Article marketing is a tried and true method for generating traffic to websites. It’s been used since the early days of the internet and it’s still as effective as ever.

A successful article marketing campaign will bring you a flood of valuable links and a steady stream of visitors for years to come.

How does article marketing work?

Put simply, you write articles for other websites in exchange for a link back to your own site. You should use different articles than the ones already posted to your own website.

The more unique, high-quality articles you can share the better. You’ll get more backlinks and traffic, and you’ll build your reputation as an expert in your niche. It’s possible other websites may start seeking you out for your opinion or for interviews.

How do I start my article marketing campaign?

First, write some articles (or pay someone to write them for you) of around 300 to 600 words. Don’t write ads in disguise. Offer genuinely useful information and tips.

You wouldn’t want to publish someone else’s garbage on your site, so don’t expect them to publish your leftovers. Write separate articles specifically for your article marketing. You should also do the same keyword research you would do for your own website. Also spend some time proofreading for typos and grammatical errors.

The next step is to find places to submit your articles. Building one-on-one relationships with other website owners in your niche can be beneficial, but it’s time-consuming.

Fortunately, there are many article directories which allow you to post your articles for free. Other websites can then publish your articles on their own sites.

There are literally thousands of such sites to choose from, but here is a short list of some of the most popular article directories:

ezinearticles.com
goarticles.com
articlealley.com
articledashboard.com
searchwarp.com
buzzle.com

Or you can use a service such as iSnare, which will distribute your article to many different directories for a small fee.

Hot tip – Your author’s bio is vital to the success of your article marketing campaign. You definitely need to spend some time crafting the perfect message.

You should keep it short and punchy, but always include the following:

1. Your name

2. Your url as http://yourdomain.com (this ensures your link will be clickable).

3. A short teaser that entices readers to visit your site. Offer a free report or something else of value to get them to click on your link.