Article Marketing Savvy: Are All Article Submission Services Created Equal?

Is article marketing a significant part of your web marketing strategy? If so, then the article submission service you choose is crucial.

It may be tempting to choose the one that costs the least or has the flashiest website. However, this would be like buying a car simply because it's your favorite color or because the dealership offers you a free television. The product itself may not be worth the price.

All content submission services, in reality, are not created equal. Just like any product that you buy, you'll be able to find multiple "brands" and varieties. You'd never buy the first house or computer that you looked at. Neither should you sign up with the first content distribution service you stumble across. Always shop around.

How, exactly, do you determine which article submission service will provide the most bang for your buck? Comparing features and benefits is a good place to start. The most important ones to consider when you compare are:

1) How many publishers will an article distribution service distribute your articles to? An effective content marketing strategy dictates that you get your article out to as many publishers as possible. One service provider may upload your content to 100 publishers. Another may submit it to 300. This should play a role in determining which company to use.

2) Are your articles reaching their intended destinations? Directories come and go, literally, on a weekly basis. New ones keep emerging while old ones sometimes fold.

How old is the list of directories that your service sends content to? A list that's older than a few months could already be outdated. Your service may claim to send your article to 300 directories. However, a list that's too old may mean that 20 of those directories don't even exist anymore. You, the consumer, will not get what you paid for in this case.

3) Does the company follow up on submissions? Most article submission services submit articles electronically. Sometimes e-glitches occur as a result. Articles may not end up at their intended destinations. Will the service follow up on these "glitches" and submit your article manually if this occurs?

Sometimes other errors occur. For example, content may not be formatted in the way a publisher wants. Again, this requires follow-up and possible manual submission. Will your service do this for you?

4) How will your article submission service communicate with you after you order? When you hand over your credit card information, you are trusting that your service provider will do what you're asking. Otherwise, you're losing your money. How will you know that you're receiving what you've paid for?

A reputable business will provide you with reports on the status of your submissions. Once the submission process is completed, will your service provider alert you? Will your service provider let you know if there were issues with any of the submissions? Will they let you know when those issues get resolved? Open, detailed and regular communication should always be part of what you pay for.

You may have noticed that "cost" isn't on this list. That's because cost is relative, and not all services are created equal. The more benefits a particular article submission service offers, the more they'll probably charge.

Decide which ones are most important to you and then pay what is necessary to get the best possible results. It's probably worth paying a little bit more to get the best possible results that meet your specific needs.