Article Marketing Isn't for Idiots

I originally wanted to call this article, "Article Marketing for Idiots," but, potential copyright issues aside, I couldn't agree with the idea. Article marketing isn't for fools. It's not rocket science, but it's not something you should do because you're bored on a rainy weekend afternoon, either.
I spend hours every month on the various free article resource sites in my capacity as a freelance editor. One thing I see more and more of is people just plain doing it wrong. With that thought in mind, my top 4 ideas on how NOT to practice article marketing:

1 - Spell Check is for Wimps!
No one cares about that stuff. If someone using an article finds an error they can just fix it themselves, right?
No. Most article resource sites spell out in their TOS that the content cannot be altered in any way. Which means if I want to use your article I have to take it typos, poor grammar and all. I don't want my clients to think I'm a bad editor, so, no matter how good your content, if your writing is sloppy I can't use your article.

2 - It's All About You. The Author/Resource box is the place to tell people everything they need to know about how you became an expert in your field, right?
Sorry, nope. People using free article content are trying to enhance their own newsletter or blog to promote their business, not yours. Giving credit where credit is due is one thing, requiring bloggers and business owners to use a 24-line bio box is another. I have rejected more than one well-written and nicely edited piece for this problem, including the disaster preparedness article I wanted to use this month.
3 - Be a Tease. Write just enough to get people hooked then make them click through to a blog or website for the rest.
You can do this; I see it a lot. Of course, if you do no one will ever reprint your article. The more time people spend on a site the more likely they are to become buyers. Why would anyone reprint an incomplete article that requires readers to leave their site or stop reading the newsletter that just arrived in their inbox? Yea, I can't think of a good reason either.
4 - Sell It, Baby! You're not writing these articles for your health, they're marketing. Make sure you include a pitch for your products or services in every article.
Umm, no. Just no. I see more garbage articles that are basically sales pitches with altered headlines than I care to think about every month. The purpose of article marketing is to market YOU, your brainpower and expertise, not a specific service or product. Write good articles to establish your expertise and people will notice and seek you out for your knowledge. That's when you make your pitch.
Now you know what not to do.
Want to do it right? Sit down and write articles that give people value for the time they took to read them. Take the time to make sure your grammar and spelling is correct. Add a small 1-2 line bio and a link to your website. Then relax and let article marketing work for you.

Dyanna is the Chief Word Wrangler and Red Pen Wielder at Ink Think http://www.inkthinkeditorial.com, a full service writing and editorial firm.

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