If you have never submitted articles to directories before, it can be an overpowering task in the beginning. You need to educate yourself on the process as a step-by-step tutorial, especially if you do not know the first thing about it. There are plenty of wrongs and rights to article marketing and getting them into the right hands of other people.

The majority of directories provide free article submission, however there are some that provide paid submissions. I suggest the free submission directory sites, as there are a plethora of reputable free ones available. Submitting your written articles is easily the most effective free marketing there is on the internet today.

A Step by Step Guide to Submitting Articles to Directories

1) The first step is making sure your article is unique, meaning the piece is written in your own words. Copying others is strictly forbidden and will get you into hot water, and perhaps banned from the directories you submit to.

2) Write each article for your readers. You need to figure out what your site’s visitors are looking for. What do you provide on your web page? For instance; if your market is web development, your readers are likely searching for tips on how to build and establish a website. Therefore, you must concentrate writing for that specific subject in order to get the ideal traffic. Getting a consistent flow of traffic for your business is the reason for writing in the first place.

3) Always read the directory’s terms and conditions. Some won’t allow links in the body of the article, and there are some that do. Also how many links are permitted in your author’s resource box? The important thing is to respect the directory and always stick to their writing guidelines and terms of service so that you can maintain a reputable online relationship between you and the directory site owner.

4) Proofreading is a must. Not only should you review it two or three times, but you also need to run it through a spell and grammar check. It’s also smart to get another pair of eyes to look over your article before you submit it.

5) Once you have completed and proofread your written work, you may want to lay it aside and revisit it the following day. You could possibly come up with better content and perhaps a better viewpoint by doing so. There’s always room for improvement.

6) Prior to submitting your masterpiece, you will need to give yourself a pen name (author name). It’s a good idea to use your real name for this. By doing so, this informs everybody you are a real and credible person.

7) When you are pleased with the final editing, you are ready to submit your article. You’ll need to create a title and keywords, try to use keywords and phrases in your title that individuals will be more inclined to type into the various search engines for maximum exposure.

8) Next you need to provide a brief summary or introduction. The perfect summary is two to three sentences. When copying your article into the body section, keep in mind that most directories do allow HTML. Generally, you will see tags that are used with the specific directory you’re uploading to towards the top of the submission box. Be aware of what tags your able to use.

9) The next thing you will need to do (and this one is important), is fill in your bio box. This is where you include a little something about yourself, or about your site, and also include a link to it. Being as professional as possible with this step is vital to the traffic you receive. Your bio box will either make or break your advertising success, which means you definitely want to make it your best to create a call to action here.

10) Now it’s time to proofread again and review before posting. Never publish before pressing the “preview” button first. Once previewed and you are happy with it, click on the “submit” button. It usually takes two to three days to get accepted, however, some have been known to be accept in the same day.

After you’ve done this several times, you’ll be a pro at it. Keep writing and submitting, this is very important to your internet marketing success. Submitting a few articles won’t cut it, as you will have to repeat all of these steps again and again with new ones. Consistency will pay off with this particular marketing method.

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Category: Marketing
Keywords: article submissions, submitting articles, article directories