Article Writing as a Sales Boost

Thomas Metcalf reports:

"Regardless of what you sell, writing articles can help build your reputation and boost your sales. Having your name in print can convey an aura of authority, making you more believable and your products more buyable. Writing articles is also a good way to keep yourself current in your market and easy to do if you know your content...Articles should be compelling, easy to read and relatively short...Articles written for the Internet should include keywords in the content to get your search ranking high. Be careful not to make it sound contrived, however, or your readers will see it as a subterfuge and move on. Most readers will find a length of 400 to 600 words comfortable. If you have more to say -- and you probably do -- offer readers a free downloadable white paper. The request form, of course, includes the reader's contact information...Write to inform, relating the content of your article to the functionality and benefits of your product or service. Most people will stop reading if an article is a blatant sales pitch. If you are stuck for ideas, start with a catchy title and work from there. 'How to...' is a natural lead for an instructional article. 'Seven Reasons Why You Should...' can present information that will lead the reader toward the conclusion you desire. 'What You Need to Know About...' suggests you will provide the reader with solid information about a situation that relates to your product or service...If you are selling products produced by others, resist the temptation to copy and paste product information from their catalog or website. Write your product descriptions to differentiate you and your website from the countless others who use the copy-and-paste method. You can turn your product descriptions into articles by elaborating on how they work, offering tips on using them and other details. Write product reviews so that prospective customers will learn to depend on you as a reliable source of information. Turning product descriptions into articles will demonstrate your knowledge and generate a higher conversion rate...For people who sell professional services -- CPAs, insurance agents and attorneys, for example -- articles in newspapers and magazines can be a powerful draw to attract clients. Before you write your articles, request author submission guidelines to be sure you meet the publications' editorial requirements. Even if your target audience does not subscribe to the publications in which your articles appear, you can include copies in the mailings you send. You can also include them on your website, creating a library of information relating to your product or service."