Now that you’re getting your articles up on some high profile site you need to be able to take advantage of the traffic those sites see. The best way to take advantage of the traffic possibilities is to create a compelling resource box (sometimes known as author’s box)
Right up front I’ll admit, I’m not the best resource box writer in the world. However, I do have some tips you can use to play around and see what you come up with.
The tips I would share regarding articles posted to article directories are a little different than the resource box you want to write for a high profile content site. While in article directories your main objective is to just get the click to your site, in a high profile content post you want to also begin to build trust and relationship.
Yes… in a little tiny resource box. 
So you want to tell them a little about yourself, so they can connect with you, but you STILL want to make sure there’s something in it for them to get them to click through.
Here’s my resource box from my recent guest post about Making It Mandatory
Jackie Lee is a full time work at home mom who, in between raising a preschooler, chickens, and her own groceries, helps people who are ready to help themselves figure out the steps to really make money online. If you’d like to know more about the book that inspired her ‘aha’ moments you can read more on her Internet Marketing Strategy blog.
Here I’ve told a little about myself, so people can get a feel for who I am, what I do and if they will connect with me on some level.
I also wanted to send them directly to my review of What’s Holding You Back.
I was asked to create an author’s box for this site that would be my default. I don’t want to use the part about learning more about the book ~ because that won’t make sense on any other post. Here’s more of what I was thinking for my main author’s box.
Jackie Lee is a full time work at home mom who, in between raising a preschooler, chickens, and her own groceries, helps people who are ready to help themselves figure out the steps to really make money online. If you’re ready for something more and have a couple hours a day, grab the FREE 2 Hour Blueprint and get started creating your internet marketing success story.
Let’s break down what I’ve done here:
1. Introduced myself.
2. Given some information (in just a few words) that really describes who I am.
3. Gave information on who I’m talking to, and who I want to work with.
4. Gave a call to action ~ with some specifics.
5. Pointed them to a squeeze page to get them on my list.
6. Pointed them to a post on my blog to get them there. It’s a post that has links to a lot of other places as well. It also is a post that allows new people to see it IS possible to do this and get excited about the process.
So there’s my author’s box for that site. It’s a pretty good one and I would probably use this for all of my high profile content sites ~ of course if space allows and 2 links are allowed.
Should you send people to your squeeze page or to your blog?
If at all possible I would say send them to both. It can be pretty easy to get wrapped up in the content and everything else going on in the sidebars and not sign up to your list.
A person on your list is long term more valuable than someone who just stops by your blog. However, if they don’t sign up for your list, and you’ve sent them to a squeeze page, you’ve pretty much lost them forever. At least on your blog they can look around, get some information, realize how awesome you are, and then sign up for your list.
So if you can ONLY send them to one place, I’d send them to the blog ~ if I can have two links, definitely link to both.
I’d love to brainstorm with you about your resource boxes ~ so feel free to ask questions in the comment section. You can also start a discussion over at the facebook fanpage, and we can work on it together.
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Upon spending several hours on the net at long last I’ve uncovered somebody that actually does really know what they’re talking about many thanks a great deal wonderful posting.
Thank you for this information. Many times we forget the reason why we write articles. The whole objective of writing an article is to generate more traffic and attention to our sites, but we hardly give our resource box the required attention thus failing to get the traffic as well recognition from the search engines. Jackie thanks for reminding us the objective of writing an article, which is to create the attention to ourselves or our sites.
.-= Ndasika´s last blog ..WAKA WAKA, THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP ANTHEM BY SHAKIRA =-.
I might beg to differ with you. The real reason you should be thinking about when writing your article is providing VALUE to your reader. If you don’t provide value, get them interested, make them want to know more about/from you it doesn’t matter how good your resource box is, you won’t get traffic.
If you don’t write an information and helpful article people won’t even read enough to get to your resource box. Traffic is a byproduct of value ~ always provide value first ~ traffic and recognition will come from there.
You don’t just want to sell yourself though ~ you want to make sure you give the reader a good reason, a good “what’s in it for them” in your resource box to get them to click through to your site.
sell youself in the resource box…not the article!
.-= Mike´s last blog ..Milwaukee Brewers Can Beat Arizona =-.
Hi Jackie,
This is an interesting post. In my resource box, I have a link to my squeeze page, plus a deep link to my site. I break a lot of the squeeze page “rules” by offering the option to purchase a product or to sign up for our free mini-course on my squeeze page.
.-= Amber@Indoor Herb Garden´s last blog ..Culinary Herb Garden: The Must Have for Every Cook =-.
Hi Amber,
Yes that is against conventional wisdom. However, many people have their “we’ve received your request” page redirect to a page that sells something, that way as soon as people have asked for information they are sent to an offer to buy something as well. I must say I don’t do very well in that department ~ but it works quite well. You just use custom urls in your autoresponder.
Happy Birthday to Hanna! Hope you all have a fun day today! Good post Jackie. I think there are quite a few of us that have trouble with resource/bio boxes. Some people don’t have a problem talking about themselves, while others of us never know what to say about ourselves, especially in just a few sentences. This post really helps.
.-= June ´s last blog ..The Key Reason On Page SEO Is So Important For Getting Website Traffic =-.
Excellent tips Jackie. I’ve seen some marketers/bloggers who have collected (written) multiple boxes, for multiple niches, to link to different pages/articles depending on what they’re writing about at the time.
I’ve also seen articles where they forgot the box altogether; that’s just bad all around.
.-= Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..I Need MORE Aweber USER Affiliates! =-.
Happy birthday to you, Hanna, from Russell.
.-= Russell´s last blog ..Is Exercise An Answer for Arthritis In The Older Horse? =-.
Great pointers, Jackie… and linking to the fanpage is another area where, with a simple click of the like button, you have a means with which to follow-up with someone! I ‘like’ that…
Darren Sproat
.-= Darren Sproat´s last blog ..Giving Back =-.
Great post. The resource box is GOLD. I usually take time creating what I need to place in the resource box. It should be appealing and should have a good command. YOur tips are simply awesome.
.-= Tampa Internet Marketing´s last blog ..So What The Heck Is SEO Anyway? =-.
Jackie, it is amazing how such a concisely, well written paragraph can inform the reader on so much. Thanks for the tips!