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End Your Article with an Impressive Resource Box

The process of article writing has certainly changed in the last few years. Authors were previously rewarded for things that would not meet today’s standards. However, some things haven’t changed. In order to have long-term success as an Expert Author, remember:

This is a Selfless Affair.

What does this mean, exactly? Your focus should not be about YOU. It should be on giving your readers quality content, including your best tips, suggestions, case studies, and advice they can actually use. The Resource Box at the end of your article is also very important. Even if your article content is top-notch in quality, it will be wasted if your Resource Box is weak and lacks purpose.

Listed below are things that you need to know about your Resource Box.

1. Make Your Author Name and Brand Matter: Your readers want someone they can trust. They need a go-to person to rely on and identify with. The first thing you need to know about your Resource Box is it should always include your author name. You wrote your content, so be proud of it! Do you want your name and brand out there, or do you want other known authors to take away your readers? Get out of the shadows and present yourself in a clear and straightforward way.

2. Make Promises You Can Keep: When you invest time and energy in learning more about a product or offer, you don’t want to be lied to. It will be an easy decision to take your business elsewhere if the product deceives you. Your Resource Box should show your skills effectively and position you as an expert, not an unreliable salesman. Be honest and keep your word to keep your readers. Always mean what you say and link to pages that over deliver. The last thing you want is a frustrated reader or potential customer!

3. Capitalize on Your 2 Links: Your links are a key area to focus on in your Resource Box. Your articles may contain 2 self-serving links, so why not make them count? One of your links should be your main website. Your readers should be able to navigate anywhere on the page with ease, and it should highlight your company’s qualifications, services and current promotions. Your other link should be a follow-up to the content provided in your article. Here’s a tip for authors who write a series of articles: link to another article in the series! This is an effective way to keep your readers engaged in your content and bring them to your website.

4. Include Your Social Media Handles: There are countless ways to market your articles and share your expertise, and social media has certainly got us hooked at the moment. Now you’re asking, “How can I direct my readers to my social media pages if I’m only allowed 2 self-serving links?” Good question! Along with the link to your main website and other relevant page, you should be listing a couple of your social media handles in your Resource Box. All you need to do is list the site (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ etc) along with your name or brand to search for. For information on marketing your articles on social media, read our post on the 10 Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid.

5. Relate to Your Article’s Topic: The pages you link to in your Resource Box have more relevance than you think. Imagine reading a brilliant article that really gets your attention. How would you feel if you clicked on one of the links at the end of the article and you’re taken to a page on a completely different topic? This will turn you away and have you lose trust in the author. Your Resource Box should highlight your expertise and keep your readers interested in the same material. Be smart by keeping your article content and links in the same niche.

6. Change it Up Often: Even if you feel like the Resource Box you include is ‘Perfect’ and you’ll never have to change it, think again. Variety keeps things interesting. Change up the content in your Resource Box often, and link to different pages so you’re giving your readers more direction. All levels of free membership on EzineArticles grant you access to save up to 3 Resource Boxes in your account, so give yourself more options. Utilize this convenient feature and build 3 compelling Resource Boxes – but why stop at 3? You can get 9 more saved Resource Boxes with a Premium Membership (along with many more benefits)!

7. Provide Just Enough Info: As a guideline, your Resource Box should be shorter than 15% of your Article Body. Keep it short and simple! Provide details such as your author name, qualifications, details of your company and links to your sites. Refrain from including everything about you and your company. There’s no faster way to dilute your credibility than to list every achievement you’ve ever earned. If your readers want to know more about you, they will visit your website in the ‘About’ section. Your Resource Box should be a short summary of your expertise along with links to relevant pages.