1) Don't use all capitals in your title:
People don't like to be yelled at. USING CAPITALS is the same as yelling and looks awful. There aren't many article submission sites that accept ALL capitals in your title.
2) Only use HTML when asked:
There is nothing worse for an editor when he/she has to strip out HTML because you failed to follow the guidelines. If the website asks for NO HTML then don't add any.
3) Only use simple HTML:
If you are allowed to use HTML, just use the basics. Ex. (P)aragraph, (B)old, (I)talicized, (LI)st bullets, (A)link, etc. These HTML codes are considered basic and are usually accepted when submitting your article in HTML format.
4) Don't use articles to advertise your services within the content:
There is nothing worse than reviewing an article and seeing 5/10 links that are owned by the author embedded within the content of the article. Granted, sometimes you have something unique to help others with and you need to get the word out, I like to see such promotion but ONLY if it is useful for the readers and it is FREE, not a paid service or product. Try not to use this unique information within every single article that you write. This info will then become a little useless for the editors and they may even delete that section. Please remember to READ the "Author Guidelines" before you start submitting your articles.
5) Don't submit press releases as tips:
There is a distinct difference between a press release and an informative article. Press releases are strictly for announcing news about your company. Informative articles teach people about a specific subject (not about your company).
6) Have your articles edited by editors:
These days, there are so many authors trying to make their mark. It is imperative that you get your article edited by an editor, friend, colleague, or someone who is really good at checking for spelling and grammar.
7) Try to write something unique to the industry:
People all over the world are writing about the same thing. If you truly want to shine, try writing about topics that aren't covered by everyone. If you discover something new, do some research on what people are saying about it. If you can't find any other content, you may have found a gold mine.
8) Don't copy other people's content:
This topic is seriously funny. We have caught people actually stealing our articles and simply changing the title of the article to call it their own. How pathetic! If you use someone else's content, only use it for study, not for your own promotion and recognition. If you "quote" someone else, make sure to give credit where appropriate.
9) Find 5 new article submission sites to submit to:
If you submit articles once a week, try and make it a habit to find 5 new article submission sites to submit to. I guarantee you that new article submission websites popup almost weekly. We are still finding new sites to submit to, there is no limit to your search. Go within Google and do a search similar to "article submission sites", or "Where to submit articles to?".
Here are 5 newer article submission sites:
9.1) http://www.article99.com
9.2) http://www.a1articles.com
9.3) http://www.activeauthors.com
9.4) http://www.articlepros.com
9.5) http://www.free-articles-zone.com
10) Keep your author bio short & sweet:
Try keeping your author biography short & sweet. There is nothing worse than seeing an article submission and realizing that most of the article content is within the author bio. Use one sentence and a couple of links. Most submission sites will accept up to 3 links within your resource box.
11) Don't buy articles from other companies and call them your own:
Commandment #11 is sweeping the world and is giving the article writing industry a bad name. Please don't even consider buying articles from people that claim that they will write a "UNIQUE" article for you to promote. Trust me when I tell you this, the article that you buy has been sold and re-sold many times. You will be doing your company no justice at all by buying articles. Article submission websites frown down on this method and will ban you from ever submitting articles again if you are caught.
12) Try not to attack others within your articles:
Being libelous is not good karma. Attacking others will give a negative effect for your articles. In fact, most article submission websites won't accept articles that are libelous.
13) Use copyright information at the bottom of your article:
Adding your copyright information at the top won't help you at all. I've come across many websites that simply delete your copyright information if it is listed at the top. That's what your author bio is for. Add any reprint rights and copyright information within your bio.
14) Affiliate links should never be used:
DO NOT USE AFFILIATE LINKS PERIOD! Promoting affiliate links within articles is a no no. Most article submission websites have a rule against listing affiliate links within author's articles (body content) and your author bio. If you absolutely need to use an affiliate link, try creating a "short link" that simplifies the link into a smaller, more compact link.
15) Setup For Manual Submissions:
Most link submission softwares aren't the answer. There is nothing better than personalizing your submissions by submitting them manually. Granted, this can take up to 2-4 hours per week if you write one article a week BUT submitting manually will get your article listed within two times as many article submission websites than the software's can. Many websites require a login or show you an image to "enter the characters shown" to login and submit articles. By using a software, you will never be able to submit to such companies.
Many article submission websites have different and unique fields that they require for you to enter. If you use a software, you will never have that personal touch that each individual website & editor is looking for and your articles will never be accepted.
If you follow these commandments, you should have no problem getting your articles listed on 1000's of websites and get a great deal of promotion for your company.
Keep writing and keep submitting!
Martin Lemieux is the president of the Smartads Advertising Network. Smartads is dedicated to helping you expose your business online and offline. International: http://www.smartads.info
Ezine Article Directory (Beta): http://www.article99.com
Canada: http://www.smartads.ca
Copyright 2005 Smartads
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