reach a targeted email list of potential clients.
