What does it take to become successful in the Article Marketing Business? Are there any "short cuts" to a profitable business in Article Marketing? You need an answer to these questions if you want to make a living in Article Marketing. I will provide you with the answers as I see them and give you the 3 things that I think are absolutely required to achieve success.

I have read a great deal of information on Article Marketing and some would have you believe that Article Marketing is one of the easiest ways to earn an income online. While it is not as easy as some would make it sound, it isn't rocket science either. If you want to become successful in Article Marketing you need to plan out an article marketing strategy and execute it as best you can. You need to maximize you earning potential by making use of the tools necessary for a successful Article Marketing business. Here you will find the top 3 tools as I see it to earn your living in Article Marketing.

1.) You must have Products
Without products you simply have no earning potential at all. There are three paths that you might take when choosing products. First, you could take the time to research a subject and write your own product for promotion. Second, could buy a Private Label Product (PLR) with full resale rights, make it your own and sell it. Third, you could join Clickbank or Commission Junction and choose a product to promote as an affiliate.

The first option, creating a product on your own takes a little time and may not be for the young article marketer. However, I do recommend that you do this as soon as possible. Marketing your on product guarantees you maximum profit.

Option number 2, purchasing a Private Label Product with full resale rights and making it your own is a good option. The drawback to this lies in the fact that you are going to have to either lay out your hard earned cash for the product or use one of the hundreds of "free" PLR products that are being used by a multitude of other marketers.

For the beginning Article Marketer who is on a shoestring budget there is the third option. Affiliate marketing a product from Clickbank or Commission Junction costs absolutely nothing to join. You only have to pay if you want to be a publisher and have affiliates of your own. These sites have hundreds if not thousands of products that have already been developed, cost nothing, and have decent conversion rates.

2.) You NEED Your Own Website

To truly see the profit in Article Marketing you need your own website. In my opinion one of the most important and indispensable tools in Article Marketing is a website where you can place your "squeeze page." Customers are driven to your website through your article writing. There they are offered a free gift product in exchange for their name and e-mail address and then sent on to your affiliate link You are now list building. It has been said that "the list" is the most important thing in internet marketing of any kind. I will tell you honestly that that statement is the truth. The list is why we article market in the first place. You can then use your list to e-mail market other products.

Keep your website clean, neat, and easy to navigate. Flash intros, shockwave, and all the other bells and whistles belong on your private website. In a market where you have literally seconds to capture the interest of a visitor less is most definitely more.

2.) Give Away a Product

Most people by nature want something for nothing. The best way to appeal to that part of human nature is to give away a product on your website. It does not have to be something elaborate or high dollar. You could write a simple 10 page report on the subject that you are writing your articles about. Offer it to your visitors in exchange for their name and e-mail address.

Always set your autoresponder to confirm any subscriptions to your list. Let the prospect know in the conformation e-mail that they will be sent a link to the product offered as soon as they respond to the conformation e-mail. This ensures that anyone who wants the product will be added to your list. Those who choose not to confirm do not get the product. Honestly if they are not willing to confirm to get the product then you don't want them on your list anyway.

3) Inbound Links

Inbound links to a website and are important for search engine optimization. Search engines use the number of inbound links as a way of determining where a website will rank. The number of inbound links is important as is the quality of sites that link to your site.

One of the best ways to get quality inbound links is Article Marketing. Not only will you gain exposure and credibility in your particular niche you will have free advertising. Simply include a link back to your website in your resource box. Make your articles original, useful, and relevant to your topic and websites may decide to post them. Submitting your article to more directories will increase the chance that his will happen.

I have discussed three of the most important tools that can be used in Article Marketing to maximize profit potential. The possibilities are endless in this field and are governed only by the creativity of you, the Article Marketer.