Small Business Marketing in the Real World -- Article Marketing

by Nancy Amada

Billboards, magazines, television commercials, newspapers, and radio spots. There are countless ways to market your small business. Hiring a sky-writer or paying millions for a few seconds of airtime just isn't the most cost-effective way to do it.

Sure the advertising hoopla surrounding events like the Superbowl is exciting. It just simply is not necessary for a business to succeed. Unless you've got a very generous donor who insists that you spend your marketing budget frivolously, finding practical ways to get your name out there is not all that difficult.

Article marketing has proven to be one of the most widely used of these methods. It's fast, it's easy, and it doesn't cost a fortune. It requires a small investment of time to get the article marketing campaign fired up, but then takes on a life of its own.

To begin the process, business owners write short articles about topics relating to their business. The articles serve as informative pieces, rather than sales pitches. The authors are careful to provide useful information, not just a bunch of advertising mumbo jumbo.

Once the articles are created, they are sent off to an article distribution service. These services specialize in making thousands of contacts with websites who are looking for fresh content.

The article distribution service reviews each and every article to determine what types of websites might want articles about the subject at hand. This greatly increases the chances of the various articles being published.

The magic really happens when the first articles are published. As readers connect with what you say in your articles, they are likely to click on the link back to your website. And as more people visit your website and see what your business has to offer, the more customers you gain.

Article marketing is truly a win-win process. The arrangement between business owners and publishers allows both sides to benefit. While business owners have the opportunity to get their names out there, publishers are able to constantly offer their readers new and interesting information.

It is this vital partnership that has allowed article marketing to take off in the business world. It is now being utilized by companies both big and small. Regardless of the product or service being offered, article marketing gives business owners a platform from which to speak to customers.

While the article marketing phenomenon may seem to good to be true, it is definitely more pragmatic than pie-in-the-sky advertising ambitions involving Superbowl ads. Article marketing has shown to be a powerhouse in the world of marketing and small businesses, and it is likely to continue gaining speed as more and more companies jump on the bandwagon.