Using Articles to Build Your List
How do you feel when you see webpages in the
Google search with your name ? I am presently surprised every time
Google alert informs me that one more webpage with my name has been
indexed.
But why would Google index those pages? I remember
submitting just one page when my first website came into existence. Yet
Google search with my name will show up thousands of pages.
The
reason is not difficult to find. It is because of my articles which are
published at numerous sites. This is one of the privileges of being an
author – free publicity for months and years after the articles are
submitted to just few ezines.
This and many other features make
articles effective vehicles to find opt-in leads. If you publish
relevant and useful articles on your website or blog, you can include a
webform to collect contact details of interested persons. This will
ensure that only those who have some interest in the subject of the
articles will seek further information.
When you submit articles
to ezines, you have the option to add a resource box. This is where you
can tell the readers about yourself and how they can get more
information. Your articles give you wide publicity, build up your
credibility and help you to establish yourself as an expert in the
field. It is amazing how your articles are picked up by so many
different websites and ezines and distributed with viral effect.
In
any marketing effort it is easier to find eager customers first and
then offer suitable products which will satisfy their expectations. Your
articles can help you do just that. It will first attract people, who
are looking for information on resolving their problems, concerns or
desire. Those who want to know more will ask for it and you get more
people in your list. You get a chance to contact your list repeatedly
and try to remove any apprehensions or doubts they may have about what
you have to offer. You need to sell yourself as much as your product and
again you accomplish this with your articles
The "list" should be considered and treated as a list of
friends. You should try to connect to them at emotional level. This is a
crucial factor in building relationship. Your intent is revealed by
your writing. Therefore it is crucial to be absolutely honest about the
message you wish to convey.
The cost involved in using articles
for advertisement is negligible. Yet it is profoundly effective. Well
written articles full of content and useful information will help in
building your list as more subscribers join. Your writing should be able
to produce that anticipation by which your subscribers will be looking
forward to the next newsletter.
This is a step to make your list
more responsive. As more people find your articles interesting and
relevant your conversion rate is bound to increase. You know your
subscribers, you know what is bothering them and you offer solutions to
them. They joined your list for this reason in the first place.
Retaining a list is as important as building it. The longer your
subscribers remain loyal to you, the more they will trust you and they
are more likely to listen to your advice.
It would appear that
there is a natural connection between writing articles and building a
list. The articles you see on the net have characters of their own. They
are presented in conversational form as if someone is talking to you.
This is different from the articles your find in printed media where the
articles tend to be are more essay-type. This unique feature of
net-based articles makes them suitable for newsletters. Emails are most
common medium for maintaining contact with your list. You are able to
communicate to them at regular intervals and gradually clear their
apprehensions.
Once you have a growing list your aim should be to
retain it for lifetime. You and your list are bound by a common
interest and personal relationship. This is your most important asset –
the real earnings for your marketing efforts.