Last night Denise and I spoke with Jeff Herring’s (The Article Guy) teleseminar group about differences with article writing, blog posts, and ezine content. Admittedly there is a lot to write when you want to get known on the web, and it can be confusing to newbies.
Let’s break it down. First, you definitely want to be writing on a blog. This is the fast track for getting found by the people who share common interests with you.
And you want to write and submit articles to article directories so that others can find and read your stuff.
Denise and I agree that an article is written in a little different style than a blog post. An article will discuss a problem, expand it, then look at possible solutions. You may wish to include a personal story to illustrate the problem or solution. You may also want to include some statistics or research
to validate what you say. For the purposes of article directory submissions, 500 to 700 words are ideal.
A blog post will usually be shorter, 200-300 words, but there are no rules. We suggest for longer posts breaking it up and using the extended post feature. You deliver blog posts in a conversational
manner, asking for feedback and input. Get directly to the point and don’t meander or expand. In some cases, I like to use strong emotional words to get people involved. In a blog post, you can link out to other resources and statistics where people can do their own research.
Finally, we were asked if someone were starting out on the Web, would we recommend doing a blog first, or an ezine. We both chimed in "A blog!" And it’s not because we are The Blog Squad and offer blogging services and consulting. I also run a newsletter service, so I am a champion for ezines.
But for people new to Internet marketing and writing for the web you can get the most bang for your buck by writing on a blog.
We are big fans of repurposing articles and using them in several ways: blog posts, directory submissions and ezine content. Sometimes it is worth rewriting the article so that it is more appropriate. We will often start an article in one of our ezines, and then give a link where readers can read the entire article over on one of our blogs. This keeps the ezine content short and compact.
To see examples, subscribe to Savvy eBiz Tips a weekly ezine with marketing tips, and to Newsletter Nuggets, all about ezines.
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