One of the well-kept secrets in getting web site traffic is article marketing. Ask those who have done this and they will tell you that is correct and tested.

But then not understanding the basic principles behind article marketing will bring what proved to be an effective marketing campaign down the drain. Taking with it all your efforts and otherwise quality articles.

What are some common mistakes that people make with article marketing?

1. Not being clear on who the target audience is.

A lot of writers and publishers make the most common error of not defining first what their target market is before writing out their content.

This differs them from the more successful article marketers who already have a clear idea on what their niche market is even before the thought of the article is conceived.

The two aspects needed in targeting your niche is to be narrow and profound. It is preferable to choose an audience with a specified and foremost interest in a certain topic.

2. Making use of spam out of sheer desperation.

In their desperate need of getting to more than the usual number of consumers, authors tend to target just about everyone.

They do get published in all category of newsletters or ezines but not for long. In the long run, the owners of those publication will remove their articles from the copies in the assumption that they are spam.

So instead of saving time and resources, you actually get nothing and have to start over from scratch. What’s more, your reputation is the one at stake. Think of the credibility that you suddenly lost by doing something you thought people will not notice.

3. Inappropriate titles or headlines.

If your headlines do not grab the attention of your readers instantly, it will not matter if you are best writer in the Internet. You will end up a loser.

Authors should spend some time thinking up titles that will work. This simply means that titles should attract the attention of visitors the instant they set their eyes on it. That is why the time spent on the content of the article should be the same as the time you have to put in thinking of a good title.

Which would you rather have? An outstanding article that has lame words for a title or an ordinary article with an eye-catching one?

In case you are not aware of it, the ordinary article will probably make more sales than the better one. Ask yourself why.

4. Think of your readers first before you think about yourself.

Most writers may have passed the first stages with flying colors but this is where they blow it. All because they think of themselves first and foremost.

In article marketing, you are not writing for yourself. You are writing for your readers. You cannot just go about and write topics you want. On the contrary, you need to write about the your market’s topic of interest.

To be an effective article marketer is to give your audience what they want. Your audience does not really care if you have won an award in writing or if you are a well known author. All they care about is that your articles should deliver what they need. And that they should have a use of your articles.

Do as they say.

5. Check you spelling and grammar.

Ok, granted that you have just written one of the best article ever read by people. But one thing you did not notice is that one word was spelled incorrectly. Once your readers have spotted this, all admiration and awe is immediately erased. Your article will then be classified as one of the low class ones.

If you do not want your articles to be disposed as something not worth reading, have them spell checked first before publishing. What is a minute or so of checking out for errors. Even if you blame them on machine typos, readers will always think it was you.

Once you understand the essence behind article marketing, you will never think of other means of generating traffic again. Just do not go overboard and start abusing your position as the author.