| By :
Steve Shaw
When you're writing articles for article marketing, the temptation can be to focus all of your creative energy on the article itself and then just slap together a makeshift resource box at the last minute. Remember--the resource box is every bit as important as the article, so you should also focus your attention in that area. The article is where you "give" (to the reader), and the resource box is where you get to "take" (in the way of encouraging the reader to go to your website), so why would you pass up the opportunity to reap the full rewards of article marketing? I see loads of resource boxes every day, and some are definitely better than others. I want to help you get the most benefit from your articles as possible, so I've put together a list of tips that cover the most common areas of confusion with resource boxes. These 10 tips will help you avoid the most common resource box slip-ups: Tip #1: Resist the urge to just put a link in the resource box with nothing else. Every resource box should include your author name, a short bio (why should the reader regard you as an expert in your topic?), and incentive to click through to your website and a link to your website. Tip #2: With a text resource box, keep your URL to 60 characters or less. The reason for this is that URLs over 60 characters are more easily broken. If you have a super long URL, consider using a HTML resource box. Tip #3: With a HTML resource box, do not use complete sentences or your name as the anchor text. Remember, in the HTML resource box your anchor text should be your keyword phrase(s). Limit anchor text to 3 words (unless you are using a long tail keyword phrase). There is no need to use your name as anchor text. Tip #4: Test your links to be sure that they work! This is one easy way to catch a broken link before the article is published. Tip #5: A link to your website is all the contact info you need to provide in your resource box. There is no need to include your email, phone number, mailing address, etc. If someone wants that info, they should be able to find it at your website. The idea is to get folks to click through to your site rather than to contact you by different means. Tip #6: Limit your links--don't put a link to every single site you own, but rather choose one or two links to use. Tip #7: Give your readers a reason to click the link in your resource box. What do you have waiting for them back at your site? Why should they click? Tell your readers what they have to gain by clicking to your site. Writing an effective resource box is an art in itself, but when you take the time to include all the elements that I mentioned above, it's really pretty simple. Remember that your resource box is not a throw-away area, and it is not just a place to put a link. It is the one spot in your article submission where you can speak directly to your readers about yourself and your business and lure them back to your site. Take some extra time to craft your next resource box--you will be rewarded!
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