It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know something or know something differently. It is our particular sense of logic and humour that make us interesting.
Interesting and informative articles are in big demand. Article directories meet this demand by amassing them in one location.
Who can do this or what qualifications are needed to submit articles?
Providing that the content is ?clean?, anyone can submit, and the only qualification needed is that your article is interesting and informative, or close to it.
How to, why to, why not to, how not to, or anything in between, should be okay. If it is easy to read and worth reading, then it should be perfect.
Would you read it? If your answer is YES, then it is probable that others would want to read it.
From gardening snippets of wisdom, aliens to alligators, strawberry soup to strangulated hernias, people to pigs (transformations may also be interesting), simple to sublime, technical to basic, your perspective may be anywhere from useful to universal.
Does your English or language of choice (think global), need to be grammatically perfect?
The short answer is NO. Specific directories have specific guidelines or terms, but the webmaster/editors of these directories usually have ?worldly wisdom?, understand that your first article may not circumvent the globe and also understand that with time and some experience, others might. These people don't want to edit everything (too time-consuming), so some effort on your behalf is always a good and rewarding goal.
Benefits to individual contributors or writers:
Exposure.
This exposure is limitless and articles can be submitted to thousands of directories and any site that will accept them. All articles include a resource box. This is a few lines of information about the writer and can include a web address.
This address or u.r.l. is the key.
When the various search engines index the directory, the hyperlink to the writers chosen site is noted. This alone improves link popularity. Incoming links from major sites (as many directories are), will improve your chances of getting search engine traffic.
For example only; if two sites, using the same keywords and similar content are in competition (normal ), the one with links from high quality sites will be favoured.
So you get traffic to your site because of search engines and the possibility or probability of someone reading the article, by simply clicking your link.
Double whammy shortened; search engine traffic via linking popularity and your name or associated site/program presented for perusal. Sites lacking content go to directories to find content. This is ?VIRAL MARKETING? at its? best! That is around the clock, around the year, exposure. Such exposure can theoretically last forever, where the info. is good, amusing or of interest to people on this planet.
Brilliant! So how much will it cost? It's FREE.
So what should I do?
Find or create a site to link to. Get a free one if necessary ( search engine, then, ?free hosting?).
That's great, but I'm a nobody!
I go to college or I'm an unmarried mother, a pensioner, a prisoner, a priest, or indeed, all five in combination.
That is great! That means that you do know something or know something differently!
Tell us (the world) about it.
Tell your grand parents that someone wants to know!
Tell your grand children that someone wants to know about your experience!
Enhance your resume/Curriculum Vitae.
Bring free traffic to your site.
Develop a new skill. Before the advent of the INTERNET, it wasn't easy or nearly impossible to get ?published?. All excuses are rapidly dwindling. Indeed, they are gone!
Maximise work already done ( you may already have a wealth of articles on you P.C.; just paste them into relevant category of directories and you can use your favourite search engine to find them).
You may have the stories within a diary or in your head. Unleash your experience and discoveries.
Within a local context (family, friends, work), your experience may be ignored, but the world is a different setting. Exploit it; it was never easier, and benefit from being a contributor to the INTERNET, and the people that it is meant to serve.
Benefits to the directories.
They amass volumes of information.
They get traffic because of this. Their respective content is favoured by search engines.
Summary.
Articles favour the writers and directories that support them.
Articles contribute to the free end of the INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.
Articles are VIRAL (marketing speak).
Articles compliment sites that don't have time or don't have experience within a specific field.
ACTION.
NOW. You may forget tomorrow, what you know today so put it somewhere that it will be remembered.
NOTE; If you absolutely need to mention your mother-in-law, then you should mention her affectionately for you'll never know where she could read about it.
Seamus Dolly is the webmaster of http://www.CountControl.com. His background is in engineering and analogue electronics and his studies include A+, iNet+ and Server+.
