Article Marketing Killers

By allen on September 24th, 2008
Posted in Article Directories, Article Marketing, Article Writing |

The following article marketing practices, if you engage in them, can kill your article marketing efforts. Engage in these practices at your own peril:

1. Write articles that are obviously blatant advertising messages. Articles are not to be straightforward advertising articles. If they are, many article directories will reject them out of hand.
2. Include links within the body of your articles. Some directories are OK with this, but most are not. You shouldn’t promote websites within the body of articles, particularly if those sites are yours.
3. Don’t include too many links in your author resource box. You’ll be rejected for sure.
4. Excessive profanity. Profanity, if used, should be very sparingly, but you should probably stay away from it altogether. Some article directories will not publish articles with even light profanity and for most businesses just a little bit is too much. Think family friendly.
5. Trashing the competition. There’s no need to go negative. Trash talk might work in politics, but in business it will just give you a bad reputation.
6. Articles too short. If you go below 300 words, and 400 words for many directories, then you’ll be rejected.
7. Writing too long. Many directories will reject articles if they are too long. 700 words is usually enough, but you should never write more than 1,000 words for an article for mass distribution.
8. Excessive HTML. Some article directories frown on any HTML, but those that do allow HTML in the body of article will only allow so much of it. Don’t go overboard with your HTML.

Article marketing should be about what you know, not getting the sale. You are not offering a sales pitch, you are offering your knowledge. Give it away and they will come. Article marketing builds trust.