Each week I receive dozens of article submissions to my websites from aspiring authors, website owners, and entrepreneurs embarking on a new article marketing campaign. Most of the time, I can only use a small fraction of the content I receive because people writing articles make one of the crucial article marketing mistakes listed below.
KEY POINT: When you submit articles to a newsletter/ezine publisher or a website owner as part of your article marketing campaign, you have to remember that they aren't going to publish YOUR article for THEIR customers and visitors unless it is high quality content that gives something of value.
If you're writing articles like crazy as part of your article marketing, but getting very few of them actually published, then you might want to re-evaluate your approach. Are you making one of these crucial article marketing mistakes?
1. Poor Subject Matter:
If you're going to bother writing articles, write about something that people are interested in reading about. In other words, address a problem and provide a solution within your content. This is your best bet when in comes to article marketing. Content pieces that approach an old problem in a new way or with a new twist work well too -- you don't have to necessarily discover a whole new problem that no one else has ever though of before (If you discover a whole new problem and have the solution you better be thinking of product creation not just an article marketing!).
2. Write With Personality:
No one likes to read text books. Put a little of your own personality into your article marketing and make your content engaging and entertaining as well as informative. If you have a sense of humor, use it.
3. Write For Your Audience:
Don't distribute content about the value of protein in the American diet to a Russian Political website or the publisher of a podiatry newsletter... They don't care.
4. Write A Decent Sized Article:
Most publishers would rather an article be a little bit too long than very short. Four hundred word articles just don't have enough meat in them. Don't ramble when you're writing articles, but you've got to provide some details if you want to be published.
5. Break Up Your Article:
When writing articles, don't use three long paragraphs. Break it up into smaller paragraphs with a few single lines, bullets, etc. to make it easier and more enjoyable to read. Again -- no one likes to read text books.
6. Spell Check And Grammar:
If you're writing articles as part of a serious article marketing campaign, then you've got to spell check. No one will publish your content if it's full of spelling and grammar errors.
7. Don't Write A Sales Letter:
No one will publish an article that reads like a sales letter... period. Article marketing isn't about selling, it's about pre-selling.
8. Forget About Affiliate Links:
Use your head... why would anyone use your content article if it's full of your own affiliate links? Ever hear of the "Golden Rule?" It applies to article marketing too. Would you publish another writer's article if it were full of his affiliate links? I doubt it.
9. Create A Reasonable Resource Box:
A resource box should tell me who you are, what you do, and how I can get in touch with you. It's not unlimited advertising space for you to describe every website you run and each product you sell. Article marketing is about providing content, not advertising. That "Golden Rule" thing applies to resource boxes too.
10. Only Write About What You Know:
Even if you're writing articles based on opinion, get your facts straight. Don't write content filled with advice that you have no business giving... it will hurt your article marketing campaign.
If you take nothing else away from this discussion, remember that a good article writing campaign always answers "What's in it for me?"
When you're writing articles to send to newsletter and website publishers, you have to answer that question on two fronts...
What's in it for the publisher? Why should they show your content to their customers and visitors? Does it give something of value?
-- AND --
What's in it for the people who will ultimately be reading your article when it's published?
After all, the idea behind article marketing is to provide some worthy content that compels readers to visit your site, subscribe to your newsletter, or buy your product.
Article marketing can be extremely lucrative... but you've got to do it right.
Top 10 Of 2000
No one enjoys making a mistake in his or her job hunt at the cost of the job which he or she has applied for. Yet mistakes do happen either because of misconceptions, faulty guidance or advice, or by failing to develop an effective strategy. Furthermore, these mistakes are not just limited to either resume writing or poor interviewing, but a lack of holistic thinking.
The following list is not made in the order of the severity of the mistake, as you never know what mistake may be severe enough to cause you to lose an opportunity. The list is compiled by the different spheres where you can possibly make mistakes. And also there are going to be more than just 10 mistakes in the lists, for they all have enough potential to mar your job prospects.
Top 10 Mistakes In The Job Search
Making Mistakes In The Resume And On Applications
1.Not organizing your resume as the recruiters would like it to be.
2.Not highlighting your skills against must-have requirements, boring self-promotion
3.A simply boring or undeveloped cover letter
4.Sending multiple copies of the same resume
5.Badly formatted resumes and cover letters, with spelling and grammar errors
6.Unprofessional email addresses, font/color selection and unspecific subject lines, such as "resume.doc"
7.Failing to follow directions, either by carelessness or by over-confidence
All these are enough to either disinterest or annoy the recruiter. Just put yourself in his shoes and imagine what you would like in a resume that you would short-list.
Attitudinal Mistakes
1.Presuming entitlement to the job, which reflects badly in interviews and on tests
2.Assuming that you don't have the proper experience and feeling inferior
3.Trying to play out of your league, presenting false information, inflating titles, etc.
4.Insulting the interviewer or showing either pessimism or career stagnation
5.Applying to jobs you don't qualify for in hopes of playing the numbers game; wrongly assuming x out of y number of applications must result in interview calls
6.Appearing at interviews at your worst, i.e., uncut nails & hair, un-pressed dress or suit
7.Applying where you don't want to work or would reject the job if offered, for reasons such as higher salary expectations, etc. This is the result of not researching the position thoroughly
These attitudinal mistakes are much more serious than the mistakes in your resume and it could seriously damage your chances. You attitude is the result of crystallized characteristics which hardly change. At least this is how the interviewers see it.
At The Recruiters' Office
1.Just showing up for the sake of gaining experience. Interview-attending experiments don't bolster your skills but wastes recruiters' time
2.Not trying hard enough to be your best. Not asking clarification on a question if you are unclear about it the first time
3.Bringing up salary issues first (before the recruiter does) or accepting a low salary without discussion
4.Being unable to justify the claims that your resume makes
The biggest of all mistakes is just wondering why recruiters are not responding to your resume. If this is happening to you, don't just send out more resumes. Get your resume professionally evaluated. If you can correct this one mistake, you will have a lot more opportunities and many more doors will be open to you.
Both Chris Yates & Tony Jacowski are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Chris Yates has sinced written about articles on various topics from Classroom Management, Family Concerns and SEO Articles. Savvy internet marketers generate thousands of dollars from Article Marketing marketing each year. Click Now to get instant access To The Amazing Article Formula. Chris Yates's top article generates over 3600 views. Bookmark Chris Yates to your Favourites.
Tony Jacowski has sinced written about articles on various topics from University, Six Sigma and Information Technology. Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigm. Tony Jacowski's top article generates over 90500 views. Bookmark Tony Jacowski to your Favourites.
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