Article Marketing: Avoid Mistakes by Following These Basic Principles

Article marketing is one of the best kept secrets for generating traffic to your business website. It's one of the oldest and most effective methods of targeting prospects and converting them into buyers.

There are some basic principles to follow when writing articles to ensure maximum exposure and effectiveness. These principles deal with preparation. I'll address 5 of these principles by addressing some common mistakes people make with article marketing.

1. Not Knowing Who Your Audience Is

Defining your audience is critical. If you don't know who you are targeting, you're just shooting into the darkness of cyberspace. Think about who you're trying to reach and what issues or concerns they may have. Knowing what your audience is looking for will help you determine what to write about. Write articles your readers want to read.

2. Writing Your Article as an Advertisement

Articles should not be used to advertise your business unless your business pertains directly to the topic of your article. You don't want your article to come across as spam. The only reason to write an article is to inform your readers, so your content needs to be on target. No one will want to read your article if all you're doing is advertising. You also risk losing your reputation and credibility.

3. Unattractive Titles

Titles need to grab the attention of your readers the first time they read it. It doesn't matter how great your article is if you don't attract readers. Take the time to think about your titles. Titles should catch your readers' eyes and entice them read what you wrote. It's better to have an outstanding title than an outstanding article.

4. Writing for Yourself Instead of Your Readers

You're writing an article to address a concern your audience has, so you're writing for the reader, not for you. That's why it's critical to know who your target audience is and what interests they have. Readers are interested in their concerns, not yours, and they are reading your article because they are looking for answers to their needs. Write for them.

5. No Proof Reading

Don't depend solely on spelling and grammar checkers. Make sure you check and proofread your article. Check for grammar, spelling, and most importantly, readability. If someone is reading your article and notices simple mistakes, or has to stop to ask what they've just read, you will lose them and your credibility. Your writing should guide the reader through your thought process leaving no questions about your content in their mind.

Because you're very familiar with your content, it's very easy to miss something as you're proof reading. Try taking a break from your article so you can read it with a fresh set of eyes later. Read the article out loud to check for readability, or ask someone to review your article for you.

Conclusion

Start your articles on the right foot by keeping these principles in mind when writing. You'll guarantee greater success, and as a bonus, you can apply these basic principles to your other marketing strategies too.

Happy Business Building,
Yoli


Yolanda Allen is a home based business expert specializing in a financial services and education product and marketing system, where you learn to be a master marketer. Learn how Yolanda's business partner made over $140K in one month using this system. Yolanda's on her way and now you can be too. http://YBAMarketing.com/?t=aaamm.