Nowadays, many people who want to make money online, the first thing they would do is to drive traffic by using the simplest method which is article marketing. The main problem is that when they want to use article marketing to drive traffic, they do not know what and how to get started to write an article. There are reasons behind it.

1) They do too much research on how to write a keyword targeted article. When people are too focusing on finding the best keyword, they tend to neglect what they have to do.

2) They do not know what to write. Most people started out the first time, they tend to keep thinking what topics or what the best topics that they should write.

3) They have too many niches in mind and thus they cannot decide which to choose to write article about it.

I have found myself a way that I can easily write article. This method is so easy and I believe that everyone can do it. The first things, when started out to write article, is do not bother too much about keyword research and optimizing your article. Secondly, just do it. Do not think too much. If you have something in mind, quickly write it down and do not waste time.

After sometimes, you will find that you start to get traffic from article directories. When you have reach that point, you may want to consider start writing keyword targeted and optimize article.

There are many ways that you can generate traffic, both free and paid methods. Which is better, free or paid? Well, both are actually good depending on how you use it. Many people, including myself, usually prefer to start out using free methods to generate traffic.

So what are the ways to generate traffic for FREE?

- Article marketing

Article marketing is always the best way to generate traffic and has been proven for all internet marketers. Articles are written to draw attention by providing tips and guides, good services and knowledge to other people.

They are then submitted, with a brief description and a link, to article directories which also offer free submission and posting of your articles. People that take an interest in your articles will want to know more on where are the articles originated and will possibly visit your site.

- Forum marketing

Nowadays, there are many online forums on the internet which you can take advantage of. The great thing about forums is that you can target a certain group of people that you are looking for. You can also discuss about the niche that you represent or offer but it is best not to hasten promoting your products or services as people may lose interest when they see that.

One thing that you need to do in the forum is to edit your signature. Your signature acts a very important role in the forum. Always include a link in your signature as well. When you have built a trustworthy relationship with others in the forum, they may want to know more about your products and services, leading them to the link in your signature. This can lead to them subscribing to you or even buying your products.

- Social media marketing

There are a few things that relate to social media marketing. One of it is social bookmarking which is another great way to boost traffic. Bookmark your own site and let other people know.

Video sharing websites are also another form of social media websites. There are quite a number of video sharing websites on the internet. One of the more widely known sites is YouTube where one can create informative videos and upload them to their YouTube accounts. However, it is advisable to always read the terms and conditions on YouTube first, to avoid any violations.

Another social media website you can use is Squidoo. You can create Squidoo lenses, which are Squidoo pages, to promote your products or services. You can even use Squidoo as an advertising platform.

There are more free ways that you can use to generate traffic. I usually use article marketing and social media marketing. It is not difficult to generate traffic using the free methods. It just depends how much effort you put in and how persistent you are.