| u're an expert – so what? In today's | | | | You may have seen other sites online that offer |
| world, anyone with a little money can be an | | | | Free Web Content. I don't know about you, but |
| expert too. Websites everywhere market "life | | | | when I see the word "free," I always ask what |
| experience PhD.'s" to anyone willing to pay their | | | | the hitch is. |
| fee. And if you're chatting, you really have no idea | | | | And article directories do have a hitch. Articles in |
| who's on the other end of the communication. | | | | these databases are written by people who are |
| There is, however, a simple way to show the | | | | often experts in their field, and often have a |
| Internet community that you are indeed an | | | | website that competes with yours. You can |
| expert in your field: by writing articles and ebooks | | | | indeed use their article on your website for free, |
| that show your knowledge in your niche industry. | | | | but you will have to include a resource box with |
| Anyone can start a website selling paper dolls, | | | | the author's name and, if included, website with a |
| vintage model trains, or used clothing; but only an | | | | clickable link. This means that you are putting |
| expert will be able to talk intelligently about the | | | | someone else's content on your site, |
| history of Victorian paper dolls, how to preserve | | | | acknowledging them as an expert, and then giving |
| the paint on the outside of your model train | | | | them a free link back as well. This allows them to |
| without destroying the value, or how you can mix | | | | steal customers from your website, not for you |
| nostalgic clothes with new ones to create your | | | | to retain the ones you have hooked. |
| own fashion look. | | | | Instead of using article directories as sources for |
| Articles for the Non-Writer | | | | free content, use them as a marketing tool. |
| But what if you can't write well? This is definitely | | | | Purchase batches of content from a writer or a |
| a disadvantage. Though you can put together | | | | broker. Use some of the articles you've |
| flashy animations, great catalogs of your | | | | purchased to enhance the content on your |
| merchandise, and an awesome inventory, if you | | | | website or in your newsletter, but take one or |
| don't know how to communicate your expertise | | | | two of them and put them into the article |
| correctly, you will lose sales. | | | | directories under your own name, with your URL |
| Non-writers aren't always just people who can't | | | | attached. Then if someone else downloads your |
| write, either. Lots of people who can't write for | | | | article, the URL from their website will point to |
| the Internet have that problem due to | | | | you. |
| physiological issues like dyslexia, or a genuine fear | | | | What About Ebooks? |
| of writing instilled by years of public education, or | | | | Lots of people are looking at ebooks as a great |
| a focus on numbers or business instead of words. | | | | way to self-publish books and sell them online. But |
| That doesn't mean you don't know what you're | | | | they really make a much better marketing tool. |
| talking about. | | | | If you compile your ebook into a PDF, it can be |
| But you can identify writing that does know what | | | | downloaded and read, but it can't be changed. |
| it's talking about, and that's where you can fix | | | | That means anything you put into it will remain |
| your problem. All over the Internet, talented | | | | there, including the URL for your website and all |
| writers who want to write, but who don't | | | | the contact information to you and your business |
| necessarily want to sell things on Ebay, are | | | | you like. And there are no printing costs for these |
| showing up. Why not hire one, or contract with an | | | | documents. Instead of selling an ebook on your |
| article broker, to get the writing you need done? | | | | website, put them out there for free, no strings |
| Article brokers sell private label rights to articles | | | | attached. Your customer may question it, of |
| pre-written by talented writers to people like you | | | | course, just like you and I question freebies, but |
| who need that content. These articles are often | | | | the answer to that is the truth: it's a marketing |
| keyword optimized so that you can get better | | | | tool. With an ebook, you can show your customer |
| placement with search engines. They're | | | | you know what you're talking about, and you can |
| well-researched and informed. And you can either | | | | give them information that they can subsequently |
| purchase pre-packaged articles that you can place | | | | use. But since the book has your information in it, |
| on your site or in an emailed newsletter, or you | | | | including the URL, the customer who uses it will |
| can contract with the broker or writers to have | | | | be reminded every time that you exist. |
| articles tailored to your specific needs. | | | | Just like with articles, you can hire outside writers |
| It's a new expense, but it can be surprisingly | | | | or contract with article brokers to acquire ebooks, |
| affordable. And since all rights are sold to you, | | | | or you can compile a collection of related articles |
| you have the choice of recognizing the writer in | | | | into an ebook yourself. |
| the byline, placing your own name in the byline (as | | | | If you don't have the capacity yourself of |
| many celebrities already do with their | | | | creating a PDF, you can use the easy PDF |
| ghostwritten autobiographies), or of just putting it | | | | creator in the free download OpenOffice; it's |
| up as content with no byline at all. | | | | compatible with MS Office, and easy to use if |
| What About Article Directories? | | | | you're used to Word. |