Author: Jason Henry.

Within the past few weeks I have witnessed the race for President turn into a race toward racism. Barack Obama’s pastor has been accused of being a racist because of his so-called insensitive comments toward white Americans. Geraldine Ferraro was labeled a racist when she said that Obama would not be so successful if he were a white woman or a white man. I was so enflamed with anger that I wrote an article about Pastor Wright and Mrs. Ferraro. However, what enrages me the most is that the media has totally turned away from covering the issues that matter most to Americans. We now have news anchors that speak of Barack Obama in terms of his Pastor. As if he’s responsible for the words that another man says. While it is wrong to judge another human being based off of our learning’s from the Bible, it is also incorrect to label our nation as Christian when we fail to forgive someone for their shortcomings or their words. Jeremiah Wright may have truly offended people around the country; I am not one of those individuals. What bothers me the most is how so many continue to try and dismember his character; to try and tear him down as a man. If we are truly concerned with the condition of our nation and its sickly disposition, then why do we spend so much time trying to prove who has more intolerance? Is it Pastor Wright or is it Barack Obama?

We must move past this useless and pointless conversation about race and focus on why so many Americans have lost their homes and if we should continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan . What these last few weeks have taught me is that our nation has for too long pretended to have a conversation about race relations in America . If your only weapon is to use the words of another human being in an attempt to bring him down, then God will surely prevail. Our Christian values have taught us that God is all knowing, all loving, and all inclusive. If we are to truly walk in the word of the Lord then we cannot continue to move in words of hate. I call on each individual to rise above what the enemy is attempting to do to this nation. We cannot prosper if we swim in the hate filled words of others. Only if we love the individuals that we dislike the most and self-examine our own actions will this nation truly live up to its destiny.

-JH

About the Author:
Jason Henry started writing a few years ago with the angle of “sparking positive debate through writing.” To enhance his writing skills and share his writing with the world, he started his own newsletter entitled “The Henry Project.” A by product of the newsletter is his blog with the same name. Mr. Henry continues to provide his opinion on a number of issues facing America today. You can check out his blog at aanw.blogspot.com.

Author: jomark3@verizon.net.

One of the best marketing techniques for your new online business is writing articles. It is far superior to placing ads in bringing traffic to your website. The main reason for this is simple; an ad will only work for you during the time that you pay for it to run. Your articles will continue to work for as long as they are posted on the web, and this can be a very long time. Some of my articles continue to bring me traffic after a year or more.

Although article writing can be somewhat time consuming, it is among the most productive marketing activities. Especially when you consider that you can write and submit your articles for free. It doesn’t have cost you a penny. Of course, if you prefer, you can pay others to write your articles. And you can even pay companies to submit them, but if you are just starting out, you are better off writing and submitting them yourself.

An article should be written with two purposes in mind. First and foremost, it should give good solid information to the reader. Do not write fluff articles full of self-praise that provide nothing of value. The viewing public is not stupid, after a short while, they will see through this and stop viewing your articles. This is the kiss of death for an article writer. Always provide good information in your articles.

Second, it should entice the viewer to see the information that you have included in the resource box. Always include two or three links to your opt in (squeeze) page along with links to products that you recommend. You will get more clicks on these links if your article and the links in your resource box are related. And, if possible, always try tie the two together.

Article marketing can be an extremely effective and inexpensive way to market your online business. And if you enjoy writing, like I do, you can have some fun along the way.

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Author: Tiva Kelly.

The whole reason webmasters and business owners use article marketing is to plug their website and get a higher click through rate. What some people don’t realize at first is that you can’t outright talk about your business or products within the body of an article that you are submitting to an article directory. The body of the article needs to remain strictly informational.

An article must provide information that is useful to a reader; information beyond introducing a company, website, product or service. Article marketing is about educating readers, rather than making a sale. For example, if you sell lawn care products on your website, write an article about the seven steps to a healthy lawn, instead of writing about the lawn care products you carry.

Publishers Don’t Want Promotional Articles

Publishers are often overwhelmed with articles that contain promotional plugs and ads, and will reject articles that point to an external source unless it’s in the resource (About the Author) box. They don’t have the time to sort through every article and remove embedded links and lengthy sales pitches.

Remember, publishers are looking for informative content for their readers. They do not want articles that promote a particular business or website. This type of thing greatly limits the number of times it is published anywhere else.

Try to answer questions about your area of interest and develop a reputation as a subject matter expert. Show readers that you really know your stuff and they will come to you when they need something. Save the promotional stuff for your About the Author box.

The Purpose of Content for Article Directories

You might wonder where your articles go once they are submitted to an article directory. The truth is that the better the article, the more places it will end up. You have to follow a few simple rules in order to get your article picked up by a wide variety of publishers though. First you need to remember the purpose of the content article. Keep your focus on providing quality information to your target audience about your niche topic. Never stray from your topic or give in to the temptation to plug your own business within the article.

Even though you can put links within the article, all self-promoting information can be plugged into the about the author box when you’re submitting to a directory. The good news is that that information is also carried with your article where ever it is posted on the Internet.

The whole idea behind writing articles and submitting them to directories is to sell with the information and really knocked our socks off. If you do a good job and you really catch their interests, they will click on your website link and that’s where you can give them a hard sell on your products or services.

About the Author:
Tiva Kelly is the Head of Article Coaching and offers advice to authors at Article Marketer, a highly popular article distribution service. Learn how to market your small business by submitting an article through Article Marketer.

Author: Gaurav Walia.

If you are burned out with writing how-to articles to promote your business then consider writing a book review. I recommend you write a review about a book you enjoyed that is related to your products or services. Your review, of course, will be capped off with your 5-6 line by line that includes your contact information and web site URL. Many of the article directories, e-zines and web sites that normally accept articles will accept book reviews too. In addition, you can find and submit to the many sites featuring book reviews.

To begin a review, I start with the format required by Midwest Book Review. I then adapt the format and word count to what is required by each submission site. Midwest Book Review recommends the following format (examples of paragraphs are enclosed in parenthesis):

Book Title:
Author:
Publisher:
Publisher Address:
ISBN:
Price: Publication Date: Page Count:

Reviewer Contact Information:

Name: Address: E-mail:

First Paragraph: Include information about the format of the book. A nice touch is to comment on the cover design, table of contents structure and/or glossary at the back of the book.

(Sample: This beautifully laid out trade paperback has a gorgeous and practical design both inside and out. I recommend you read this book with a highlighter and a pen, ready to take copious notes in the blank pages thoughtfully provided between chapters.)

Second Paragraph: Detail the recommended audience and note why they should read the book.

(Sample: Manners That Sell: Adding The Polish That Builds Profits should be required reading for high school and college students and for anyone already in the business environment. Once upon a time, good manners were taught in school and at home, but that time has long since passed. This book provides the perfect refresher course for those of us who learned manners but no longer remember the finer points of etiquette.)

Third Paragraph: Write about the book structure and layout, number of chapters and topics covered.

(Sample: While reading this book, I discovered that the author, Lydia Ramsey, covered every conceivable point of etiquette including many that I had never been taught. Each of the twelve chapters covers one main topic broken down into digestible bite sized chunks of rules and guidelines to enhance credibility and professionalism. Topics include first impressions, greetings and introductions, the art of conversation, dressing for business, telephone courtesy, electronic etiquette, correspondence in business, etiquette in the office, gift-giving in business, etiquette out of the office, dining for profit and doing business internationally.)

Fourth Paragraph: Give a brief biography of the author including their name, name of their business (if applicable), business or personal expertise and if available, include titles of their other books.

(Sample: The author of this delightful book, Lydia Ramsey, is a business etiquette expert with over thirty years of experience working with non-profits, corporations, colleges and universities. She is a frequently published author who presents workshops, seminars and keynotes on all aspects of business etiquette.)

Fifth Paragraph: Recommend the book and offer some ideas of its practical use by individuals or groups. If applicable, mention that it would make a good gift book and wrap up the review with a positive summary of the book.

(Sample: I recommend businesses buy this book in bulk and present one to every employee from the frontline up to the top management. In this ever-changing world of so many consumer choices, the bottom line is often affected by the simple courtesies that can and should be afforded to customers. You need this book if you want your employees to succeed and your business to thrive.)

Add your copyright statement and byline to the bottom of the review and, as usual, have the review proofread by an editor before you begin submission. Your book reviews can be very effective marketing tools that will generate considerable exposure for you

About the Author:
i m Gaurav Walia. i m good author

Author: Tiva Kelly.

Getting wide distribution of SEO articles is an important factor in article marketing. It’s not the end when you submit an article to a directory. With the right focus and a little luck, it is just the beginning.

The real magic of articles is not just about posting them to a zillion article directories. It’s about making sure those articles are getting picked up and used in newsletters and e-zines this is where the magic starts. As the piece finds its way in front of the eyes of people who are already engaged in your target market, that’s when the magic begins.

Sounds great, but how you do it? Aside from following the publisher’s guidelines, there are a few other specific ways to maximize article distribution and achieve success in article marketing.

Load Your SEO Article with Good Information

It may seem more like common sense than article marketing skills, but it’s important when submitting articles to directories to ensure that articles are filled with good information. Publishers look for high quality SEO articles for their sites, newsletters, e-zines, blogs and reprint article directories. They want new information. They want information presented in an interesting way. They want SEO articles that focus on a specific topic.

Learn What Publishers Do and Don’t Want

Publishers who search article distribution sites for quality SEO articles are not looking for the same old story they’ve read a hundred times over. They aren’t looking for heavy sales pitches. They aren’t looking for articles that are littered with self-serving links. And they certainly aren’t looking for copy and pasted articles, incorrect information, poorly written articles, SEO articles that are riddled with spelling and grammatical errors or articles that really have nothing to say.

The thing is, you may be working for yourself and choosing what you want to write about, however, if you don’t give publishers what they want. Submit quality SEO articles to directories to avoid comletely missing the boat. The whole magic of article marketing is to attract the attention of many publishers to achieve wide distribution of your articles.

The Magic of Article Distribution

Writing articles and submitting them to directories is a terrific way to get word out about a website or product. You will generate many back links to your site by following article submission guidelines to maximize the number of people who see your articles. You may submit an article to a zillion article directories, but if the articles are tightly focused, aren’t informative SEO articles or are poorly written, few publishers will copy and paste your article from the directory.

The goal of article marketing isn’t to submit as many articles as you can to directories. An article directory is not the end user for quality articles. It is just the beginning. Once your article catches the eye of many different types of publishers, from e-zines and newsletters to blogs and websites that is when the magic begins. When your article is placed on the right site in front of targeted readers, it takes your article marketing success to a whole new level.

Writing articles for article distribution sites alone is ineffective. The purpose of article submissions is to provide high-quality SEO articles that will attract the attention of many publishers to spread the word about your site to targeted customers..

About the Author:
Tiva Kelly is the Head of Article Coaching and offers advice to authors at Article Marketer, a highly popular article distribution service. Learn how to market your small business by submitting articles through Article Marketer .

Author: Jerry Bader

Every week I get asked to look at business websites and tell the owners why they’re not getting the results they want. Some of these sites are straightforward brochures, others are e-commerce catalogs, and some are those direct-mail-style pitches reminiscent of old mail-order magazine subscription schemes ported-over to the Web. Some have incorporated do-it-yourself audio and video and some even had this media professionally produced; still the results stink. Why?

‘The Close’ Is Always Found In ‘The Why’

Certainly part of the problem stems from a very narrow definition of what a website is: by casting your site in terms of a brochure, catalog, e-commerce-site, blog, or portal, you are falling into the trap of concentrating on ‘The What’ rather than on ‘The Why’.

This focus on ‘The What’ is exacerbated by some search engine optimization techniques intended to drive traffic, not to brand product, sell services, or convert traffic into customers. Don’t get me wrong, traffic is important, but converting that traffic into paying customers is more important. Even the best and brightness search engine optimizers will tell you that their job is to deliver traffic not orders - closing the deal is your job, and anybody who tells you that closing can be done by means of some automatic never-touched-by-human-hands method is just plain nuts.

What you want to be careful of is search engine tactics and second rate media that actually gets in the way of effectively delivering your marketing message, of telling your business story, of creating a memorable brand image, and above all of generating profitable business clients.

Web-video Is A Presentation Marketing Strategy

If you pay any attention to what’s going on, you must be aware of the shift in Web-thinking and the acceptance of Web-video as a fundamental Web-marketing tool. But like most things, there is a right way and a whole bunch of wrong ways to do it.

Web-video is a presentation marketing strategy that’s strength and power comes from its ability to overcome the Web’s natural sterile, isolationist environment, by incorporating verbal and non-verbal human elements that effectively deliver bold, well-crafted memorable messages. Can a Web-video campaign cure everything that’s wrong with your company, or even your sales departments deficiencies, of course not, but the right message based on ‘The Why’ using appropriate cost effective presentation techniques can position your business, brand your product, and generate sales leads.

Don’t fool yourself: you and your sales staff have to close the sale. Do not expect to sit back and count your profits while your website runs your business by default. Automatic pilot may work for sites that sell commodity items and nationally branded merchandise backed by millions of dollars of advertising, but unless you fall into that category, it’s time to get real.

A New Web Paradigm

Here’s a new way of looking at your website and if you ‘get it’ you will be able to refashion your site and reinvent your business in a way that gets you remembered and initiates action by your target market:

Start thinking of your website as a stage and all the content on it as players you direct in order to deliver your message and tell your story in a memorable manner to a relevant audience.

So let’s breakdown this Web-presentation model and analyze how it meets your marketing needs.

Your Website Is a Stage

Businesses who want to use their websites as a marketing vehicle have to get past thinking of them in terms of merely digital print media.

Just as damaging is the over-reliance on search optimization or IT technical solutions that have little or no relationship to marketing’s primary goal of delivering a memorable message that initiates action on the part of the audience.

Knowing the age, sex and hat size of the last ten thousand visitors to your site may impress some but reams of statistical information on your visitors doesn’t necessarily mean you know what that data means or how to use it effectively. In the same vain, tons of traffic generated by the latest SEO manipulation doesn’t necessarily translate into business.

Start thinking of your website as a stage, a presentation and performance platform that allows your company to present your message to your audience in an entertaining, informative, and memorable manner.

Tell Your Story In A Memorable Manner

There are many ways to present what you do and why your audience should care but the most effective way is to deliver that information in a story format. When people come to your website they are putting you on trial, judging everything thing you present to see if it is relevant, convincing, and if it resonates with to their needs.

The article, “Evidence Evaluation in complex decision making,” in the ‘Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,’ by Pennington and Hastie explains when prosecutors tell their version of events to a jury in story-format they are able to achieve a 78% conviction rate, whereas lawyers who do not use a story-format to communicate to juries only get a 31% guilty rate. When visitors come to your website they are putting you on trial for your Web-business life.

Memorable Communication Is All About The Performance

Effective communication begins with the campaign concept. If you don’t have a well-defined, focused concept that deals with ‘the why anybody should care factor’ your communication will be muddy and irrelevant. Far too many marketing campaigns try to do too much, and in an effort to get your money’s worth say everything and anything that comes to mind. Unfortunately, all you’re really doing is confusing people and your core message never gets heard, let alone understood or remembered.

You need professional presenters who know how to use both verbal and non-verbal performance to get your message across, and of course you’ve got to give the presenters a script that is well written, entertaining, and informative.

Professional actors and voice-over talent bring infinite subtlety, nuance, and meaning to cleverly written scripts. Add sound effects, custom signature music and a few post-production enhancements and you have a memorable presentation.

What you don’t need is complicated sets, props, and locations that increase the cost of production. The Web is not television, and there is no need to absorb inflated expenses based on ad agency cost-plus-pricing fees that bare little relation to effectiveness.

Expensive movie-style productions are just not necessary and lose their impact when delivered in relatively small Web-friendly formats that need to be easily integrated with additional collateral material used to present more details and to answer frequently asked questions.

Last But Not Least

We can learn a lot from children, not the least of which is their relentless quest for the answer to ‘The Why’ of things. We often forget that this is the central issue in our lives, and it is only after we’ve been told by parents, teachers, bosses and numerous other authority figures to shut-up and do what we’re told, that we sublimate this need and replace it with the far less meaningful and convincing ‘What.’

But if we as marketers can put our faith in delivering ‘The Why’ using the most people-friendly techniques of verbal and non-verbal digital communication, then we will have learned how to present a convincing memorable Web-marketing presentation.

About the Author:

Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia.
Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.136words.com, and http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Email info@mrpwebmedia.com or phone (905) 764-1246.