by Ruth Belena

Created on: December 10, 2008

There are some effective ways to use Helium for promoting personal websites and blogs, but it is important to know that self promotion is not allowed in any of the articles submitted at Helium. This is clearly stated in the user's guide. Using articles at Helium to promote anything goes against terms and conditions set out in the User Agreement, that all members accept when joining.

- Promoting on a Profile Page -

Each Helium writer has their own biographical About Me page, and Helium encourages all members to fill out their own page and to provide links there. This opportunity should be used to create an informative autobiographical introduction.

The introduction is what most people read first, and it should be used to promote the writer and their work. The writer should name their own sites and blogs within a brief biography, and can provide the url, or may suggest that more information about their work can be found at sites listed under My Links.

- Promotion by Participation -

When a writer joins Helium they become part of a supportive and enthusiastic community. There is a lively community forum at Helium, where members can discuss various topics. When a member is particularly friendly and helpful in their posts, it encourages other members, and guests who are viewing the forum, to click on their name and read their About Me biography.

The forum should never be used to spam a link, and repeated or inappropriate posting of links will result in those posts being removed. A participating member can mention that they have a website or blog, and if their site is relevant to the topic under discussion, a member can include a link in their response.

- Live Linking in Articles -

Live links are allowed in Helium articles, even in creative writing, but a link should never lead to a personal site or blog. Anyone who includes links to promote their own site will be reported during the rating process and the article will be removed.

The purpose of live linking is to verify information given in the article, to highlight original sources and official websites. Using links to support what is stated in the article helps to establish the writer as an expert who can be relied on.

Helium articles are often found in search engine results, and at social network or bookmark sites. When someone finds a well researched article on the topic they searched for, they will want to find out about more about the writer, and will click on the name to view their profile.

This is why writers can effectively use their About Me page at Helium to promote their personal websites or blogs.

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