4 Tips For Choosing Free Content Articles

Thanks to the Internet, obtaining articles that cost zero dollars to reprint is easier than ever, but just because it’s free doesn’t make it worthy of publication and just because it’s worthy of publication, doesn’t make it suitable for your publication, your blog, or your business model. Below are five tips for choosing the best article for your needs.

Stick to your publication’s editorial calendar.

An editorial calendar is something every publication should have: whether it’s a personal blog, a monthly business newsletter, or an online magazine. An editorial calendar breaks down topics you’d like discussed over the course of a year—topics that fall in line with your company’s mission statement.

For instance, if your business is real estate, everything you put on your blog or in your company newsletter should somehow be related to real estate. One month, you could discuss home staging tips, the next month financial aid tips, and the month after that, how to find the perfect home. But what it should not include are off topic articles like: stock market tips, how to change a baby’s diaper, and where to buy the latest technical gadget.

Watch that grammar.

Choose articles that sound like the professionals that you and your staff are. Remember, anything you put your name on—even if it’s an article written by someone else—reflects on you and your business. If it makes you doubt the author’s credibility, it’ll make your readers doubt your credibility. Choose articles that are written with proper sentences, do not have any spelling mistakes, and progresses from one point to the next, naturally.

Avoid the sales pitch.

There are many articles available, for free, online. But not all of them are best suited for your needs. If an article sounds like a sales pitch for another company, it does your company no good. All advertisements should be left in the author’s byline, not in the main body of the article. Your goal should be to include articles that not only provide solid information but entertain your readers as well so avoid any article that sounds like it should be on an infomercial.

Keep it credible.

While you may not be a professional writer, you do know what your business is about. You know the ins and outs of running your business. You know what information you wish your clients understood better. You know what’s needed to not only make an impact but keep your clients happy. So if you come across something that sounds fresh and innovative, and yet, you’ve never heard about it before, think twice. Do your research before you include that article in your company newsletter or on your company blog. Every article you choose to publish should make you and your company look as credible as possible.

Finally, if you really like an article, but feel it could use a little tweaking or polishing, contact the author of the article. Most authors will allow you to tweak the article provided you don’t distort the content. Others will gladly make the adjustments you request, free of charge.