With these three tips in mind, a successful e-mail subject line might read:

[Story Idea]: Linda, Here's a Tip for Your "Cooking with Linda" Column

That’s a heading that will stand head and shoulders above rest.

Here are a few more e-mail do’s and don'ts: Do:

* Make information you place in subject line short and to point. Often, reporter's e-mail software cuts off subject at only a few words.

* Don’t get cute or be too vague in your subject line. For example "Here’s a Great Story!" is vague and sounds like spam; "This Will Win You A Pulitzer!" will make you look silly (unless you’re delivering scoop of century, of course!).

* Try to make your most newsworthy points at top of your e- mail message - don't expect a reporter to scroll down to find news.

* Include your contact information, including cell phone, e-mail address, regular address, fax number & website URL at beginning and end of e-mail.

* Include a link to your website if you have additional information such as: photos, press releases, bios, surveys, etc.

Don’t:

* Include more than a short pitch letter or press release in body of your e-mail.

* Allow typos or grammatical errors.

* Include an attachment with your e-mail. In this day and age of sinister viruses, reporters automatically delete e-mail with attachments.

* Place following words (by themselves) in subject line: "Hi", "Hello" - media's spam filters will pounce and destroy.

* Send an e-mail with a blank subject line.

A cool tip: Use Google News (www.news.google.com) to search for recent stories that have appeared relating to your industry or field of interest. Then, e-mail reporter directly (use a subject line such as Re: Your July 5th piece on electric cars). Give positive feedback on story and let him know that, next time he’s working an electric car story, he should get in touch, as you’re an expert with provocative things to say. Give a couple of supporting facts to back up assertion, include your phone number and web link, and ask if he’d like to see a full press kit. This technique really works!

Poor Fit With Marketing Strategies

For some business models, including guest articles in a list of Web site marketing strategies does not make sense. For example, it can be counterproductive to include guest articles on Web sites where primary goal is to sell.

Service Web Sites

If goal is to generate direct sales and leads for your own services, it doesn’t make sense to dilute message and call to action with diversions. Karon Thackston explains:

"The purpose of my site is to get those in need of copywriting services and SEO copywriting services to contact me in order to do business. People who come to my Marketing Words site, http://www.marketingwords.com , are looking for information about copywriting. They are also looking to hire a copywriter."

Therefore, you will find only material written by Karon on her site.

Product Sales Sites

Some sites have a single goal: to sell product. Every page on site is devoted to product descriptions or copy designed to move a visitor toward a purchase. In these cases, where predominant call to action is "buy product," articles could hurt sales by diverting visitor attention away from products.

Visit your favorite online retail sites, and you are likely to find product descriptions, reviews, photos and other product-driven content - but little or no guest articles. Their absence on many e-commerce sites is an illustration of poor fit of such articles as a marketing strategy for those sites.

Understanding how different techniques support, or sabotage, Web site marketing strategies can be critical to a site’s success. Align your strategies with overall goals, and your business is more likely to flourish.