Brand Based Marketing - Make Money With Squidoo & Online Articles

One of the best ways to get free advertising is to simply write articles and give them away. It's a foreign concept to many in online business, but it's one of the best ways to get traffic, improve your search engine ranking, and sell more products.

Why Should You Write Articles?

Newsletter and website owners are desperate for content. As someone who owns websites and publishes several newsletters, I can vouch for this. I regularly search article directories, looking for quality information that will help my readers. And, every article I use from these resources gets published with the author's information and a link to their site.

Why Give The Articles Away?

How much would you pay to include your ad in a newsletter or popular website? Anywhere from $5 to $80. Wouldn't you prefer to have your ad placed for free? It's easy to see the financial reward. Look at the bottom of this article. Right there, plain as day, you can see a resource box with my website included, so you have proof that this method works.

How do you write an article?

Take another look at the article that you're reading right now. It's short. It's simple. I'm not a Literary Genius. I'm just being me.

Start by picking something you know about, or a problem that you can solve, and start writing. Just do it!

What should you include in the Author Bio?

Your Name
Something interesting about you or your website
Your website link - Don't forget this one!
Special offer - Mention a freebie or special offer if you have one.
Don't use this area to *sell*. Just get them to your site.

May you have lots and lots of free advertising!

About the Author: Nicole Dean is published all over the web, under numerous pen names. She welcomes you to visit EasyArticleMarketing.com to get started using article marketing to boost your business today.

Anyone who has been involved in Internet Marketing for any extended amount of time is familiar with the term "article marketing". If you are not familiar with this term, you are missing out on a great resource for traffic generation and affiliate sales.

In a "nut-shell", article marketing is the process of writing articles on any subject and submitting them for free to one, or many, article directories.

Why would you do that? Why would you write an article and give it away?

The answer is as simple as this:

At the end of your article, most directories allow you to add a "bio" box. In this box, you can talk about your experience, OR... give the reader a link to follow. This link can be to your blog, lens, or website.

Following me?

These article directories allow website and blog publishers to use your content on their webspace, but only if the bio box is left in tact.

If a publisher uses your content and places it on their site,you now have TWO links back to your blog or lens...or website.

If TEN publishers use your content....you now have ELEVEN links back to you (one for each site, and the original still on the directory site)

You still following me?

This is free exposure, folks, plain and simple. No need for me to explain this further; I'm sure you get it.

But...

Do you have a purpose for your online writing? Yeah, sure, you want people to visit your lens or site and buy your stuff... I got that.

But How Are You Marketing YOURSELF?

Whoaaaaa, partner! Before you run off to submit 5 million articles, let's talk.

What is your purpose? Seriously, what is your plan?

Think long-term here....

I know many are in a hurry to make that first dollar online, and many more of us are in a hurry to make MORE dollars online....

But let's take a few minutes to get a plan.

Are you, my online writing friend, a "Brand" or are you simply a "Messenger"?

Your name will be all over the internet thru your keyword-rich articles.

Do you care if people remember your name? Do you care if people look forward to the next article you promote, or seek your NAME out as opposed to randomly finding your articles?

This is where brand-based marketing comes into play.

You need to brand yourself. Brand Marketing involves getting your NAME known out there in the wild,wild west... ooops, I mean the world wide web.

Do you intend to market yourself as

A. An expert on a specific subject, or

B. As a writer?

Think about that... decide. Then go about your article marketing campaign with that plan in mind.

Note: It is possible to do both. You can brand your real name as an expert on a given subject, and then create a pen-name to brand as a writer. Or vice-versa...whatever works for YOUR plans working online.

A fun example of Brand Based Marketing is Patrick Pretty.

Obviously, this is not the producers real name. This is an example of brand-based marketing at it's finest. It is fun and far from boring... it makes you chuckle and also offers some serious products (and affiliate opportunity). Best of all Patrick Pretty will stick in your mind and you WILL remember that face... and most likely that name.

Go ahead, take a look. I'll wait :)

Ok, you "get" article marketing... you've decided how to brand yourself... you're ready to start making money, right?

Have website? A blog? No?

You need to have someplace to send your article readers or else the whole point is useless... It is wasted time and energy in the revenue department.

I have the answer for that.

And wait just a second... Wouldn't it be wayyyyy more fun to actually get PAID for the articles you write instead of giving them away?

I have the answer for that, too.

And one MORE thing.... Wouldn't it be AWESOME to have your articles and site rated wayyyyy at the top of Google for search returns?

Yup, you guessed it... I have the answer for that, too! (This doesn't happen too often... I'm just having a "smart" moment...haha!)

I have put some products and strategies together and it works so well, that I almost didn't make this lens.

You see, I'm the youngest kid in my family. I am far from a kid anymore but some of those "selfish" younger sibling traits still pop up in me now and then.

When you are the youngest, you know... If you find something great, you better keep it to yourself or else the other kids will take it!

After laughing at myself for that mentality, I went to living by good ol' Zig Ziglars quote that you can achieve all you want in life, IF you help enough other people to achieve what THEY want in life.

So, ok.... I'll share!

My system to make money online involves writing articles that I get PAID for... usually within 2 days of writing them. Those articles that I get paid for send traffic to my sites and earn me MORE money in affiliate sales.

Both my articles AND my site also offer me residual income from the sites that host me for as long as my article and site are "live".

I learned all about the in's and outs of article marketing from Travis at Bum Marketing. Travis offers a WONDERFUL (and FREE) e-book that takes you by the hand and walks you all thru it. Not only that, but Travis is one fellow IM'r that I can't wait to open an email from. He constantly sends great tips and advice and doesn't leave you hanging.

If you do not understand Article Marketing, or want a re-fresher, I highly recommend getting Travis' Bum Marketing e-book.

Bum Marketing was just the beginning for me. That e-book was a big ol' A-Ha moment for me as I began to see how it all works, but I couldn't quite see much money from it. It was also a big waiting game.

I also found that while some articles eventually did well, others did not.

I needed a full and complete plan that I could repeat over and over, and see PROFITS from each time. I wanted something that paid me NOW (yes... I said it out loud), gave me great exposure on Google and other search engines which in turn earned me more money (the kind of money we all like.... that we earn while we sleep)

So, here is my recipe for online writing profits.

Bum Marketing + Squidoo Profit System + Surefire Success System + 10 Steps =

M O N E Y

I've already discussed Bum Marketing, so let's move on to the second part of the recipe for making money from your online writing efforts.

You need a place to "send" your article readers... why not use a FREE resource for it?

Squidoo Rocks. That's all there is to it. There is nothing easier on the internet today that you can use to promote your business, products, ideas, or YOU. Not only is Squidoo profitable... it is F*R*E*E to use.

Not Familiar with Squidoo? Take a moment to check out What is Squidoo?

While making a lens is not hard at all... making an effective and PROFITABLE lens takes a bit more effort and know-how. Squidoo is FAR from some kind of SEO "trick". Squidoo is a tool...a valuable and free tool that can really boost your online revenue.

Squidoo Profit System lays all that out clearly, and you will be able to start utilizing Squidoo immediately...

I created the Squidoo Profit System for everyone that is interested in learning how to increase their income online thru Squidoo. It is EVERY great Squidoo guide I have read - and SO much more!

Luke Parker is my hero.

Not too long ago, Luke presented a product that put it all together for me. I raved about it on my other lenses and when I say I follow that system, I mean it.

The Surefire Success System allowed me to take my article marketing and my lenses to a new level....and make more money online. Because of Luke Parker, I am work online full-time and this is my sole source of income. I am home with my kids, and not spending all that money on these outrageous gas prices we are faced with these days. (I also work in my pajamas most of the time, but don't tell anybody!)

Take the time and check out the Surefire Success System.

Ok, I've shared with you the "cake" of the whole recipe... Now for the "icing"

Articles and Squidoo Lenses are great.... and Google loves these sites, but I still wanted a bit more "ooomph" to my efforts to get even MORE exposure.

Exposure = Traffic = Sales, right?

So to complete my efforts, I use my own 10 Step System to ensure top returns in the search engines.

Now, it is possible that some of you are wondering WHY it is important to have high rankings in the search engines.

I'll answer this way. When YOU search for something on Google, do you chose a return from Google on the first page... or the 15th page? Exactly. The sooner the searcher sees you, the more likely they are to visit you.

To help promote YOUR exposure on Google, try the 10 Step System

.

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

I am about to stop typing/talking and let you get to work! Ok, that is a bit of a "white-lie", I am gonna stop talking/typing so I can get back to work. Seriously, I have had to stop working on this lens 3 times in the last 45 minutes to accept payments for my articles.

Wanna talk about fun??? Making money thru the above system is FUN!
And that is "fun" spelled with a capital F-U-N!

There is a whole bunch of info here, so if you'd like to email this lens to yourself or a friend, or lensroll this lens, it might be a good idea for future reference.

Now, let's all get to work and make some money, honey!

Underground Affiliate Methods from a ClickBank Killer -
See Why ClickBank Refused to publish this ebook in their marketplace!

Included Inside this Awesome Guide:
The Top 5 Secrets to Getting in the
Top 100 List at Squidoo
so that Google Spiders Index Your Lens at the Top of the SERPs!

If you can write online articles, you can write an eBook! Why not turn those articles into $$ ??

"I'm going to show you how to find profitable, popular topics to write about.

Or perhaps you have a good subject in mind, but you're not sure how to go about organizing and writing a report on that subject.

I'm going to show the writing method created by an award-winning Science Fiction novelist, and how to apply that method to writing reports FAST.

Of course, it doesn't do you any good to have an awesome report if you don't have anybody who is willing to sell it for you.

I'm going to show you how to attract an army of affiliates to sell your product for you."

Check out Write that Report!

Special Note: If you haven't already purchased the Seven Dollar Secrets report, order Write that Report and get the $7 Secrets Report and $7 Scripts as a bonus!

Owning, running and maintaining an internet based business or a site needs articles. Plain and simple, every who has a site knows this. Even those who don't have sites but are frequent internet users knows this as well. Articles quench the thirst for information and knowledge of the people. Plus, the articles provides many other benefits for the site.

The benefits that articles provide are putting a site high in the ranking in search results of keywords and keyword phrases that pertains or are relevant to his or her site. They also provide attraction to website visitors when they are appreciated and is linked to your site from another site or newsletter. Articles provide for the increase of the confidence and trust levels of customers to your site and company.

Many articles are also beneficial to both company and its traffic. When the readers like the articles, they would tell more of their friends, family and peers and recommend your site to them, providing for a larger volume of traffic. You get bigger sales if your traffic trusts and believes in you. Your product or services would be much easier to sell when they know you know what you are doing and talking about.

So ok, we have established that articles are very important to a site and to business. Articles are crucial and to keep ahead in the game, a site must have an article, it is imperative. There is one dilemma though, not many people like writing articles.

Many website owners would rather spend their time on something else, and unless you're a big time company, you don't have the necessary resources to use on a pool of article writers. Plagiarism or copying of other articles is frowned upon and could easily get you into trouble, worst case scenario; a hefty fine and jail time.

Well, for starters if you hate writing articles and you can't afford to hire people to write for you then don't. Get free articles. The first place to look at for free articles is the public domain. Here you won't have problems with copyright infringement and the following penalties and fines if you get caught for plagiarism.

Public domain articles are articles freely given to the public for public use. You can do whatever you want with it. You can place it on your site, name it as yours, put it in a newsletter its you decision. Always remember though that you will have to choose articles that is very relevant to your site.

The downside to public domain articles is that since it is free for everybody, many of your competitors may have access to them as well. Since every site needs to be original and unique even though you have the same niche, this could be a predicament. You may also have to edit them a bit to place more keywords and keyword phrases to make them better.

Another way to get free articles is to allow other sites which has the same subject or topic as yours to submit articles to your site. This would be only to augment your existing content or else all your articles would be leading to other sites since these articles would have resource boxes with them that could link or direct the readers to their site. That's why it is important to have your own articles; you cold use them to link your site to other sites as well.

But, to truly feel the impact of what a good article to you, go for original ones. There are many article writers who do part time and freelance article writing jobs that charges only minimal fees. You can get good articles that have all the keywords and keyword phrases you need and people are looking for.

The investment you made for these articles would be worthwhile because you could use them for all the benefits you could offer. You hold copyrights to them and you will be able to use them anyway you want. As your articles help you in building your business and your site, you will have more articles to write and maybe then you wont be having second thoughts about articles.

If you are interested in an original article pack PLUS a Unique, custom-made lens to promote your website, blog, or affiliate program, please click the "Contact Me" button under my picture at the top. Also, feel free to check out all the high Page Rank Squidoo lenses for sale on my blog.