Article Writing Tips for Non-Writers

Although there are many types of articles you can write to
help you promote your business, i.e. features, interviews,
etc. I'm going to teach you how to write the two easiest
forms of articles that will help you get the sale.

1. Types of Articles

a. Lists

List articles are easy to write because all you have to do
is write down several related items, which becomes your
basic outline, and then write several sentences to explain
each short topic more fully.

An example of this would be an upcoming article I will be
writing called "4 Secrets of the Super Affiliates". In this
article I will tell you the four things that affiliates do
to make more money from their affiliate programs. Under each
topic, I will explain how you can use this item to make more
sales from your affiliate business.

b. How To/Directions In a how to article, you would show
your reader how to do something. This is especially good if
you have a physical rather than a digital product.

A friend of mine, Mac, sells all types of metal polishes. An
excellent way for him to write an article about one of his
products would be to explain the best way to use the
product.

For example, using a soft lint free cloth will give this
result, while a towel will do this.

2. Article Writing Tips

These tips will work regardless of which type of article you
plan to write.

First, make your list of items. If you are writing the how
to/directions article, write it in steps and make sure you
include all of the steps. Test your steps if you have to, to
make sure they work.

Create a title. It could be "4 Ways to...", "How to make..."
etc. Eliminate any items that don't belong.

Type your title and list leaving space for you to flush out
your article. Write several sentences explaining each item.
A good length for any article is about 500 to 750 words. You
don't want to make it too short, but if it is too long, your
reader won't take the time to read it.

If your article includes items you will need, make sure you
include a list at the top of your article, including
measurements, etc.

As Ernest Hemingway would say, use short words, short
sentences, and short paragraphs. This is especially
important online because readers read about 25 per cent
slower.

3. Article Submission

Once you've written your article, you want to submit it for
publication.

There are two ways you can do this.

First, you can search for ezines related to your topic.
Write the editor a personal email explaining what your
article is about. I would also recommend that you paste the
article into the body of the email message, as most people
are hesitant to open an attachment they haven't asked for.

Second, you can submit your articles to article directories.
Here are five that I would recommend. There are many more,
but it is up to you to decide where you want to submit your
articles.

http://www.marketing-seek.com/
http://www.makingprofit.com/
http://www.ideamarketers.com/
http://www.ezinearticles.com/
http://www.goarticles.com/

4. Some final tips

When you submit your article, don't forget to include your
resource box.

Your resource box is no more than 65 characters wide and no
more than 6 lines deep. It is similar to a signature file,
but it also includes information about you, the author of
the article.

Here is an example of the one I will use to submit this
article:

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Jinger Jarrett is the author of the ebook "10 Ways to
Promote Your Business For Free". You can download your own
copy for free by clicking here:
http://www.smallbusinesshowto.com/newsletter.html
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

You also want to make sure you include the copyright
information on your article and a word count. This should go
at the top of the article, below the title, or you can put
it after the resource box at the end.

For example:

© By Jinger Jarrett 2003. You have my permission to reprint
this article in your newsletter or on your web site provided
you leave the resource box intact.

Word count: 750

Finally, before you post your articles, or send an editor an
email, read the guidelines on their sites. This is time
consuming, but you only have to do it once, and you have a
better chance of getting your article published.

Target your market with razor like precision, and you'll get
your article published. You'll establish credibility as an
author/business person, and this will increase your sales
because your customers will see you as an expert.