So, you’re interested in article marketing as a way to boost your product marketing strategies and returns? Well good, it’s about bloody time you got with the program and joined the rest of the 21st century in embracing article and blog based journalism not just as the best way to share knowledge and philosophy, but as one of the most positive and useful methods of marketing to come of the internet revolution. Of course, being an article writer myself, my lauding article marketing as such a godsend may seem a bit self-serving or even biased but, when you think about it, there’s a reason I and so many others have taken to the blogs and publish so prolifically, isn’t there? Would we do this if it wasn’t constructive and effective? The answer is no, we wouldn’t. So, what’re some good tips for marketing with articles as your medium of choice? Well, there’s a lot to consider, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s break this down into three general points and explore them a little bit, shall we? Before we do that, though, let me point out that you should continue to do research into this field before you attempt anything, if this is your first exposure to this idea. Trust me, you’ll thank me. #1 – Venues What good are articles with no platform for publication? Not much, I’ll tell you. So, first thing’s first. How are you publishing your articles? It’s fine to use your company’s site with a decent blogger-oriented CMS and good SEO configuration, but that’s only going to get you so far. There’s a preconception that your company’s publications on your site are going to be a little biased and stilted, even if that’s not true. So, yeah, you’ll want to approach external venues as well. Blog networks are a good place to start, but be sure that they support SEO, or you’re not going to get the outreach you really need for effective article marketing. Trust me on this, SEO control is absolutely vital. #2 – Context A common tactic that is highly disapproved of and yet persists among article marketers is the “useless article” that says nothing, concentrates huge levels of SEO densities and just redirects to a company page while grinding ads. Or, says nothing particularly useful despite seeming legit. No. Bad. Publish prolifically, but say interesting and useful things. Remember how much we’ve talked about how marketing is a publish or perish situation, and that putting as much information out there about case studies, problem solving and comparisons with competition is paramount? Well, there you go. Actually publish this kind of useful, engaging information. Article marketing isn’t just about outreach with SEO, it’s about saying something to engage and call to action. Speaking of which … #3 – Good Lead In and Call to Action Leading in with an immediate hook is important. Often, you’ll have to work in your SEO keywords into the lead in, and you know what? Don’t fight that, use it. Hook the prospect by showing that you’re talking about what they’re interested in. That keeps them reading. But, when you finish what you have to say, don’t just peter out and leave them going “well?” No, rather, have a good solid call to action with a link to your site and more publications and information below it. They know you’re marketing through your article publications, so don’t try to disguise it, that’s just silly!