The Benefits I Gained from Participating in the 100 Articles in 100 Days Marathon Challenge
July 1st, 2009I just had my 100th article in the 100 Articles in 100 Days Marathon Challenge published…and I am really excited…I met the Challenge! Before I go into the things I learned and the benefits I gained, I want to give you a little background on the Challenge.
Three entrepreneurs, Keith Goodrum, Jeff Herring and Felicia Slattery came up with the idea on March 21, 2009 on Twitter and the idea went viral. Hundreds signed up for the Challenge. The challenge was to write and have accepted one hundred articles on Ezine Articles by July 1, 2009. The prize was to be a custom Ezine Articles HAHD mug. Even though I learned about the challenge two and a half weeks into it and had some catching up to do right from the start, the offer was too good to pass up.
I went into the Challenge with an attitude of “I need to be writing more articles anyway, this will give me the push I needed”. I also thought it would be great fun…and I wanted the mug too. Little did I know at the outset what the real benefit of participating in this challenge would be until I was well into the process. And now, that I’ve crossed the finish line, the benefits just keep accruing.
Here are some of the things I learned and the benefits I have received from the Challenge. I share these with you in the hopes that you will seriously consider adding article marketing to your marketing plan.
What Article Marketing Did for Me and What It Can Do for You
1. Writing Articles Daily Helped Me Learn that the More I Wrote, the More I Could Write
The whole practice of writing daily opened up a whole new world for me. I have always struggled to get my ideas out on paper. They would eventually land up there but it was never a comfortable process. As I look back over the body of my work over the last two and a half months, I am astounded by how quickly the pace of writing picked up as the weeks progressed.
By writing daily, I found that the more I wrote, the easier writing became and the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. I learned that I had a lot of information stored away. This was very affirming, so I guess I can say that writing daily increased my self-confidence. And though there were times when I sat at the keyboard and stared at a blank page, ideas eventually seemed to come from everywhere.
For those of you for whom writing is difficult, I would suggest you try and write something daily. Even if you don’t produce an article every day, the process will get your mind working in a different way and will sharpen your skills.
2. Writing Articles Daily Helped Me Discover that My Once-Dreaded Writer’s Block Is Only Temporary
I have always dreaded writer’s block because it always seemed to appear when I was under a deadline. After writing daily for the last seventy-six days (and yes, I did feel the pressure of the deadline more acutely as I got nearer to the end), I came to appreciate that writer’s block is temporary and therefore nothing to fear.
3. Writing Articles Daily Created Discipline
This is a big one for me because I am not a very systematic person. I started writing right after working out which is something I do first thing in the morning…otherwise it will not get done. On most days, I would not stop writing until I finished an article. Though my natural instincts are to vary my routine all day long, I created this habit of writing early in the day. Like exercise, writing would not have happened if I didn’t do it first thing.
The only way to override our natural instincts is to develop a habit. If you are a naturally organized and systematic person, it will not be difficult for you to add writing somewhere in your plan for the day. You will stick to it. For those who aren’t systematic, look at your day and find a time that you know you will be conducive to writing. You may be the kind who can dash off something riding on the subway or you may be someone who gets their best ideas at midnight when the house is quiet. Whatever it is for you, find this optimal time and make it your writing time.
4. Writing Articles Grew My List of Prospects
As Jeff Herring, The Article Marketing Guy, says: if you want more of anything – traffic to your site, prospects, money, etc. – write more articles. And he is right! My list of Ezine subscribers has grown appreciably in the last seventy-six days.
I have discovered that article marketing is a great marketing tool…and the great part about it is that it is free. If it’s not in your marketing plan, it really does need to be.
5. My Biggest Benefit – Writing Articles Created Information Products for Me to Market in My Business
This was a real bonus! While writing a series of articles on a single topic, I suddenly realized…I have a product here! I didn’t start off with that intention but it all came together so beautifully. It got me thinking about other topics I could turn into products and two more series of articles were born. I am now in the process of turning them into two products and one service to market through my business.
Writing articles daily will get you to recognize the depth of your knowledge and the wisdom you have to share with others. You will find that the more you write on a subject, how easily it will translate into products and services for your business.
I hope you recognize the great benefits article marketing can produce for your business. I wish you great success in your article writing.
Kate Sanner
CEO and Founder
Vivacity…Jump into Life
