The Biggest Mistake Most Article Marketers Make

[Mike Morgan.]

Hi warriors ,

I have repeatedly noticed that a lot of marketers are not happy with their article marketing efforts .

What Do You think is the problem ?

As you know , even though article marketing is one of the simplest ways to generate traffic and links, due to improper usage a lot of marketers do not exploit its benefits.

The biggest mistake is that most of them do not create high quality article.

If you are able to create high quality article that solves your reader’s problems, you would be able to get believability and as a result you recommendations will get noticed by the readers and you will be able to make money either through affiliate products or your products.

At the same time, if your article is of high quality, it will be picked by webmasters and as a result you will get a lot of links to your website.

What Do You Think Is The Biggest Mistake Most Article Marketers Make?

I want to here from you.


Thanks,


Mike

[bhuff85]

Agreed that many don't write high quality articles, but there are many other mistakes that could cause your article to bomb, such as:

- Improper keyword research
- Poor article titles
- Badly written resource box
- Giving too much information away

Those are just a few other things that can make an article tank, in addition to poor quality articles.

[radhika]

My mistake: Not writing enough articles.

I don't like PLR or resell right articles. I am on the side of 'lack of time' problem > so end up not writing many articles I would like to write ...

.

[wchua24]

well i am just new here so i wanted to know what some mistakes that are committed. when it comes to article i there a certain procedure to do it. or make it?

[desmondchui]

Content is the king

[athena08]

I think that it is important with the Bio box to send the readers of your article to a website or webpage that follows through on the topic of the article. eg. If your article tells the reader how to / tips/ mistakes related to affiliate marketing then send them to a website related to affiliate marketing.

If they are reading an article on affiliate marketing then they obviously are interested in that topic so you could send them to a website that sells something affiliate marketing related.

[Clyde Dennis]

Improper title selection.

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by wchua24

well i am just new here so i wanted to know what some mistakes that are committed. when it comes to article i there a certain procedure to do it. or make it?

If you want to write articles fast , click this post to check a simple template to create articles fast and how to properly conduct your article marketing activites .

I hope it helps,

Mike

[tommygadget]

Yes, I would also go with bad title selection. After that, lack of any strong call to action.

TomG.

[gimmick]

Giving too much away is bad, because the article should only create interest, and then hopefully lead the customer to your product page.

If the reason for writing an article is only to get links to a website, then one can give away as much as one wants.

[gunsnroses]

it is really a nice post thanks for it..

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by gimmick

Giving too much away is bad, because the article should only create interest, and then hopefully lead the customer to your product page.

If the reason for writing an article is only to get links to a website, then one can give away as much as one wants.

AS you said you do not need to give everything .

You articles should only work to motivate your readers to join your opt-in list.

Mike .

[abelacts]

agreed.

title - must be attractive to entice readers to read further
call to action - must be too good to resist...

[ryda]

An attention-grabbing title must also be followed by good content. I came across many articles with titles screaming of the products' benefits, but the body of the articles fell short of any good, sound content. As a reader, I felt cheated and shortchanged. The problem is many article writers based their research solely on the Internet. So content gets recycled and reused, with nothing uniquely new at all. But hey, a good writer worth his salt can write about the same thing a thousand times and it will still come out different and interesting every single time. So research, write well and good titles.

[James Schramko]

Posting it to sites other than ones you own first.

This is a mistake.

Post to your own site then post re-writes to other places to get the real value in your hard earned content.

[Ganceann]

A list of some of the most common mistakes is:

1. Not using a meaningful or useful title to capture reader interest.

2. Not using the first couple of lines/paragraph/article description correctly to provide enticement for readers to click through and read the full article.

3. Not using unique content on their own domain - it is much better having unique content on your own domain and writing related content to promote it and then using article directories. People should be able to learn more in-depth information from your site than they can get from an article directory (Your site is the expert, not the general article directory).

4. Not using quality content in the article itself - this is a failure to convince the reader that you are an expert and therefore makes you less likely to maintain the interest of the reader throughout the article. It also fails to build trust in your name and authority.

5. Not using a proper resource box that has a strong call to action to make the reader want to click through to your site to find out more information

I believe the 5 mistakes outlined are very common and it means a large % of articles are wasted effort on the part of article marketers. Anyone can put together a PLR article and have it accepted at various article directories... but if it isn't quality it won't really bring in any potential customers. You may get a few people following through if they don't read the initial article, but they are unlikely to become long-term site visitors and therefore unlikely to become repeat customers.

[Marhelper]

Personally, I feel that the number one mistake is not performing enough research within the niche you are wrting on. Many article writers do not bother to look into demand, etc ... before picking a niche. Of course, there are a whole slew of others to include: Title, no lead into resource box, poorly written resource box, ...

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Ganceann

A list of some of the most common mistakes is:

1. Not using a meaningful or useful title to capture reader interest.

2. Not using the first couple of lines/paragraph/article description correctly to provide enticement for readers to click through and read the full article.

3. Not using unique content on their own domain - it is much better having unique content on your own domain and writing related content to promote it and then using article directories. People should be able to learn more in-depth information from your site than they can get from an article directory (Your site is the expert, not the general article directory).

4. Not using quality content in the article itself - this is a failure to convince the reader that you are an expert and therefore makes you less likely to maintain the interest of the reader throughout the article. It also fails to build trust in your name and authority.

5. Not using a proper resource box that has a strong call to action to make the reader want to click through to your site to find out more information

I believe the 5 mistakes outlined are very common and it means a large % of articles are wasted effort on the part of article marketers. Anyone can put together a PLR article and have it accepted at various article directories... but if it isn't quality it won't really bring in any potential customers. You may get a few people following through if they don't read the initial article, but they are unlikely to become long-term site visitors and therefore unlikely to become repeat customers.

It is good observation .

Nice Comment .

Mike

[Allen Graves]

In my opinion, the most common mistake people make in article marketing is only submitting 1 or 2 articles, not seeing any results within 24 hours and then quitting altogether and joining the crowd that says it doesn't work. I see this happening over and over again and it's quite a shame.

It would be very hard to narrow down a particular article mistake as the "biggest" because, again in my opinion, every aspect of the article must be done correctly in order for the whole thing to be successful. I liken it a lot to a jigsaw puzzle. You can have the most beautiful puzzle in the world, but if all of the pieces are not placed together perfectly, it just doesn't work.

Respectfully,
Allen Graves

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Allen Graves

In my opinion, the most common mistake people make in article marketing is only submitting 1 or 2 articles, not seeing any results within 24 hours and then quitting altogether and joining the crowd that says it doesn't work. I see this happening over and over again and it's quite a shame.

It would be very hard to narrow down a particular article mistake as the "biggest" because, again in my opinion, every aspect of the article must be done correctly in order for the whole thing to be successful. I liken it a lot to a jigsaw puzzle. You can have the most beautiful puzzle in the world, but if all of the pieces are not placed together perfectly, it just doesn't work.

Respectfully,
Allen Graves

It is true that article marketing is exploited by coordinating all its components properly .

Most of the time , if you miss any componets your efforts will fail too.

Mike .

[Li Weng]

It's a good point.

Quality content is all about delivering value. An important to ask is what's in it for the readers? You don't need to reveal all the secrets you know, but dropping small pieces of sound advice here and there is essential.

I've learned that before you think about returns, you need to focus on giving. And that's one of the main principles I follow when I create any type of content.

[Allen Graves]

Originally Posted by Mike Morgan.

It is true that article marketing is exploited by coordinating all its components properly .

Most of the time , if you miss any componets your efforts will fail too.

Mike .

Not "most" of the time...ALL of the time. You have to establish and maintain that mindset. Even if you did get lucky, you'd still be leaving money on the table.

[The Lady]

Originally Posted by desmondchui

Content is the king

and quality his queen

[travlinguy]

A couple of people have said that giving away too much information is a mistake. I believe just the opposite. I understand the reasoning though. People feel giving away too much makes the reader feel he no longer needs the product.

That's not so. In fact, just the opposite is true. The reader feels that if the article was so packed with great info, then the product must be absolutely loaded with it.

Good writing, along with accurate and abundant content all contribute to a good article.

[Anbelle]

Originally Posted by Mike Morgan.

If you want to write articles fast , click this post to check a simple template to create articles fast and how to properly conduct your article marketing activites .

I hope it helps,

Mike

Thanks for this, this will be on my wall...

[Hardi Wijaya]

I can't say it's the only biggest mistake in article marketing.

Quality problem is an issue. No doubt about it.

The other mistake is... in the marketing. If I were to do article marketing, I won't go online. Sorry, too much competition, too many people get overloaded. I prefer sending articles to offline print such as newspaper, or magazine, or even distribute it as flyers!


Hardi

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Hardi Wijaya

I prefer sending articles to offline print such as newspaper, or magazine, or even distribute it as flyers!


Hardi

Of course it is possible .

But , as to me I like competing and winning .

So , Go both ways .

Mike .

[Hardi Wijaya]

Originally Posted by Mike Morgan.

But , as to me I like competing and winning .

Mike .

Good for you. That means you've lots of time, money and skill to compete and win.


Hardi

[dsmpublishing]

I find that there a lots of good titles out there but they lack content and it spoils a lot of articles.

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by abelacts

agreed.

title - must be attractive to entice readers to read further
call to action - must be too good to resist...

You should also focus on other components to get the most .

Mike .

[talfighel]

Mike, I agree but I also don't agree with your comments.

yes, it is important to have a great and very informative article, but that is not enough.

The secret is:

The more articles with good content, the BETTER.

Tal

[angela99]

The biggest mistake I see is that most new article marketers fail to PLAN.

Ask yourself:

* What's my goal?

* How will I know when I've achieved the goal?

* What's my deadline?

Once you've answered those questions, create a plan.

Your plan should include:

* Keywords you've chosen to achieve your goal;

* A well-designed landing page for your readers, which ensures that once they get to the page, they do what you want them to do -- sign up for your list, click through to the sales page of the affiliate product, etc. Your resource box links directly to your landing page.

The landing page is VITAL. Never create a campaign without creating a landing page first;

* The number of articles you need to write (aim for 10 to 30 per campaign);

* Article titles;

* A schedule for your articles;

* Commitment -- get those articles written!

* A way of tracking your success -- number of sales, clicks.

Cheers

Angela

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by angela99

The biggest mistake I see is that most new article marketers fail to PLAN.

Ask yourself:

* What's my goal?

* How will I know when I've achieved the goal?

* What's my deadline?

Once you've answered those questions, create a plan.

Your plan should include:

* Keywords you've chosen to achieve your goal;

* A well-designed landing page for your readers, which ensures that once they get to the page, they do what you want them to do -- sign up for your list, click through to the sales page of the affiliate product, etc. Your resource box links directly to your landing page.

The landing page is VITAL. Never create a campaign without creating a landing page first;

* The number of articles you need to write (aim for 10 to 30 per campaign);

* Article titles;

* A schedule for your articles;

* Commitment -- get those articles written!

* A way of tracking your success -- number of sales, clicks.

Cheers

Angela

Great list .

Mike

[Mark Brock]

Originally Posted by Clyde Dennis

Improper title selection.

I think this is a huge mistake, especially when you submit to EzineArticles.

The strength of your title is determined by the first four words you use - plus it must make sense!

Get this wrong and you won't be targeting the right traffic!

[blueleaf]

Originally Posted by gimmick

Giving too much away is bad, because the article should only create interest, and then hopefully lead the customer to your product page.

If the reason for writing an article is only to get links to a website, then one can give away as much as one wants.

Yes, we have to create interest and lead the user to our blog/website/or product page.

[ZelimirGraf]

Originally Posted by trippmarxx

Agreed that many don't write high quality articles, but there are many other mistakes that could cause your article to bomb, such as:

- Improper keyword research
- Poor article titles
- Badly written resource box
- Giving too much information away

Those are just a few other things that can make an article tank, in addition to poor quality articles.

I totaly agree with you, and also copywriting skills really come in hand in article marketing, you have to stop your readers dead in their tracks, and that is what copywriting is about. And there is something else, writing articles is not to be taken lightly, it`s a skill that must be studied properly. I recommend ezine articles for their tutorials.

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by blueleaf

Yes, we have to create interest and lead the user to our blog/website/or product page.

It is strongly recommended to send the traffic to lead capture pages .

Mike

[aboutalhah]

One of the biggest mistake is direct linking. Losing all the other seo and list building benefits.

Franck.

[bhuff85]

Originally Posted by aboutalhah

One of the biggest mistake is direct linking. Losing all the other seo and list building benefits.

Franck.

Yea - I never direct link to ANY site as an affiliate. I always direct someone to a lander to "pre-sell" them. Way better conversions every time.

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by aboutalhah

One of the biggest mistake is direct linking. Losing all the other seo and list building benefits.

Franck.

Good point .

It is always recommended to send traffic into a lead capture page .

Mike

[ZelimirGraf]

Originally Posted by aboutalhah

One of the biggest mistake is direct linking. Losing all the other seo and list building benefits.

Franck.

Yeah, list building is a must, it`s one of the best ways you can develop relationship with your customers, which is crucial in internet marketing.

[debra]

I have tried writing and submitting articles to EZA. I don't do very well with it. I've always wondered "why" to.

I wrote one (a few) article about "What gives the pink diamond it's pink hue", thinking that answering a simple curious guestion would bring traffic. Not really, in my opinion.

Maybe you can enlighten me about my weak points so that I could do better. Actually, I don't think it's a bad article.

Here is the article as indexed in google:
What gives the pink diamond it's pink hue - Google Search=

btw- somebody rated my article as less than mediocre. What an a##! lol

[ZelimirGraf]

Originally Posted by debra

I have tried writing and submitting articles to EZA. I don't do very well with it. I've always wondered "why" to.

I wrote one (a few) article about "What gives the pink diamond it's pink hue", thinking that answering a simple curious guestion would bring traffic. Not really, in my opinion.

Maybe you can enlighten me about my weak points so that I could do better. Actually, I don't think it's a bad article.

Here is the article as indexed in google:
What gives the pink diamond it's pink hue - Google Search=

btw- somebody rated my article as less than mediocre. What an a##! lol

Okay, I`m kinda in a hurry right now, so I`ll examine your article in more detail later, but the first thing I have to ask you: what kind of traffic do you want? Who are your customers? What are your keywords? What is your target market? Is the person who searches for keywords in google like "pink hue in diamonds" your customer, or is it a person who searches "online diamond auctions" or something like that?
One important thing: you are giving too much information in your article, so the visitor doesn`t feel compelled to click on the squidoo link.
You should entice your visitor in your article to click your link, your article is in no way doing such thing.
You are going on and on about diamonds in your article, but you haven`t spent a second selling your customer on your online auctions. You don`t have a site that sells info products about diamonds, so bare that in mind, okay?
There are a lot of things you should improve.
Contact me, and we`ll explore your article marketing in more detail, and see what we can do.

[Elliott Bean]

Hi I'm new here to would like to say hello to everyone.

Alot of articles on ezine articles really seem like "me too" articles, you wonder whether the guy/girl writing actually has any experience or they've just regurgitated some other article they found on the same site ten minutes earlier.

The resource boxes are rarely that stimulating either, knowing that joe is an accomplished dog groomer wouldn't get me excited even if I was interested in dog grooming

[debra]

Originally Posted by ZelimirGraf

Okay, I`m kinda in a hurry right now, so I`ll examine your article in more detail later, but the first thing I have to ask you: what kind of traffic do you want? Who are your customers? What are your keywords? What is your target market? Is the person who searches for keywords in google like "pink hue in diamonds" your customer, or is it a person who searches "online diamond auctions" or something like that?
One important thing: you are giving too much information in your article, so the visitor doesn`t feel compelled to click on the squidoo link.
You should entice your visitor in your article to click your link, your article is in no way doing such thing.
You are going on and on about diamonds in your article, but you haven`t spent a second selling your customer on your online auctions. You don`t have a site that sells info products about diamonds, so bare that in mind, okay?
There are a lot of things you should improve.
Contact me, and we`ll explore your article marketing in more detail, and see what we can do.

The demographics are:

female
age groups: 35-50+
Household Income: 60-100k

Most likely hangs out at 5factordiet.com and uses netquote.com

Most common and active search term(s) in order are:
jewelry auction
online auction sites
jewelry auctions

The most bid on category are diamonds, with the pink either natural or synthetic, are bidding the most actively.

Although...I found an interesting angle (twist) to this sites activity. I wrote an article targeting the gothic subculture. The article has far less views, about 2:1 click through rate and 100% more sales. I found that interesting.

and...

I agree that the resource box is probably one of my weakest point. I have always had a problen with that. The same goes for being able to write the bio in a membership or social network. It just feels soooo wrong to boost about yourself.

oh...I'm in a hurry too (are not we all ) so I will pm you a bit later.

[Mike Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Elliott Bean

Hi I'm new here to would like to say hello to everyone.

Alot of articles on ezine articles really seem like "me too" articles, you wonder whether the guy/girl writing actually has any experience or they've just regurgitated some other article they found on the same site ten minutes earlier.

The resource boxes are rarely that stimulating either, knowing that joe is an accomplished dog groomer wouldn't get me excited even if I was interested in dog grooming

Most of the articles i see on ezine articles are not good .

Mike

[Steve Faber]

Originally Posted by radhika

My mistake: Not writing enough articles.

I don't like PLR or resell right articles. I am on the side of 'lack of time' problem > so end up not writing many articles I would like to write ...

.

You've found time to make over 1,300 posts on the WF - LOL

[Mike Morgan.]

hi,

I an addition to the quality , if you write more articles , it would be advantageous .

Mike

[Captcha]

The one thing you have to make sure though, is even if you write a high-quality article, you can't give away the solution.

If you tell them everything in that one post then there's no need for them to click on your links / buy your products / sign-up to your list

[ZelimirGraf]

Originally Posted by debra

The demographics are:

female
age groups: 35-50+
Household Income: 60-100k

Most likely hangs out at 5factordiet.com and uses netquote.com

Most common and active search term(s) in order are:
jewelry auction
online auction sites
jewelry auctions

The most bid on category are diamonds, with the pink either natural or synthetic, are bidding the most actively.

Although...I found an interesting angle (twist) to this sites activity. I wrote an article targeting the gothic subculture. The article has far less views, about 2:1 click through rate and 100% more sales. I found that interesting.

and...

I agree that the resource box is probably one of my weakest point. I have always had a problen with that. The same goes for being able to write the bio in a membership or social network. It just feels soooo wrong to boost about yourself.

oh...I'm in a hurry too (are not we all ) so I will pm you a bit later.

Hey, wow some interesting angles there, gothic and such, pretty cool :-)
Okay, here`s a tip for a resource box I hope will help. So, the resource box should say who you are and how readers can get more info, tips or whatever when they click your link. I find it kinda troubling that your article is about the pink hue in diamonds, since the visitor doesn`t feel compelled to click on your link, cause he has all the info he needs. That`s my opinion, maybe I`m wrong. You should be branding your business throughout your article. So, resource box:
who are you
what`s your expertise (what makes you special)
what can you do for the reader (give them some enticement)
what do you want the reader to do next.

Your resource box is too short first of all. Tell people who is Debra Gravelle, what`s her expertise, what her site will do for them, make them want to click on your link, and then tell them to do it. There are a lot of other things a good resource box should have. PM me.