| A writer can find a great market for his or | | | | The drawbacks are that your website, and |
| her work on the Internet. Heck! A Writer can | | | | article, exposure will be only as good as |
| CREATE a business by writing small articles. | | | | your search engine optimization efforts will |
| Right now, thousands | | | | make it and that your articles will be |
| of people from around the world, from | | | | confined to one spot on the web. You will |
| professional authors to my sister-in-law, are | | | | also have to learn something about website |
| using small, simple articles to make money on | | | | design, buy hosting, register domain names, |
| the Internet. | | | | and provide periodic maintenance, just to |
| | | | name a few responsibilities. If you want to |
| How much money can you make writing | | | | try this route, you might want to cut your |
| articles?Well, that is going to vary from | | | | teeth with free hosting and, once you have |
| person to person, and a lot of other factors | | | | gained competence and confidence, register a |
| are involved as well. It's not simply how | | | | domain and host your own site yourself. |
| good a writer you are, but the subjects you | | | | |
| choose to write about, how you address the | | | | Create a blog: |
| subject, where you place your articles, how | | | | |
| many sites you get your articles on, how | | | | There are a myriad of places to create blogs |
| valuable the information is, and the site(s) | | | | on the internet, and most of them are free. |
| you link to with your articles. A few small, | | | | If you are a prolific writer, a blog may be |
| 600 to 1000 words, articles properly placed | | | | perfect as you can regularly update your blog |
| can create regular customers and sales while | | | | with new material. Even if you don't turn out |
| enhancing an internet business website | | | | articles regularly, you can fill in with |
| ranking within the search engines...which | | | | material from the article directories, which |
| also increases traffic to the website. | | | | we will talk about in a moment. Again, you |
| Increased traffic can translate to increased | | | | will have control over most of the linking, |
| customers, therefore more sales, and, in some | | | | but free services are sometimes limited in |
| cases, repeat sales, which translates to | | | | what they will allow you to do. For one |
| residual (passive)Some people make thousands | | | | example, I once tried to place a banner for |
| of dollars while others just make a few | | | | an affiliate program on one of my blogs and |
| bucks. However, the technique is simple and | | | | it threw the positioning of everything out of |
| it's a game that almost anyone can play. Even | | | | whack. However, if you can offer interesting |
| my sister-in-law figured out that if she | | | | and relevant information on your topic and |
| simply wrote about some of the problems she | | | | update it regularly, you can create a good |
| encountered growing up, there would be places | | | | amount of traffic to your business or |
| where her articles could be published, people | | | | affiliate program. |
| who would read those articles, and a means of | | | | |
| linking from those articles to a site she and | | | | Post your articles on forums: |
| her husband have on the internet. | | | | |
| | | | There are a kazillion (my spell checker hates |
| So, what IS the technique for making money | | | | that non-word) forums on the Internet, and |
| with small articles?In most cases, the first | | | | you can find at least one for almost any |
| step is to decide on what the general subject | | | | topic or subject area. Many will allow you to |
| is you wish to write about. In this case, I | | | | create a signature which can include a link |
| have chosen to write about writing. The | | | | to your internet business website. Regularly |
| general subject is then narrowed down to a | | | | posting relevant and interesting articles on |
| niche. Again, in this case, I have chosen to | | | | these sites can create a lot of traffic, and |
| write about how to write small articles for | | | | sometimes contribute to enhancing your |
| profit. Someone interested in bicycling may | | | | ranking and placement on various search |
| write about racing, or even narrow the niche | | | | engines. |
| to a specific sort of bike racing or type of | | | | |
| racing bike. | | | | Post your articles on article directories: |
| | | | |
| The niche should be related to the product. | | | | This is my absolute most favorite type, kind, |
| The product may be a physical product, a | | | | and sort of method. Once you have written an |
| service, or information. Some people will | | | | article, you can go to any one of several |
| have a product already. Our bicycle | | | | good article directories and post your |
| enthusiast above may own a bicycle store or | | | | article. Article sites will allow you to |
| sell bicycle parts and accessories over the | | | | include a link to your site. Be aware, |
| internet. I offer various services and | | | | however, that many sites will not allow |
| information related to writing and publishing | | | | linking directly to an affiliate link |
| articles, so I have chosen to write an | | | | provided by the company you are affiliated |
| article on writing articles...for profit!!It | | | | with, so you may wind up having to create an |
| is important in most cases that you choose a | | | | intermediate information site or portal |
| product or service that you enjoy talking or | | | | anyway. |
| writing about. If you pick a product JUST to | | | | |
| make money, but don't really care about the | | | | Since this article may appear on several |
| area of interest, you will lose your | | | | different article directories, I won't |
| motivation during periods when income is | | | | mention any specific article directories |
| small or slow. It is a reality, by the way, | | | | here, but, if you are seeing this article on |
| that the first few days, weeks, or even | | | | an article directory, I possibly posted it |
| months may be periods where you will make | | | | there...which brings me to a benefit of |
| little or no money. An interest in your topic | | | | posting your article on article directories. |
| will help keep you coming back to "open your | | | | |
| store". | | | | Obviously, the more exposure you get for your |
| | | | article the better...in most cases at least. |
| What if you don't already have a | | | | However, it can be a real pain to go from one |
| product?There are many sites on the internet | | | | article directory to another, cutting and |
| where you can find people or companies which | | | | pasting and dealing with the rules or |
| will be happy to pay you a commission for | | | | restrictions particular to each site. Since |
| bringing them buying customers. Most of these | | | | many sites allow for your article, with your |
| "affiliate programs" will only pay if the | | | | byline or links attached, to be copied by |
| customer you send to them actually buys | | | | others, your article may be copied and placed |
| something. Years ago, you could find programs | | | | on other sites or used in ezines. Those |
| which would pay an affiliate for a | | | | placed on other websites create new links |
| click-thru, but, of course, many people would | | | | back to your site, enhancing the value of |
| just sit and click on the link or have | | | | your site in the eyes of the search engine |
| friends click on the link in order to | | | | spiders, and possibly bringing in new |
| generate income, so that went away. | | | | customers. |
| | | | |
| Some places where you can find products with | | | | Still, you are faced with the bother of |
| affiliate programs are ClickBank.com, | | | | manually placing each new article on several |
| commission Junction (cj.com), and Link Share | | | | different sites with different requirements. |
| (linkshare.com). If you cannot find a product | | | | One way around this is to purchase the |
| or company that meets your interests, just do | | | | services of an article submission service. |
| a search on related topics and request | | | | For a fee, these companies will, once you |
| "affiliate program" with the search. You may | | | | have posted an article on their site, submit |
| have to kiss a few frogs, but there are good | | | | it to several different article directories |
| affiliate programs in just about every field. | | | | and forums. This can increase your exposure |
| | | | exponentially. |
| What do you do with your articles?Make your | | | | |
| own website: | | | | As with many things, there are few overnight |
| | | | successes. If you are able and willing to |
| Obviously, if you have several articles on a | | | | write at least a few articles and find places |
| subject, you can always create your own | | | | to post, them, however, you will be able to |
| website. A benefit of having your own website | | | | create the start of an Internet success |
| is that you control the set-up of your | | | | story. The key is not to give up just because |
| articles and you have complete editorial | | | | nothing happens right away. This is why you |
| control of both the articles themselves and | | | | choose an area which pleases and interests |
| the website. You can add, subtract, and edit | | | | you. If you are working in such an area, you |
| as you wish, and you can create any | | | | will find it much easier to continue creating |
| potentially profitable links as you desire. | | | | articles even if you are not immediately |
| | | | experiencing fantastic results. |