Thousands of articles are submitted to Article Directory Website and Ezine Editors daily, and many people are making a lot of money using this awesome tool of online marketing. However, not everyone is making money in their efforts, because there are several common mistakes people make in article marketing. Hopefully this article will help you to avoid these pitfalls.

Article Marketing Mistake #1 - NOT Defining Your Target Audience or Niche

Often, article authors write their article before they define their niche audience. Make sure that you always know the exact "niche" audience you want to reach before you write the first word. This will help you narrow down your topic and specific interest group. Broad audiences will move on from the information you provide to more narrow information that is closer to their specific topic of interest. For instance, if you are selling a weight loss product, do not try to target anyone interested weight loss, this is far too broad. Narrow your focus to a particular niche, such as "Eliminating Belly Fat" "Women Trying to Lose Pregnancy Fat", or "Lose Weight Before Your Wedding Date". These types of niche targeting articles are closer to the heart, and the issue, of those who are finding your article. They most likely did a search for information about their exact issue, and are looking for answers to a particular problem or question. If your articles are too broad you will not be the one providing the answer and they will mostly likely either never find you, or move on to an article that has their answer.

Article Marketing Mistake #2 - Irrelevant Content

This mistake that people make in article marketing can happen two ways. Choosing a title that does not fit the body of the article is deceptive and will make everyone angry at you- the search engines, the directory publishers, the ezine editors and -if it gets this far- the reader. People are in a hurry and want to know what they are reading, so if they click open an article title that says one thing but tries to sell them on something else because you've got them there, it won't work. Everyone is striving to please the reader, so don't waste the reader's time. Be relevant. The same goes for choosing the article category. Be as close as possible. For instance, if your article is about automobile seat covers, do not put your article in automotive maintenance category, Unless the only categories offered are broad, always narrow down the category as specific and relevant to the body of your article as possible.

Article Marketing Mistake #3 - Cutsie Titles That Don't Reveal Anything About the Content

You can write the best article in the world, but if your headline doesn't grab a reader's interest, you lose. And with so much content available online, and the fast pace that people surf for the information they are seeking, if your title is not clear about the purpose it serves, the problem it solves, the questions it answers, nobody will open it to read it. At least half as much time should be spent writing the headline as is in writing the actual article. An "average" article will often get superior results just because it had a fantastic title.

Article Marketing Mistake #4 - "The Horror of Grammatical Errors and Spelling Mistakes"

There is really no excuse for poor spelling, considering that nearly every program that you can use to write your article probably has a spell checker on it. And you could write an article worthy of Success Magazine, but as soon as somebody spots a typo or misspelling, you've lost credibility. If it has more than one or two errors, you don't have a chance. They won't believe anything you have to say and will be viewed as an amateur. Therefore, once you've written an article let it sit for a day or two before you submit it. Then read it again. Chances are you'll make lots of changes to the grammar. Or have someone check it for you to see how it sounds. And always use a spell checker.

So yes, article marketing is competitive, however if you avoid these mistakes that many people make in article marketing, you'll be far above your competition.