What is Article Marketing?

Wikipedia defines article marketing as:
"A type of advertising in which businesses write short articles related to their respective industry. These articles are made available for distribution and publication in the marketplace. Each article contains a bio box and byline that include references and contact information for the author`s business. Well-written content articles released for free distribution have the potential of increasing the authoring business` credibility within its market as well as attracting new clients."

Does article marketing work?

Yes, it does. But you have to be committed to it.
That means you can`t write one or two articles, and expect to see results. In order for article marketing to be effective, you have to write many articles consistently over time.

How many articles do you need to write to see results?

It`s been my experience that serious article marketers usually write at least one article per week.
I personally write a minimum of two articles each week. Again, that`s a minimum. I`ve written as many as three or four articles in one week.

So what`s the secret of article marketing? Why does it work?

Article marketing works for three main reasons:

1. Instant Credibility. Writing articles allows you to present yourself as an expert in your field. This not only gives you instant credibility, it also gives you a leg up on your competition.
Let me explain. When someone reads an informative, value-packed article written by you, at the end of the article they click on the link in your resource box which takes them to your website or a page of your choosing.
This prospect is much more relaxed and less apprehensive when she arrives at your website, because she arrived via an article as opposed to an advertisement. And since she just read your article, she feels as if she knows you and is much more likely to purchase whatever it is that you`re selling.

2. It`s Targeted. People generally read information that focuses on the subject matter that they`re interested in. For example, pet owners will read information related to their pets. Car enthusiasts will read information about cars, and so on and so forth.
That means readers of your articles are already targeted. And if what you`re selling is related to the subject matter of the article (which it should be), you have a better than average chance of making the sale.

3. Articles Are Viral. That means if people find value in what you write, they will pass along your articles to others voluntarily. I can`t even count the number of times friends of mine have e-mailed articles to me they thought I might be interested in reading.
If your article is well-written and presents valuable information, it could be passed along and seen by thousands of potential prospects.
Now I realize not everyone is capable of writing articles. However, you can still participate in article marketing, because there are services that will ghost-write articles for you and allow you to claim ownership of those articles. Listed below are three of the more reputable article writing services:
1. http://www.thephantomwriters.com
2. http://www.articlealley.com/writing.php
3. http://www.articlesbase.com/article-writing-service.php
 
David Jackson