"Article marketing no longer works" is what some say. Of course, if you write garbage and expect people to eat it, this could be true. But it works if you do it right and can be about the most powerful marketing tools you have. Below are three mistakes in article marketing that are commonly made.

1. Confusing the reason for writing articles with the reason for promoting your business with articles.

There are several reasons for promoting your business with articles but their is only one reason for writing articles.

First lets talk about reasons for promoting your business with articles. Articles drive traffic to your website. They also position you as an expert in whatever field you are writing about. Now those are great and all but it should not be your focus for writing an article. Then why write articles?

Giving value to your readers is why you should be writing articles. Any other motives will stand out like a sore thumb. False motives will turn people away. If you write in this manner, it is best not to bother.

You need to provide value to your readers before they are going to trust you. Then in the resource box you let them know you have additional information on your website.

2. Not using the full potential of each article

After you write an article, then what do you do? Your next step is to make certain your resource box is enticing. It will do you no good if you produce marvelous articles but no one clicks the links in you resource box. Provide a reason for readers to want to click the link to your site.

Using your keywords as hyperlinks in your resource box is a good technique that will increase your articles effectiveness. This will not only have the effect of getting visitors to your site from direct clicks on the links but will help the rank of your site in the search engines indirectly.

Once your article is ready, you submit it to article directories. Then you are finished? NO.

Many people go wrong at this point. Now you also submit the article to web publishers individually. People who want to submit articles of there own are the most frequent visitors to article directories. Web publishers will use your article on their own websites or send it to their email lists so your article is read by real people.

3. Writing useless articles that help no one.

If your articles are of little use to readers, one of two things will happen. And your online business won't be helped by either of them.

The first thing is that no one is going to trust you after reading your article. And that's assuming that they finished reading your article. Which they probably won't. More than likely they'll just leave.

The second problem is that you will have trouble finding anyone willing to post your article on their website. Their reputations are important to them so they will not risk it by posting your article. They know putting a bad article on their site will lose them the trust of their visitors. They won't give you many links for your article and that would be a waste of your time

Article marketing is far from being dead. It may take a little more time to do it correctly but you will benefit tremendously.

About the Author, Aaron Anderson:

Author Aaron Anderson manages his own online business. He offers tips on how to do it. Make sure you take a look at this if you are starting an online business. Link directory.