- By Jim Edwards

People crave bite-sized pieces of information online in the form of articles so they can quickly research and decide which topics to investigate further. Truth is, anyone can use article marketing to promote just about anything because article marketing rates as one of the most effective ways to generate traffic online.

However, the pivotal key to effective article marketing, the article title, usually receives the least attention. This lack of thought and attention seriously undermines the otherwise great results people could have gotten through article marketing with just a little more effort.

The following 7 keys should help every level of article marketer improve their titles, and therefore, massively improve their results.

Key # 1: The Article Title Is The Single Most Important Part

The fact is, a great title combined with an average article will outperform a bad title and great article! In the end, your title serves as the headline for the article, just like the headline for a sales page or advertisement. Your title grabs attention and lets people know the article is relevant to their needs and they should stop and read it right now.

Key # 2: Titles Should Contain The Main Keyword Phrase

You should know the #1 keyword phrases your audience searches for online and every article you write should center around one of those main keyword phrases. Also, every article title should contain one of those main keyword phrases. Why? Because it helps automated software that trolls for articles to find you and add you to content sites. It also helps you show up in the search engines when people search for that particular phrase. Most importantly, it lets people know instantly that your article is relevant and they should read it right now.

Key # 3: Titles Should Create Curiosity

A great headline gets people to say “Hmmm. That’s interesting. I wonder what that’s all about. Is there something good in there for me?” Remember: the #1 purpose of a headline is to get people to stop and read the first sentence of the article. Curiosity rates as the #1, proven way to get people to stop, drop what they’re doing, and start reading your article.

Key # 4: Titles Should Evoke Emotion

Emotion in the headline creates the urgency to push people into actually reading the article itself. Make people mad. Make them sad. Make them laugh. Make them afraid. But whatever you do, don’t bore them! Emotional involvement is the key to getting the most people to feel the need to read your article once you arouse their curiosity. Creating an emotional reaction starts with your article title.

Key # 5: Titles Make An Immediate Promise

“5 Specific Ways To Get Your House Sold Without an Agent” vs. “General House Selling Tips.”

Which is more compelling? The one that makes a specific, immediate promise for the results or information the reader wants. Make a promise of immediate results and specific information your target audience can use. Offer an inside “scoop” they wont’ find anywhere else in the form of secret tips or tricks. If you followed the first 5 keys in this article, this should actually be one of the easiest parts (making a promise). Just tell them you have what they want and all they need to do is read the article.

Key # 6: Titles Continue A Conversation

Everyone, especially online, has a conversation going on in their head at any given moment. It may be organized or disjointed, but everyone’s headed in a certain direction. When they look for information, they want the information they want – not what you think they shoud want.

That means using the words, phrases, and questions they use so they stop and say “Yeah! That’s what I’m looking for!?

Example: Someone wonders “How can I get my house sold without an agent and save the commission?” When they see article titles like “Thinking of Selling Without and Agent?” or “How To Sell Without An Agent” or “5 Specific Tips For Selling Without an Agent” – they pay attention. Article titles like “FSBO Tips” or “Home Selling Advice” will not continue that conversation nearly as well in the minds of potential readers.

Key # 7: Titles Should Lead To A Next Step

People aren’t stupid. They know you can’t solve all their problems in one article. They also realize (consciously or subconsciously) that your article is probably just one stepping stone along a path they must follow to reach their final goal. So ask yourself, ?What’s the next logical step they should take after this article??

Knowing that next step before you even write the article will help you lead them from the article title, through the body of the article, all the way to the resource box. Knowing the ?big picture? turns your article into one giant slippery slope that shoots the readers straight into your list and sales funnel with a win-win proposition!

For more complete information and a FREE video on WHY article marketing is the single best and most useful method for driving FREE Website traffic and how EASY it is for anyone to get started, no matter what you sell, visit: http://easyhowtovideos.com/article-marketing/

Jim Edwards is a 10 year veteran syndicated newspaper columnist who specializes in helping info-marketers and info-publishers maximize their results.

From Jim’s desk

It’s interesting how “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

In 1999, I put together my first screen capture video product.

It was a training for real estate agents called “The Online Real Estate Agent“.

I actually recorded the screen video to a SVHS (Super VHS) machine using a mixer form Radio Shack, a stick mic (I still have it) and a TV set with a scan converter hooked up to my laptop. (It was some super-geek setup, I’ll tell you that.)

Oh, and I did all the recording sitting on the floor of my TRAILER in the living room at the coffee table (because that’s where the only TV we owned sat and that part of the roof didn’t leak).

I had to make that first video perfectly in one take (it was 70 minutes long) because there was NO chance to edit or do over… it was all or nothing.

I then took that video and made copies using 3 VHS machines (which I got on sale at Target for $49 each) I had “daisy-chained” together in my “office” (which was the spare bedroom in my trailer).

So, in one weekend, I created a product to sell at the back of the room when I spoke to groups of real estate agents about how to set up and use their websites and do REALLY basic stuff online (like send emails of listing information, read PDFs, etc.).

I went on to sell about 100 copies of that product in 3 months for $49 each (hard cost was about $3 each) at the back of the room when I spoke.

That was roughly half of my less than $9,000 total personal income for the entire year (I generated LOT more revenue than that, but my business partner and I were spending a ton of money on equipment and needless overhead that was bleeding us dry).

The next screen capture video product I created in 2000 (for my new boss at a job I hated and lived in constant fear of being fired from) generated about $100,000.00 in total sales in 3-4 months. (I used “Lotus Screen Cam” to make this product.)

The next screen capture video product I made was with Yanik Silver in 2001. It generated well over $140,000.00 in sales and still sells to this day (I used the 30-day free trial for Camtasia by Techsmith to make this project… and every screen capture product since then).

The next major screen capture video product I made in 2003-2004 generated over $1,000,000.00 in sales.

Needless to say… by this time, I’d moved out of the trailer park

So here are a few takeaways from my little reminiscing session here about screen capture video.

1. I got damn good at making screen capture video by DOING it over and over (with nobody to teach me but ME).

2. As the technology improved the opportunities got better and faster.

3. It has NEVER been simpler to use screen capture video than it is right now (especially using the Camtasia software).

4. Screen capture video is MORE valuable today than it was 12 years ago because you can use it to do so many more things (like blogging, video marketing, video sales letters, product creation, mobile devices, and more).

5. Screen capture video is NEVER going away. It’s a core skill we all need, just like creating web pages or blogging.

So what’s the Bottom-Line for you?

a.. Get damn good at using Camtasia.

b.. You have to pay your dues by developing some skills (but you don’t have to do it one the floor of your trailer with no help).

c.. Dollar-for-dollar, Camtasia ‘s the best product / content / media creation software on the planet!

d.. Start using Camtasia to create products, blog content, sales videos and more.

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Now, in case you still have doubts, here’s an article I created FROM a screen capture video.

I edited the words I spoke into article form (below).

So not only can I use this content for “video marketing” with my video entitled “11 Ways To Use Screen Capture Video“, but I can now use that same content to distribute to article sites and get even more traffic and expert status.

Watch the video and read this article (below) right now to see what I mean

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9 Instant Uses for Screen Capture Video in Your Online Business
- by Jim Edwards

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As a follow up to a recent article on how small businesses can use screen capture video, I thought it appropriate to share even more options for putting the power of screen capture video to work online. Screen capture video truly is the fastest way to create content, training programs, and marketing materials for the online world.

1. Affiliate Promo Videos
One of the fastest ways to make money online is to sell other people’s products as an affiliate, and specifically sell other people’s software. Use screen capture video to demonstrate how to use the software, and then refer people through your affiliate link. You can also make “features and benefit videos” where you simply list off all the reasons someone should buy a product, and then refer them through your affiliate link.

2. Software Demonstrations
Use screen capture video to demonstrate your software as part of the sales process. If you don’t own software you can sell, you can still demonstrate how to get a specific result using virtually any software and then make money charging for the training you create.

3. PowerPoint
Use screen capture video to create PowerPoint Video sales Letters that massively shorten the sales copywriting process. You can also convert virtually any PowerPoint presentation used for offline training into an online tool using screen capture video.

4. Video Marketing
Posting videos to sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and other niche video sites makes a great way to get traffic, increase search engine ranking, and gain expert status. With Camtasia’s YouTube settings, you can create and upload effective online videos with just a few clicks.

5. Webinar Recordings
Webinars make a great option for businesses of any size to create content, sell products, and create goodwill in their niche. With screen capture video you can archive the action forever and use it for everything from free bonuses to paid home study courses and customer training.

6. Membership Site Content
Any business can benefit by creating exclusive, members-only content for their customers with screen capture video. Whether that content is free or paid, the relationships created can lead to profits for many years. Use this tool to create training on various topics, create website reviews, offer critiques for your members and more.

7. Blog Content
Blogging represents a double-edged sword. To get traction, you must publish to your blog regularly. But in a time-strapped world, finding the time for regular posting can rate extremely difficult. Use screen capture video to short-cut the process by quickly creating updates, sharing your opinions, or reviewing products.

8. Article Conversion
Article marketing works for any size business. The incoming links and credibility it creates far outstretch the time it takes to write and distribute articles. However, converting your articles into screen capture videos rates quick and easy, and allows you to combine video marketing with the power of article marketing. Simply create bullets from your article and put them into PowerPoint. Then, record the screen while reading the article as you advance through the bulleted presentation. Very simple, but oh so effective!

9. iPod / iPad Content
Camtasia allows you to create content for mobile devices. With the coming onslaught of mobile media devices, you can become a source of valuable content for your customers looking to use their mobile devices. Mobile devices represent an amazing opportunity to distribute content created with screen capture video.

Remember: if you can show it on your computer screen, you can record it and share it through the power of screen capture video. Let your mind run wild with the possibilities, but then get busy using the tool to build your business.

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“Your Camtasia ‘Quick & Dirty’ Survival Guide”

How To Use The Most Powerful Marketing and Product Creation
Software Ever Invented!

http://easyhowtovideos.com/camtasia-survival-guide/
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I just published a new article for my “Small Business Marketing Weekly” newspaper column on 5 ways to use screen capture video in your business right now.

You can read it in full right here:

“Screen Capture Video Puts Your Business In The Spotlight”

Enjoy!

Jim

I’ve just launched my new newspaper column (yes, published in REAL newspapers every week) called Small Business Marketing Weekly.

The column focuses on marketing issues faced by small businesses who want to get REAL results with their online marketing (not the pipe dream stuff the bizz-opp gurus are pushing – this is REAL).

We’ve published our first article “7 Pillars of Marketing a Local Business Online“ and you can read it here.

Enjoy!

Jim

My buddy, Michael Kiernan, has just launched his new blog on a subject that’s very near and dear to me – heart health.

Like me, Michael has a heart condition – though his is more severe than mine.

2 months ago, Michael died on a NY subway train… and stayed dead for 25 minutes. He was brought back to life through a combination of God’s grace, a good doctor sitting next to him (totally by chance) on the train, and a defib unit at the station.

Rather than sit around and whine about having a heart problem, he’s decided to do something about it and help others at the same time.

Michael’s new bog at http://healthyheartguy.com/blog/ is really cool… and I invite you to check out what he’s doing.

Make sure to watch the news video a local tv station did on him.

I’m really proud of Michael for doing this… so please check out his blog and tell him to keep up the great work!

Jim

Jim Edwards here with an article that details one of the
true "secrets" for succeeding online.

When I was starting out full time online some years ago, I
didn’t have anything: no list, no money (fresh out of
bankruptcy), no job.

I basically had a computer, Internet connection, some basic
skills, burning desire, and an idea for a product… that’s
it!

I quickly realized one of the things I desperately needed
was an email list (my own list) that I could develop a
relationship with and we could grow together.

Since buying a list was out of the question, I realized I
needed to "grow" one myself. (I found out later it was a
blessing in disguise, because any list you buy isn’t
NEARLY as good as one you "grow" yourself!)

So I used a technique to build that list which turned out to
be one of the best things ANYONE can do to succeed online…
I created a kick-butt "Mini-Course!"

In the article below, I lay out 5 tips that will help you
start down the same road I took by using simple email
messages loaded into an autoresponder… to generate tons
of subscribers and a flood of website traffic any time you
want it.

Enjoy!

Jim

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5 Tips To Create A Kick-Butt Mini-Course
That Pulls In Thousands of Rabid Subscribers!

© Jim Edwards – All Rights Reserved
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One of the fastest ways to develop, build, and grow your own
list of subscribers is to develop a "mini" course with an
incredibly compelling promise. 

I have personally used "mini" courses to build lists of
several thousand subscribers in as little as a week. 

A "mini" course is simply a series of e-mail’s where you
teach people a specific skill, set of skills, or reveal
other information they really want to know. 

In the process of providing this focused, valuable
information, you prove to your subscribers that you are THE
expert in a particular area – and, you also encourage people
to pay you to get even BETTER information from ebooks and
information products you’ve either written or recommend.
 
An example of a "mini" course offer I’ve used with great
success is the free mini course at www.7dayebook.com that
appears in the exit pop up window when you leave the site.

The promise of this "mini" course is strong and compelling.
Here’s what it says…

         FREE eBook Mini-Course
         "How to Write and Profit from your own eBook…
         while you’re still young enough to enjoy it!"

All the registration page asks for is first name and email
address… and this mini-course has generated thousands of
subscribers!

So here’s the basic formula in a nutshell:
Strong promise+ low risk + high perceived reward = Subscribers

Now, if you’d like to build your own list of rabid
subscribers, here are 5 sure-fire tips for creating a mini-
course that truly kicks butt!

Tip #1 – The Promise

If you want to launch a successful mini-course, target an
audience with a specific need and then make them the biggest
possible promise you can deliver on.

People are pressed for time and rarely see as much value in
something they get for free as opposed to something they pay
a lot of money for.

Add to this the fact that the Internet gets more and more
crowded everyday and you can see that the best offers are
the ones that grab people’s attention by making a benefit-
driven promise they can’t resist.

Even though you offer your mini-course for free, you still
must SELL people on WHY they should pay you with their time
and attention.

Example: If you want to do a mini-course on real estate
investing, look for the biggest and best promise you can
make for people.

Let’s look at these various promises for identical mini-
course content:

Good: How to make a fortune in foreclosures.

Better: How to find and buy a profitable foreclosure within
2 weeks.

Best: How to find and buy a profitable foreclosure property
in your area within 2 weeks – using none of your own money!

** The promise you make has everything to do with whether or
not people sign up. IMPORTANT: After they sign up, make sure
you deliver on the promise.

Tip #2 – Don’t reinvent the wheel

Look for existing content – your own or other people’s – you
can adapt directly or indirectly into the mini-course.

Hey, I understand you’re busy… I’m busy too!

Why would you want to spend 2 days coming up with all the
content for your mini-course if you already have past
information you can adapt!?

If you don’t have any existing material, then find someone
else who has written an article and use that for part of
your mini-course – with their *permission* of course!

You’d be surprised at all the pieces of the puzzle that are
out there independently which you could combine into a great
mini-course without nearly the mountain of effort you might
expect.

Tip #3 – Give yourself lots of chances to make money

One way to build more value into your mini-course and make
sure people hang onto your messages instead of deleting them
is to put lots of quality links into your mini-course.

This allows people to get additional information on specific
aspects of the mini-course.

Some of those links can be to free resources, others to
resources where you earn an affiliate commission, and still
others to your own products and services.

The more links you have that actually contribute to your
students learning the subject of your mini-course and
fulfilling the promise you made to get them to sign up, the
better your chances of them clicking those links.

If you create lessons people save for future reference
because they have great links in them, you’ll make more
money!

For an example look no further than your "in-box"! Almost
everybody has email messages they’ve saved from other people
because they contain links to sites you want to use now or
access in the future.
 

Tip #4 – Build anticipation for the next message

If you’re going to take the time to put together the mini-
course, wouldn’t it be great of the majority of people who
subscribed actually read your messages!?

If you want to launch a successful mini-course, you’ve got
to rise ABOVE the noise of all the other email messages
people receive every single day.

One way to do this is to always end each lesson with a small
"ad" or excitement builder for the next message. You do this
by really playing up a big benefit they’ll receive as a
result of reading the next message you promise to send them.

Here’s an example:

"The next and final installment in this mini-course will
give you five tips for how to get 10,000 visitors to your
website without spending a dime on pay-per-click traffic! So
stay tuned for the next lesson in 2 days…"

It’s a simple, yet very powerful way to build anticipation
for the next message into EVERY message you send.

This simple step helps make them look forward to the next
message so it gets read… not trashed!

Tip #5 – Tell them what they don’t know!

If you’re using the mini-course to promote a product that
covers a much "bigger picture" of the topic as a whole,
constantly remind people that the mini-course is just a
"tiny piece" of the whole product.

Remind them of what else they need to know and tell them if
they buy the product then they’ll get this benefit, and that
benefit, and even more specific information.

Remember, you didn’t publish this mini-course to practice
your typing skills! You are in this to make money, to get
subscribers, and to make sales!

Once you deliver quality content that gives people a real
taste of what’s in store when they actually purchase, then
it’s time to close the sale… you deserve it!

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website or affiliate links…

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Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
"Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving
Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate
links… without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
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Jim Edwards here with an article and video that will save
you a TON of time and effort between now and the end of
summer!

 "Free ‘Short-Keys’ Save You 5-10 hours typing per week!"

 => http://coolsiteweekly.com/free-short-keys.html

Do you spend a lot of time on email or other repetitive
typing activities?

Want to cut down the time you spend on email by 90% or more?

I’ve just published an article and video for my newspaper
column that should get you really excited!

In this "Cool Site Weekly" article and video I reveal the
FREE program everyone in my office uses to save time and
avoid mistakes when typing emails and responding to customer
service inquiries.

Why is this software so cool?

#1 – It’s free!

#2 – It eliminates wasted time typing the text over & over!

… We LOVE this software!

=> http://coolsiteweekly.com/free-short-keys.html

This article will help you save a lot of time you can use to
build your business… instead of practicing your typing
skills!

To your success,

Jim Edwards

PS – The software, article and video are all free… and
they’ll save you a TON of time… check it out now…

While you’re on my blog, feel free to comment about the
video, software and article

=> http://coolsiteweekly.com/free-short-keys.html