Article Writing Tips for Marketers

One of the most common article topics I have used is that of Frequently Asked Questions or FAQs. For instance, if I write a Squidoo lens about OLED televisions, I may write an article such as "Frequently Asked Questions About OLED TV" on a site such as InfoBarrel, Qondio, EzineArticles, or Snipsly.

The information in the article just needs to be useful for readers in order to encourage them to read and to possibly click through to my Squidoo lens. If you know your topic well, it should take only 20 or 30 minutes to write such an article. I simply try to imagine what a potential customer would be curious about related to my topic. How does OLED work, what are it's advantages, is it expensive, and so forth are questions that might be addressed in my article.

Since I have many product related web pages and Squidoo lenses, other common articles in my repertoire are "how to choose" themes or buying guides. Customers have generally been very appreciative of these write-ups. It doesn't require me to recommend a specific product necessarily but it allows me to layout what is important for potential buyers to consider. This is particularly useful when you are dealing with someone who is a first time buyer or who is not as familiar with the product or service.

Sometimes I include this information on my webpage or lens, but when I don't, it makes a very good article.

Another common theme for my product pages is advantages/disadvantages articles. This can be done for specific products or an entire product category. If you prefer, you can consider this a pro/con discussion. For instance, what are the pros and cons of making your own dog food, the pros and cons of gastric bypass surgery, the pros and cons of soy candles, and so forth.

Take your highly focused topic and consider both sides of the discussion, help your customer do an evaluation and determine whether or not the product or service is right for them. The more balanced and accurate your approach, the more useful the information will be.

Some of the information in the articles that I write is developed to assist customers in better understanding a product. It may help them after the purchase or it may help them identify other related expenses/products that they need to consider. For instance, knowing about how to care for, clean, or maintain an item is important and can be the basis of some good article content.

Another possibility is information on how to install or set up a given product. In some instances it may be appropriate to write an article on how to properly use a product or perhaps take a look at precautions to observe when using it.

Many internet marketers make good use of product reviews. Some provide ratings and make recommendations, others merely describe the attributes and features of a product, while others are able to provide an overview of their own personal experience with the product. All of these can provide beneficial information. However, another related type of write up that I use, is that of comparing two products.

This can be done with two specific items or two types of a similar product. For instance, you can compare the Canon SD1100IS and the Sony Cybershot DSC W220 digital cameras (two specific items) or you can compare a wool blanket to a cotton/poly blend blanket (two types of a similar product). Either way, product comparisons can provide good content to complement a webpage or lens.

Lists are a great way of creating articles as well. Shoppers love lists and indeed, they can be very helpful. Articles can make use of this in a variety of ways. It's not unusual for me to write articles such as "My Favorite ________" , "The Top 5 _______", or "The Best ____". For instance, I may write an article about "My Favorite Family Vacation Destinations" to help promote lenses I've created on National Parks and so forth. Or, perhaps I would write an article on "The Top 10 Dorm Room Essentials" to promote webpages I've done on some of the items that would appear on this list.

You can be very creative with your lists and you should target information that people really want or need. They may want to know the 5 cheapest all-in-one printers or the 5 sturdiest plastic storage containers.

How to articles are always useful. As described above, articles about how to care for, clean, maintain, install, or properly use a product are a good start. How to articles that go into more detail can also be useful.

For instance, if you sell craft supplies, articles on how to do certain tasks are good information. For instance, "how to properly apply wall appliques" or "how to create a patriotic T-Shirt with sequins". If you sell DVRs then articles on how to program a specific model or how to connect it to your TV and so forth is useful as well.

I like to help customers see their options or solve problems. I don't like to tell them what they must buy. Therefore, I often write articles that describe the options. In some cases, my articles may present options that won't result in a sale for me. In other cases, my article may present options that will save them money. But any way it goes, I'm trying to help them solve a problem or identify the which is best for them.

For instance, I may sell satellite TV but I don't want my article to be a sales pitch. Therefore, my article may be about how to enjoy more HD viewing at home. While the article may list Dish Network as one of the providers with the most HD viewing, I would also present other options from cable to Hulu Plus with HD and discuss the differences among them.

I may have some new cell phones to promote which offer longer battery life, more usage per charge. Therefore, I may write an article about solutions for the problem of battery hungry cell phones. I might discuss the various options or solutions including how to reduce power usage, how to properly charge batteries to get the most out of them, and include information about cell phones with more conservative battery usage. It's not just a sales pitch, it helps to solve a problem.

The first step with these articles is to identify a problem or need, and then to attempt to provide solutions to the problem or need, addressing it thoroughly while including information about your product or service.

Often I come up with ideas for articles by looking at the subject of my webpage or lens either from a broader view or a more narrow view.

For example, if my Squidoo lens is about casserole dishes, then I could write an article about a more narrow or focused topic such as glass casserole dishes, or 6 quart casserole dishes, or antique casserole dishes, or whatever. If I have a Squidoo lens about wall mounted ironing boards and another on stackable washers and dryers, then I might write an article that takes a broader views. My article might be about The Perfect Laundry for Apartment and Condo Living.

News is important and generates interest. For instance, if I have a webpage or a Squidoo lens devoted to the topic of fitness watches and a new one comes out that offers something unique, I may add a bit of information to my page about it to keep my content fresh, but I will also write an article about it as well.

My news article may be a bit of a review, it may be a discussion about the changing world of fitness watches, or something similar. But newsworthy items or recent happenings, releases, or announcements are good fodder for articles.

If you're involved in forums, keep tabs on the news and other blogs, or just have alerts set for your topics, you should be able to keep on top of what is happening in your area(s) of interest.

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