That's the reason they engage in article marketing, but it's not the reason they write articles -- or at least, it shouldn't be.

Article Marketing vs. Article Writing

The purpose of article marketing is to help you grow your business (by improving your search engine ranking, website traffic and overall web presence). The purpose of article writing is to inform, enlighten or educate your readers. Don't confuse the two.

Article Marketing Thought-Process

When planning your article marketing program, think strategically. What are your overall marketing goals, and how do articles support them? How many articles will you write each week? How will you integrate your articles with your website or blog? What will your call-to-action be?

Article Writing Thought-Process

When writing your articles, think only of how you can help the reader. What valuable information do you have to share with them? How can you engage them, teach them, delight them or educate them?

What Not to Do

Don't crank out articles just for the sake of attaching your website link at the end. This is often the path of the short-sighted article marketer. But in the long run, this will do you more harm than good. Weak articles will dilute your brand, erode your image, and lower your response rates.

Educate your readers with quality articles ... that's the path to article marketing success. Help your readers accomplish their goals, and you'll be more likely to accomplish yours.

* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett.