Are you ready to take your article marketing to the next level? Submitting to article directories is a great first action step in your article marketing strategy. For the next level of traffic and exposure, consider submitting your articles directly to niche websites.

There are millions of websites. Not all of them appeal to your target market. Here's how to find the right ones to target so you spend your time wisely.

For each of the sites you find with the strategies below, take a quick look at them to see which ones are a good fit and reach your target market then note the URL and the contact email for the site. You may want to create a spreadsheet so you can track this step (use columns like URL, Contact Email, Date Contacted, Answer, and Notes).

1. Search for sites that have published your articles previously. At Google you can search by putting your article title, surrounded by quotes, in the search box. This will bring up pages only with that complete phrase so if you've got a unique title the results should be websites who have published your article.

2. See who's talking about you. Do a Google search for your name, surrounded by quotes, and websites that have mentioned you will come back in the results. You can also setup a Google Alert so you'll get an email every time Google finds your name in a web page.

3. Ask your network. Add a note to your blog or mailing list that you're looking for websites where your content and expertise would fit, and let your network help you by sharing the sites they're already reading. If they're reading it, it's likely a great, targeted place for you to request your content be added.

4. Search for your key phrases. Search Google for the key phrases you target with your articles and your marketing and see what sites come back. You may want to search for "key phrase forum" (example: "time management forum") or "key phrase blog" (example: "time management blog") to find community or interactive websites that may be looking for quality content.

These four tips can help you find the right places to submit your articles so you can save time and get your content in front of the people you want to reach. Bonus Tip: Add a "Reprint My Articles" page to your blog or website and include your reprint rules and a link to your articles or the article directories where you publish, and invite your readers to reprint your articles.

Are you ready to take your article marketing to the next level? Submitting to article directories is a great first action step in your article marketing strategy. For the next level of traffic and exposure considering submitting your articles directly to niche websites.

And now, let me give you access to some great free resources for small businesses including 101 Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more at contentproz.net