Using articles to boost your traffic and sales is one of the most effective online marketing strategies you can use. Why you ask? Mainly because articles are the ideal marketing tools for promoting any website or business.

But you must do this right, you just can't throw a few words together on a webpage and expect things to happen. To effectively use articles as marketing tools you must follow some simple procedures and practices in order to get your articles published online and in ezines. So here are some simple article marketing tips you can try.

Why Articles Work

Before we start, you must understand why articles are so crucial to your marketing in the first place. You must truly understand why and how articles work so effectively as marketing vehicles in our newly wired world. It all boils down to one word... information.

The main reason articles work is information. The whole Internet is based on information. People use the web to access information and your well written article can help satisfy this need. You must place your article squarely into this whole information cycle.

Your article must be informative and provide some benefit to the reader. Tips, advice, how-to... your reader should gain something from spending a few minutes reading your article. The more beneficial your article, the more popular it will become and you will have a better chance of getting it published.

Title & Keywords

Your article title should contain two vital elements: Keywords and Benefits. Your title must contain your keywords or keyword phrases, these are the exact words someone types into the search engines to find what they are looking for on the web.

To find profitable keywords many professional marketers use keyword research software like Keyword Elite but you can also use free keyword suggestion tools like WordTracker or Overture: http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/

I find short catchy titles are best for capturing the reader's attention. With our split second surfing habits, the title may be your only chance you get to hook your readers and keep them on your page. Another tactic is to make all your articles easily scannable with your main points highlighted for quick absorption.

Length

Most experts suggest you keep your articles short, in the 500 - 700 word range. Many authors/marketers use even shorter formats in the 200 - 300 word range in order to fit neatly on webpages.

I personally have found my more meatier articles in the 900 - 1200 word range have worked the best for me and seems to get featured in important ezines like Addme, SiteProNews... more often than shorter articles.

Submission

You must distribute your articles on the web. You can personally submit your articles to the many article directory sites on the web or you can purchase a service which does this for you. I do both.

I personally submit my articles to the major high PR6 or PR7 sites which display my articles. I have found articles placed on Ezinearticles.com, Buzzle.com, Goarticles.com, Articlealley.com, Promotionworld.com, Thumbshots.org, Site-reference.com, Ideamarketers.com, Selfgrowth.com... do extremely well.

I have also found using a paid online service like SubmitYourArticle is really helpful, especially when I am on vacation or away from my computer for any length of time. I also use this service to quickly write different versions of my articles for the best search engine optimization. Using different lengths as many webmasters will only publish short articles.

Resource Box/Anchor Text

Your resource box is at the end of each article and this is where you place URLS for those all important One-Way links back to your site. Many marketers are careful to place their targeted keywords and variations in the anchor text of their links. It is also a good idea to provide some benefit or free gift to enhance your 'call to action' and improve your chances of getting that all important click.

Be Consistent

I have found a steady supply of fresh articles on a regular basis works the best. These articles keep your site or products fresh in the search engines and in front of your potential customers and editors/webmasters who publish your content. Try for at least two articles per week.

Own List of Editors

Along the same lines, build your own opt-in list of editors and webmasters who have opted in to receive your latest articles. Send a copy of your article to these interested parties and you will increase your chances of getting your articles published. I also kickstart my newest articles by including them in my own ezines and blogs.

Autoresponders

Many marketers place their articles in autoresponders so anyone requesting your article can easily use email to retrieve it. Many marketers also use RSS feeds to distribute their articles. If doing your own feeds seems too complicated, then just use any of the major article directories like Ezinearticles which will supply you with a convenient RSS feed for your articles.

Spam Check Your Articles

I always make it a point of testing my articles for any words or phrases that will trigger the spam filters and block my articles. This is extremely important if you want your article to be featured in ezines and newsletters. I check my articles with my Aweber autoresponder service but you can use a free SpamCheck service offered by SiteSell. See resource box below for link.

Personality

Articles that show some originality and personality have worked the best for me. Showing and telling your own story and experiences in a light hearted way seems to work really well on the somewhat impersonal Internet. Having a sense of humor also helps, try to make your articles entertaining as well as informative and your articles will be picked up more often.

Conclusion

Writing unique informative articles is one of the most effective ways to market on the web. Remember to keep your articles informative, personable, keyword rich, short and to the point. Take a pro-active approach to promoting your articles: submit them to the major online article directories, send them to editors and webmasters who request content from you and place your articles on your site, in your blogs and RSS feeds.

Used properly, articles can be effective marketing tools for boosting both your traffic and sales. Perhaps the best part of all, article marketing is completely free. What more can you ask for?