Websites who have contests to get authors to submit articles are smart. For instance who can catch the lead author with the most articles gets a "free mountain bike" Most likely an online article site can trade this out to a company who sells them, but even if you cannot $200 can buy you one to give away and if you sell the articles to content needy folks at $1-2 each then you will have made 100 times you money?
Another type of contest or reward for an article site might be to have a 50 article club, 100 Club and a 200 Club and a 300 Club? Once you do have members in such a club offer really nice profiles on the 200 and over club, you can work down the list to 100. Then eventually as people reach the goals they will be rewarded with "profiles in-depth" which adds to advertising for them.
Still other awards for author submission might be to create Pages for: Prolific Authors Page. For instance you 50 article Club could receive: Highlighted articles page each of the authors Bio page. And for your 100 article club: Separate in-depth page, highlighted articles, special mention on your new site (old site) -this will get them to post their articles there and you can tell them to change the titles for key words. Or you can re-title all of them for them or move them over for free? Starbucks gift card.
How about for you standouts in the 200 article club perhaps a mention on a site Blog or forum and a Separate in-depth page, highlighted articles, Press Releases, Able to choose one new sub category such as; Long term Health care, pink sheets, body piercing, UFOs, motorcycles. Maybe add in highlighted articles sent out to ezines, raffle to win mountain bike or something cool? XM portable radio, portable GPS, free flying lesson introduction (about $100 value), every six months of anyone in the club. Make it fun to submit articles and have contests?
If you go with such a plan for your 300 article club you can have additional Article Marketing Services, free hosting of additional website linked to Ezine Articles.com of 5 pages plus all articles. New articles written placed in the top five to ten spots each day on the recent articles page, Blog mention, surprise gift, Plaque engraved, other cool stuff. Links to books written on Amazon.com and fun things like this?
With the highlighted articles make so the authors can pick their best articles to be placed as highlights; 5, 8, 10 articles and all them a little customization. You as the webmaster can brag about the number of articles views they have, their successes and all the while this adds credibility to your site. Think about it, because in the Article Website business there are some big players you will have a tough time competing against.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/