Spin Those Articles, But Thoughtfully

For those who just happened to stumble onto this article and are starting from the very beginning, I'll begin with a brief answer to the question:  What is the point of article spinning?

When we use article spinning, it is so that we can get added value from the effort that we put into creating a good example of Internet content.  We want avoid having the same article's publication on a large number of sites, due to the fact that content that is too similar won't benefit anyone involved in the distribution and consumption chain.  The prospective readers do not want to repeatedly find the very same article, the publishers risk receiving no value from a duplicate article since the search engines attempt not to list the same content multiple times in any search results and we online marketers, in turn have a substantially decreased liklihood of getting all of the traffic or search engine optimization value through our links that we might have otherwise received. 

Content or article spinning is really nothing more than rewriting the article multiple times...except that it is a lot easier, although still somewhat time consuming.  What we actually do is rewrite the content one chunk at a time.  The size of the chunk that you rewrite at one time, is up to you as you prepare for spinning.  We essentially provide alternatives for each of those "chunks" from which a software program will randomly select.  We can offer alternatives for entire paragraphs, for complete sentences, for phrases of a few words or for separate words. 

A technique that most good spinning software options permit is called nested spinning.  That is simply placing alternatives within other alternatives.  As an example of this, let's say that my original sentence is, "I love my new brown coat."  I may decide to write two alternatives for that sentence.  One alternative might be, "I certainly enjoy the brown coat that I recently purchased."  Another option might be to break the original into a couple sentences in this fashion:  "I have a new coat that I really enjoy.  It's a dusty brown."  So the computer will randomly choose one of those three alternatives for a given version of my article.

In order to use nested spinning, I give you an example using just the third alternative, although I could nest additional choices into any or all of the three options.  Let's say that I decide to let the computer select either "really enjoy" or "like immensely."  Furthermore, perhaps I can change "dusty brown" to "muted shade of brown" in some cases.

The more alternatives you provide for the computer software, the more versions you will have that are sufficiently different from each other.  Many article marketers believe that the versions should differ from each other by at least 20%, some say 25%, and I usually shoot for a minimum factor of uniqueness of around 30% to 35%.  (I use additional software to measure this factor.

Here are the two best ways to maximize your spinning efforts.

Method 1:  Rewrite every paragraph one time (two would be even better).  Now, using nesting, rewrite each sentence in each of the alternatives one time.  Finally, in the first two or three paragraphs and in the last paragraph, add another level of nesting so that you provide many of your words with alternative synonyms and/or rearrange the wording of a number of the phrases.

Method 2:  Rewrite every sentence in the article at least one time.  Add a third alternative sentence for each sentence in the first two or three paragraphs and the final paragraph.  Apply the first level nesting to selected individual words and phrases in the first three and the final paragraph.

The first approach is better, especially if you have a high standard of uniqueness that you want to achieve or if you want to generate a large number of unique articles.  While not as thorough, the second method is faster to prepare.

If you outsource your spinning to a qualified article spinning service, I suggest that you be certain that the spinners, who may also be willing to write the base (or seed) article for you, will strictly adhere to these broad recommendations.  Indeed, consider sending the spinning company a link to this article.

Your New Online Business: Positioning

If you are in the midst of starting an Internet business, the last thing that you want is to add to your "to do" list. However there is something that requires your attention during these early stages of business development.

Basically a marketing position identifies your unique place in your niche. The key word here is unique. What makes your enterprise different from your competitors? What features and benefits do you offer your target market that the other players don't?

-Client Service - Almost any enterprise you can think of boasts that they have good service. However, consider how many you've patronized who don't live up to those promises. The first step in making quality service a part of your unique position is to fulfill everything you promise. However, you still must identify for the customer what makes your serviceoffer special. Perhaps you have 24/7 live help; perhaps you have next day shipment or they receive their shipping free. Find something that makes your business stand out in this regard.

 

-Features and Benefits - Identify clearly what it is that you stress in your business operations or with your products or services. Maybe you are a "full service" attorney or you specialize in problems just like theirs. Possibly you offer more size options of your clothing lines than any other Internet store.

-Price Point - Not everyone can offer the lowest prices and still make a profit. But you must be certain to convince your prospect that your products and services are worth whatever it is that you charge.

-Negative Features - People probably find some things at your competitors annoying. Maybe they feel that they have to wait too long to get an answer to their questions. If that's a good angle for you, try not phrasing it as a special positive feature, but frame it as a negative that they don't have to worry about with your business. For example, you might say, "You'll never have to wait for an answer to your questions with us."

-Authority - Some businesses like to brag about their long history. If your business is new, you need to find a different way to establish your credentials. Perhaps you might say that you bring fresh ideas to your industry or niche. Adding logos from recognizable, trusted sources helps as well. Join the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Work to obtain the endorsement of a magazine or a professional organization. Display those endorsements prominently. Plan for the future by soliciting testimonials.

-Etc. - Literally anything that differentiates you from your competitors can be part of your positioning strategy - your clever URL, your hours of live help, the way your site looks. Small business owners need to think creatively here.

Proper and effective positioning is important from the day that you open your website for business. Traffic to your website is a precious resource. You must be certain that your unique position is visible and clear as soon as that first potential customer arrives. After all, you need that person to return time after time. You'll have time later to worry about other aspects of your continuing online business development, but the time is now for clear positioning.

Marketing Online, The Obama Way

During his presidential bid, Barack Obama showed his skillful internet marketing techniques.

Obama looked better on the Web than John McCain, and that was enough to earn him the title of Mr. President.

Historians often credit John F. Kennedy’s presidential win over Richard Nixon in 1960 to the fact that Kennedy simply looked more comfortable on television. Nixon was too stiff. Kennedy was very composed and confident. He carries himself like a real president.

In the 2008 election, the Internet was television. And Obama looked a whole lot more comfortable dealing with and wielding Web technology than his opponent ever did.

McCain never did seem to understand just how important the online world was. Obama had reached out to the young voters of the United States through sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. He motivated them to make donations, buy shirts, distribute car stickers and Obama buttons to everybody.

Now that he’s president, Obama is still relying on the Web and its social networking sites. Have you seen his moves for the new health insurance regulations. Obama is posting regularly on his Twitter account to get his supporters to write letters to their local newspapers and to attend pro-reform rallies.

An Internet-obsessed world

All this adds up in today’s Internet-focused world. Obama became an internet celebrity as the presidential campaigns went on. McCain just couldn't be at par with him. Of course, Obama isn’t the only person who knows a thing or two about the power of Internet marketing.

What does all this have to do with your personal training business?

Everything.

No matter our politics, we can all learn one thing from Barack Obama: If you want to be truly heard today, you need to focus more than ever on Internet marketing.

You want to attract new clients, right? You need a regular influx of new trainees to keep you business running, especially in these financially slumped times. Going the traditional way of marketing will still tap potential clients: newspaper ads, flyers on the go, and radio and TV spots.

But if you want to attract the attention of young people, the same people who helped push Obama over the top in his presidential bid, you’ll need to become a pro at using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube. These are the sites that young people visit. And some of them visit these sites religiously.

Using the Internet to draw in clients

Post tweets on your Twitter account about any specials you’ll be running this month. Advertise your new yoga classes on your Facebook page. Have a friend who’s good with a video camera create homemade advertisements for your personal training business that you can then post on YouTube. You can use your MySpace page to advertise a referral promotion where you give existing clients a coupon for free coffee for every new client they bring to your business. The promotional opportunities on the social networking sites are limited only by how creative you are.

Best of all, advertising on these sites is free. You could be possibly like most business proprietors today who do not have surplus funds. Free marketing is a truly a blessing from the internet.

Just don’t forget to promote your blogs, Twitter pages and Facebook site. This whole thing would be pointless if nobody really gets to see it.

 

So next time you find yourself complaining that an Obama press conference is pre-empting your favorite sitcom, remind yourself of one thing: This president, whether you like him or hate him, can teach you a lot about effective Internet marketing.

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