Want to Be A Web Guru? Here's a Jump-Start Plan
Guess what my fast-start recommendation is? You got it - write
articles for other publishers. Why is this such a common
suggestion? Could it be because - it works? This is the fastest
and easiest way by far to get a following of people who
recognize your name and listen to what you recommend.
When I was newly online and learning about online business,
clicking on the links in articles, forums, and discussion groups
signatures was my primary method of finding good information.
I reasoned that if the person was published, odds were that they
were somewhat of an expert on that subject. And, if they were
experts, the products and services they sold or recommended were
likely to be good. Those were the people whose products I bought
and whose lists I joined.
If you include a signature with each article, including a line
or two about your business and your website URL and/or email
address, you may be very amazed at the traffic it will generate
for you - the best kind of targeted traffic, too!
Are you having trouble just getting started? I understand. And I
can't tell you that writing isn't hard work. It certainly is for
me. But once you write the first article it gets much easier. In
fact, you may discover, as I did, that you have a hard time
stopping!
Here's a "jump-start plan" to get you going:
1. Get a notebook and pen, or if you are a "cut and paste"
writer like me - a word processor or computer, and just
brainstorm ideas for articles. If you are at a total loss, go
and read some articles in other's e-zines or websites. That may
spark an idea for a different approach to the same subject or
remind you of your own experiences in that area.
Think about what You need or want to know. What have you learned
from experience that might help others? Once you get started you
will come up with many ideas. Write each one down. If you think
of a good title for that article, write that down too. Make it
"catchy."
2. What you should do next depends on you. There are several
ways writers' work, depending on their personalities. You may
like to order and organize your points first by making an
outline of the information you plan to include or the points you
intend to make. Then all you have to do is go back and "flesh
out" the points, adding useful facts or links to more
information.
Or, you may be a natural teacher, and write just as though you
are explaining the subject to the reader in person. Either
method is fine, just do what is comfortable for you. One method
may work best for one kind of article and the other for another
kind.
3. In either case, don't forget to add "personality" to your
writing. Share some of yourself with your readers, make your
writing uniquely your own. It's fine to read e-zines and others'
articles to see what people may be interested in and spark your
own ideas, but don't pattern yourself after someone else. People
want to feel that they know You - Your knowledge and
personality. This is what builds loyalty.
If it fits with your subject, don't be afraid to mention your
product or service and give the URL or email address, but DON'T
write a "glorified ad" and call it an article! That can offend a
publisher so that they won't even consider articles from you in
the future.
4. After you've finished writing your article, read it through
aloud, preferably to someone else who will ask questions if they
don't understand some point. (You may get an idea for a sequel
here too!}
5. Run a spell checker! If you own Microsoft Word or something
similar, run the grammar checker also. Have someone else
proof-read it for you. Even professional proof-readers will tell
you that they try to have someone else proof-read their own
writing, because it is next to impossible to catch your own
mistakes.
6. Once you finish your article and make any necessary changes,
you will need to submit it to as many websites and e-zines as
you can. Search the web for "article directory" and you will
find many places to submit your article for free. There are
also, of course, paid services and software that will do the
submissions for you, but you may want to wait until you have
successfully written a few articles before you choose to pay.
As I said earlier, writing is hard work for me, and I reworked
my first article many times before I was satisfied. But if you
persevere you may discover that it can be loads of fun as well
as a great promotion method and a quick path to "web-guru-ness."