After you’ve written and submitted a few articles – hopefully several – it’s time to start promoting them. While it’s great that your articles are out there for people to read and republish, to get the best results, you’ll need to do some promotion. There are five main steps you should take to get the most traction from your articles:
1. Tweet about your article
Let people know when you have posted a new article in a directory by tweeting a link to your followers. Letting them know about new information available from you is a quick and easy way to spread the word. A simple tweet should include the topic and the link, but try to stay under 120 characters so people have room to retweet your message without having it get cut off.
2. Post a link on your own blog
While you don’t want to post the entire article, you can mention it at the end of another post. For example, “Want to read more about how to train your puppy in a week or less? Check out my new article, “Tricks and Treats for Puppies,” and then link to the page.
3. Create a reprints page
Create a list of the articles you allow others to republish on an individual page within your blog or website. Link to it from the main page with a sentence that says, “Would you like to reprint my articles on your site? Click here for more information.” Then include links to your list of articles, as well as how interested parties can contact you for more information.
4. Promote them through other channels
Tell your audience about the articles you have available at every chance you get. This is why it’s great to have multiple articles out there — you can mention a different one in your newsletter, on your Facebook page, in your signature line on your emails, in forums, etc. If you’ve created targeted, useful content, people are going to want to know about it!
5. Combine and package them them
Once you’ve authored 10 or 20 articles on a similar theme, combine them and edit them into a guide, an e-book, a special report, or an e-course. Add more information, create transitions, toss in a resource or two, and you’ve got a product that you can give away or sell indefinitely.
Writing and publishing your first few articles is just the beginning of your marketing cycle. Think creatively about who would like the information you’ve written, and how you can get it to them, and you’re on your way to creating a steady stream of traffic to your site.
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