"You have permission to reprint what you just read. Use it in your ezine, at your website or in your newsletter. The only requirement is including following footer..."

*Article by Your Name. Visit www.YourWebsiteUrl.com for more original content like this.

If you're a web designer you can use this strategy too! Simply put a statement like that one above in your terms of use page. Something like this...

"These images can be used freely. Please include following at your site..."

*Some images at this site, courtesy of Your Name. For more original artwork for your website, visit www.YourWebsiteUrl.com.

Getting idea? See how this continually works to get you links? There are lots of websites in need of decent content. Supply it and you can benefit greatly - if you do it right!

2. Bribe webmasters into linking up.

Another strategy that can work very well is "bribe". In a nutshell, you simply give something of value away to anyone who links to your site.

There are lots of ways to do this, and you are limited only by your imagination. Here's an example...

Just a few days ago I set up a new niche directory at my site called Internet Marketer's Resource Directory. But rather than a run-of-the-mill directory, it's actually a link generation tool that bribes my visitors into linking to my site. It does this by offering two distinct rewards:

a. Marketers can get a free listing in directory - a link from my site to THEIR best Internet Marketing Resources.

b. When they reciprocate with a link back to my site, they get a free book.

If you want to have a peek at how this works, see: http://linksmanager.com/bizweb2000/

Now I'm not telling you about my directory to get you into it. That's already happening by itself. (My little niche directory has generated 100 new links in just three days.)

The message I want to get across today is this:

- Never stop looking for links

I've been marketing online for five years. But I never stop looking for ways to grow links into my site. And there are endless opportunities for ANY webmaster to do just that. You just have to use your imagination then ACT on your linking ideas.

And there are lots tools available for you to use. Heck, I found 69 indexing scripts just today at: http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/ Pick one and run with it!

And if you're not cgi inclined, there are also web services that can automate your link growth ideas. The one that runs my own little niche directory is called LinksManager and it does everything from directory creation, URL submission handling, email confirmations, and reciprocal link checking. The system even gives away free eBook when reciprocal links are verified.

No matter how you do it, start growing your links. And remember... last thing you want is NO strategy. That may leave you looking back a few years from now thinking, "If only I'd had a link strategy, I coulda' been a contenda." Start a solid strategy now and who knows, maybe someday your site will be a 900 lb. gorilla!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< End Quote

Thanks, Mike - great stuff.

Here are a few other tips to keep in mind:

Read fine print on submission pages. For example, by submitting to InternetDay , you're promising that "the Content has not been published before, in whole or in part, in any form."

Don't make editor weed through too much fluff at top to get to your article. Put your byline or bio information at bottom (the important stuff about you), as well as any re-print terms and conditions. Also, you may not want to be too particular about these terms. Your goal is to get published. If you place excessive restrictions on your article (e.g. "You must do this and that... blah... blah..."), then you're just begging to have editor hit "delete".

Try to make editor's job easier. I usually include something like this at top of submission:

----------------------------------------------- Title: "This is your catchy headline / title" #Words: 400 Creation Date: June 20, 2001 Written and Copyrighted 2001 by: Your Name Bio: Directly after article Reprint conditions: Bottom of this page Formatting: Text / No word wrap Author's Picture: http://LinkToPicture.com/picture.jpg -----------------------------------------------

You may not always know length requirements for any given publication before you submit. Therefore, you may want to include following line with submissions to big boys: "Article can be edited for length upon request." Mike asked me to chop off 250 words from one of my articles because it was too long. It got published (and ended up being better) because I offered to edit it beforehand.

Remember, your article is competing with many others for attention of an information-overloaded editor with a deadline. You need to think of your title as a headline. Any good copy writer will tell you headline is most important part of ad. If your title is weak, why would editor read article? For that matter, why would any one else read it, either? But remember what Mike said: "Stay away from gimmicks that belong in ad copy."

When you're ready to go for big time, here are a few high-visibility newsletters (along with subscription claims) that accept ebiz/marketing articles:

DEMC - 260,000 - http://www.demc.com/Writers/writers.html GazetteWorld - 250,000 - http://gazetteworld.com InternetDay - 100,000 - http://www.internetday.com/submit/ Clickz - 50,000 - http://www.clickz.com/submission/

If you don't think your expertise will appeal to these publications, you can list your articles with these free "general content" web sites:

http://www.ideamarketers.com/ http://www.ezinearticles.com http://www.egroups.com/group/Free-Content

Now don't just sit there - get writing! Good luck.

Wishing you much success...