Writing and submitting articles is a free and easy way to drive traffic to your website. Article directories allow writers to submit, promote and make available articles to website or newsletter publishers in search of content. When an article is used by a publisher the writers begin to increase their web exposure though a backlinks to their website.

As marketing tools, articles are very effective since they allow you to promote your products and website. Article writing also enables you to increase your credibility within your field. Be sure to write articles which offer the reader quality information about the products your selling and avoid articles which sound more like advertisements, rather write something interesting and enlightening about your product.

An owner of a website which sells garden accessories, for instance, could write about how an Adirondack chair improves a garden or makes a patio space welcoming to visitors. For products such as weathervanes or sundials, articles about their usefulness, technology or history would be ideal.

Current trends are also interesting topics to many people. Keeping people up to date on the latest improvements in, say, lawn equipment (to stick with the garden theme) is a great way to market products. Writing such an article will also go a long way toward helping you establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Another way to market the products you are selling is to write an article which reviews products.

Submit your article manually to a few directories. Definitely submit to the larger directories, some of which get thousands of hits per day. Also, however, submit your articles to smaller niche directories. These directories specialize in specific topics. For example, http://www.gardenlistings.com/articles , offers publishers articles on gardening, the arts, nature and a few other related topics. An article submitted to such a site will be read by many people who already have an interest in your website or product.

Remember, if you submit useful, informative articles and keep the reader interested and they'll be more apt click on your website link and visit your site. Also, create two links in the resource box at the end of the article, one for your homepage and one to the page which displays the product you're promoting.

Publishers want to provide their readers with quality content so be sure your articles are well written. Have a friend proof read them prior to submission. This way your articles will have a better chance of being used.