5 Things I Learned From Writing 1000 Articles (And My First 1,000,000 Readers)

I’m going to start this article off with a short but honest confession:
When I first started writing articles as a way to generate traffic, and build my brand, my blog and my business… I truly had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be as easy as some of the “gurus” made it appear.
I thought that my years of business and communication writing had prepared me for what I thought would be the PERFECT process for me. After all, after years of running a high energy office that sapped my spirit and wore me out… if all I had to do NOW, was sit down, drink some coffee, do a little bit of keyword research and then pound on the keyboard for a few hours a day to make money, that was a business model I could FULLY embrace.
Of course, as we all know, fact, fiction and fantasy are interchangeable lines in the online marketing world that are often blurred for a reason (or said differently, what I expected, and what I experienced, are 2 very different things!)
The GOOD news?
If you like to create content, and have a PASSION and a sense of purpose about your work, you CAN make a profit in just about any and every niche under the sun.
I’m going to share with you the TOP 7 lessons I learned after writing 1000 articles (today I’m well north of 6000, just on one directory alone) and many millions of readers, in more niches, markets, pen names and product promotions than I can count.
1 – QUANTITY Counts. Yes, it’s great to create high quality articles, and yes that should ALWAYS be your goal. But quantity counts, too… and that’s something the article marketing “experts” will never share. Why? Because quantity involves WORK. And consistency. And creativity. And that’s something that most aspiring online entrepreneurs don’t want to hear.
2 – Your NICHE Matters:
The law is, the MORE competition, the better it is for content creators. Stay away from micro niches and small obscure markets where no one else is publishing but you. (there is a reason they’re obscure, and financially, content marketing is NOT optimal for microfiches)
3 – The CATEGORY you publish in is important, too.
In one of my first content campaigns, moving from a small subset category of the larger category into the larger category itself… generated an increase of about 100K readers in just about 60 days. The content was basically the same both times.
The category shift moved me from the little lake to the expansive ocean from the standpoint of exposure!
4 – Keywords are Over-rated
Just create compelling content that cajoles the click, open or makes what YOU have to say stand out in the sea of sameness where most marketers swim. I’d much rather use a BIG promise in a title, or frame my article in an entertaining or curious way, rather than think about how to incorporate a keyword that some online tool tells me is important.
5 – Reward with Your Resource Box
I’m going to tell you something that SHOULD be obvious, but unfortunately… for many people, it’s not. There is a BIG difference between getting 1 million people to read your article, and 1 million people to visit your website. In truth, only about 20% of the people in my example above visited my actual website after reading the article. (the percentage of people who “clicked through” so to speak) The only thing that matters, all touchy feely stuff aside, is that people who read your article, actually are curious enough, and engaged enough, to want to learn more about you after they’re done.
The BEST way to compel, cajole and “coerce” the click is to offer a reward.
Something of value that speaks to the sense of urgency, or inspiration, or education that the reader is ready to pursue.
What NOT to do?
Your bio isn’t a reward! Your credentials, or history, or personal story may sound interesting to you… but it won’t lead to traffic, and if you are counting on your content to convert into cash… it won’t allow you to parlay your PASSION, into profit as well!