It is widely considered that article writing is now one of THE key promotional tools that should be employed to drive increased targeted traffic to your web site.

This practice should become as commonplace as any when it comes to site promotion.

It is no secret that editors of online magazines are always looking for fresh content to include in their publications. Fresh content that not only attracts a wider audience of readers but also attracts the right attention from the search engines.

An informed and well-written article can be picked up, published, and distributed to multiple sites, ezines (electronic magazines), and blogs, in no time at all.

Now, imagine if your company’s website address was attached to these publications!

Imagine the potential readership that you could gain from writing just one successful article!

Well, the aim of this article is to guide you along step-by-step through 6 essential tips so you too can write successful articles, know where to submit them, and to point out the traps you do not want to fall in to.

1) What to write about.

This is in fact much easier than you might at first think! There are ezines that cover a whole host of subjects including; business, health & fitness, home & family, cancer, writing & speaking, legal, computers, art & entertainment, travel & leisure, sports, crafts……..and the list goes on. So you can either write about subjects and expertise specific to your industry or you can write about your hobbies, experiences, interests, or whatever catches your imagination. You can even write an article about writing articles!

When your article is posted, the publisher agrees to include a self-penned bio of you, the author. This is your opportunity to write about yourself, your company, and include a link to your website!

2) How long should my article be?

Most article directories have their own requirements when it comes to article length. Generally they will advise you on their submission page of all the criteria you should meet. So be aware of these requirements. It is widely considered that an article should be anywhere from 500 to 1000 words in length.

3) Do not use the article to blatantly write an advertisement for your business.

That is not the idea behind article writing and to be honest this kind of article will not make it past first base with the editors. This means that including a link to your site in the main body of text is also one to avoid. Publishers are looking for a quality piece that their readers will find informative and interesting.

4) What is the resource box?

This is the area in which you have the opportunity to promote yourself and your business. The resource box is typically located just after the main text box on the submission page. This space is yours to write an ‘about the author’ promo which can include a link to your site. Some directories will let you post two or three URL’s, again you will be advised by each directory. Refer to my resource box to give you some idea about what to include here.

5) How shall I write my article?

Another great aspect of article writing is that it can take many forms, which gives you plenty of options when it comes to presentation. 6 successful formats include:

1) The list. People love lists. The list is the easiest and arguably the most effective format to choose. ‘Top 10 ways to get rich quickly!’, ’12 tips to whiter teeth!’, ’7 wonderful ways to poach the perfect egg!’ Simply write a short introduction outlining the general theme of your article and then begin your numbered list. People love to rank things, which is why the list seems to work so well. Don’t forget to include the number in your title.

2) The How-to-guide. These are extremely popular too because they offer a step-by-step process to follow which leads the reader to an ultimate goal. This is the perfect format to use if you are describing how to build something.

3) The Interview. Select a credible expert in your chosen field and interview them. Face-to-face, by telephone, or via email. Then present your interview in a Q&A format within your article.

4) The latest trend. A social trend, a new product, foreign trends. Basically, give your take and public opinion of the ‘latest’ thing to hit. Write it in the style of a review.

5) The case study. Provoke interest with a leading question and then write a thorough article which considers all the angles of the question, using real life cases as examples. For example, ‘Can computer games be blamed for increased violent behavior in children?’

6) The Interpretation. Outline your interpretation of a particular survey, stat, or public finding. Write a report on it, backing your views up with proof in the form of figures, tables, graphs etc

6) Where do I submit my article?

Once you have finished your article, read it through, and most importantly spell-check it! You must submit it to an article directory. Do not fall into the trap of trying to rush the whole process of article submission. There are companies that do offer a ‘supersonic submission service – a gazillion submissions in under 10 seconds guaranteed!’ However, I would tend to avoid the automated submission programs because an abnormal link boost of these proportions is an instant red flag to the search engines. Search engines if what we are led to believe is true, prefer a cultivation of your links. So, below I am listing 5 principle article directories that you can manually submit to for FREE, with a brief review of each:

Article Feeder – straight forward enough to follow. They do ask for HTML code for links in the resource box so be aware of that. Article will be reviewed and those that are successful published in 24hr. (http://www.articlefeeder.com)

ezau.com – Asks you to submit your article as a .txt document, which means writing it and saving it in word pad. then hit the browse button on screen and select your doc. Very easy. Again, review process applies. ([http://www.articlesreprint.com/authors/register])

isnare.com – Allows 3 URL’s in the ‘about author’ resource box. Sends approval once your article has been approved. Says this will take 3-4 days, but warns that it could take longer. (http://www.isnare.com)

ezine @rticles – Easy to follow, easy to submit even has audio aids to guide you through process) 2-7 days review time. Faster submission times for platinum members (gained when you have successfully submitted 10 articles) Features multiple author tools, including: article promotion, author ranking, article feedback, press release submission, and many more! (http://ezinearticles.com)

article city – Super-easy to submit article. Do not have to sign-up for membership to submit. 15-30 days review time. No HTML code allowed at all in body of article except URL’s linking to necessary sites. (http://www.articlecity.com)

So you can see that different directories have their different submission criteria. The whole process is straight forward enough and although it can be a little time consuming the benefits of a well written and informative article can be very rewarding indeed. You have the opportunity to become a leading voice in your field, increase the number of backlinks to your web site, and ultimately attract an increase of targeted traffic.