I've seen far too many people than I care to tell you who publish a few articles on the web, see no tangible results and call it quits. This is NO way to establish your presence in the online world.

If you're going to do something, do it right and do it all the way, or don't do it at all. It's no fluke that I got my copywriting web site, Wordfeeder.com, on page one of Google for my selected keyword phrase. You can do the same, simply by developing a marketing plan that you follow diligently each and every month.

The preliminaries:

Before you can begin selling using articles as your capture mechanism and an ezine as your chief communication vehicle, you should have an information product ready to market and sell. It could be an ebook, e-course sent via email, private web site membership, mp3 recording of a tutorial, teleclass, or other item.

Create a product yourself if you're graphically gifted and web-savvy, or purchase one from a service provider such as a copywriter, designer or a combination of both. Your product should be informative, useful, compelling, feature a strong and unique selling proposition, and appear sleek and professional.

The plan:

Gather the following elements of your complete web marketing system:

1. An HTML-designed ezine template that matches your current branding and is email-ready (should be no wider than 600 pixels across).

2. A list management and/or shopping cart service. I use KickstartCart.com but it's worth researching this on your own or asking a trusted web expert for their recommendations. NEVER run an ezine from your own email box. That's a great way to get your IP accidentally blacklisted as a spammer.

3. Someone to manage monthly mailings, copy and paste your content and click SEND. I myself provide this service to a select few copywriting clients. You can manage your ezine yourself if you have the time and inclination, or hire someone to devote a few hours per month to compiling and sending your ezine out.

4. Fresh, original ezine content every month. Think articles, quizzes, promotions, surveys, tidbits, Q&A, resources, etc. You can have your ezine manager create this content, you can find it on article directories like EzineArticles.com, or you can write it yourself, depending on your budget, mood, schedule and so forth.

5. At least two additional, original articles per month. The additional articles will serve as part of your article marketing campaign. The purpose of the campaign: to capture, communicate, and then close the sale (very gradually - these prospects are warm, not hot and therefore it takes several encounters before you'll get a bite or a referral).

The process:

You will "capture" a new contact name and email address each time a potential customer notices your article on another person's web site. Of course, the future customer can't find you if you don't put it out there - so make sure that you submit articles to the number one article directory, EzineArticles.com, as well as to several niche-specific, high-quality sites, each and every month. This is why you need the fresh articles - to keep new prospects funnelling in as old ones drop off the list.

The actual email address capture happens at the bottom of your article. You will place a link there that directs readers to your ezine sign-up page. For an idea of what to write that will gently urge your readers to sign up, go to the bottom of this article and read my Wordfeeder.com author sig line.

You will "communicate" with your target customers once or twice per month in your ezine, sharing a personal greeting, inside tips that they won't be able to find on the outside, and other coveted goodies. Every so often (but not too often), include a special promotion that offers your readers an incentive to purchase the aforementioned information product or membership that you created.

If you're not sure what I mean, sign up for my ezine at the bottom of this article and observe the types of mailings I send out on a regular basis. Explore ezines from different marketers so that you can understand exactly how this works.

You will "close the sale" every time one of those warm prospects who reads your monthly mailings and has come to know and love you, clicks BUY NOW on the info product you advertised (see preliminaries section at the top for a quick reminder).

Again, in order to make this ezine and article marketing strategy work, you need:

1. a steady stream of original articles on your topic of expertise - at least two per month.

2. a complete ezine system including design, list management service and a human to run it.

3. an information product that you invented (oh and you also need a sales letter page in HTML that tells all about your product and links to your shopping cart services's order page).

Additionally, it's important to maintain a trust-based relationship with the person who manages your ezine. This individual must learn to adapt your "voice", embrace your teaching principles and essentially BECOME you in your ezine. If you don't feel that's happening or if you feel your ezine doesn't reach out and create a bond with your readers that will lead to future sales, then you have every right to start searching for a new service provider.

Good luck marketing like real internet professionals do it! I know you'll be a smashing success. :)

Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.