Ezines, electronic magazines, have been a distribution method online as long as there have been connections between computers. Writing a regular ezine or newsletter can be a powerful marketing tool, but not every business owner has the time to produce regular content in-house. Freelance writers can produce articles for ezines, usually at no cost, as a means of establishing their own expertise in the field. Since these free web articles benefit the marketing of both the web writer and the business newsletter producer, article clearinghouse web sites have sprung up to match ezines with articles.
Writing Articles Establishes Expertise
Being able to point to published articles is a solid way for any writer to prove his or her skill. Developing a body of articles on a particular subject demonstrates a depth of knowledge that many customers paying for web writing will require. Ezine articles generally include a byline that links to the author's web site, so the more widespread the distribution of the articles, the more exposure, and ideally credibility, the writer's work will receive.
Develop a Viral Marketing Strategy for Writing
As the need for regularly produced newsletters and ezines grows in the business community, so too have the article clearinghouse web sites risen to the challenge. Freelance writers are now able to post articles online at such sites as EzineArticles.com, granting permission for those articles to be reproduced freely so long as the original authorship material (the "resource box") remains intact. Ezine producers are able to search for relevant content to keep their clients and prospects engaged, and freelance web writers increase exposure to their work.
Understand Keyword Writing
Ezine articles are more likely to be picked up and reproduced if they support the ezine or newsletter with well-chosen keywords. Ezines are reproduced on web sites, blogs, and rss feeds, and each article should have keywords that draw readers in to read the entire ezine. Entrepreneurs that are web-savvy will select articles for their ezines with specific keywords in mind. Writers focusing on a particular industry should use keyword analysis tools like the Google Keyword Tool to select the keywords that are most appealing. This type of killer web copy can quickly establish a strong writing reputation.
Develop Ezine Writing Relationships
Although trolling the internet for good ezine content may be easier than writing it, some companies may prefer to use a select number of regular, contributing article writers to guarantee a volume of well-written articles for each issue. Whether or not a regular writing relationship is paid or free depends upon the perceived value of the content provided for the ezine. Smaller businesses may be less willing to pay, but establishing a reputation through one or more smaller ezines will make breaking into a paid ezine article writing gig a much smoother process.
