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You've written what you feel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning piece and posted it on Helium.

After e-mailing friends and family and talking about your article on your blog, what more can you do to boost viewership? Here are a few things I do:

CONTACT MANUFACTURERS

If you mention any products by name in your articles, be sure and e-mail each manufacturer. I send each a brief note saying, "Just letting you know your product, (name it here), is mentioned in the following article: (URL)."

They will read your article every time, as it's in their interest. And if they have more than one contact e-mail (they may have one for Media/Press Relations, one for Help, one for their North American operations, etc.), send this note to each one. After all, everyone likes it when the company they work for gets good press.

I've written several pieces where I recommend certain products. I generally only e-mail the makers of products I've said good things about, not bad. (I don't want to make any enemies or, worse, provoke a lawsuit).

NOTE: Don't be tempted to write about products just to get viewership, as this is basically writing an ad, and will probably cause your article to be rejected. I suggest you only write about products you're passionate about, and want everyone to know about.

CONTACT SITES/PLACES YOU'VE RECOMMENDED

If you recommend the reader visit a certain website for more information, contact that website and tell them about your article also.

I wrote a piece about college savings plans, for example, and suggested readers go to SavingforCollege.com for more details. After posting the piece, I e-mailed that site and let them know. The next day I got a response from the site, thanking me.

Do the same for any restaurants, shops, cruise lines, etc. you've written about. Let them know there's an article out there on them.

CONTACT SITES YOU'VE REFERENCED

You should do the same for any sources you list in your article. I quoted something I read in a Rand Corporation report in one of my pieces, for example, so I sent them a link to my article.

EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS

You may think this is a lot of work for what may turn out to be only a few extra hits, but I think that's the wrong way to look at this.

If all writers do as advised above for every article they've posted on Helium, word of the website will spread like wildfire and traffic will skyrocket, I believe.

Imagine what that will do to your income the next time you write a piece that makes the homepage.

DON'T BE SHY

Oh, and one last thing. If you see all this as nothing but shameless self-promotion, get over it.

Yes, you'll be putting yourself forward, but that's something you've got to do if you want to get noticed as a writer (and make more money).

So get out and market yourself!

Learn more about this author, Les Jacobs.
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