Are you unknowingly writing articles that simply annoy your readers? If you are making the 10 article writing mistakes below, then I’m sorry to tell you – but “YES!” you are.

10 Ways to Make Sure Your Article Readers Do NOT Become Prospects and Customers…

1. Over-promising and under-delivering in terms of content.

If you make an outrageous proposition or a huge promise like (Lose 30 pounds in 30 days) in your article title, then you better make sure you back up your claims. For example, when I wrote the article, “How to Promote Your Book to the Top of the New York Times Best Sellers List,” I showed the exact steps we took to help Dr Mark Hyman achieve that status. Within our article, we shared our case study and provided valuable information for authors.

2. Too many errors.

Whenever I make an occasional grammar mistake (or when I pronounce a word wrong) my GetLinkedInHelp.com business partner Kristina Jaramillo has to correct me. She’ll do it in a loving way (as she is my partner in business and in life) – but she has to point it out every time because to her it’s like taking your fingers and making the screeching sound on the blackboard. Do you want your readers to have that kind of response because you simply did not take the time to proofread your articles?

3. Not enough beef.

You really expect me to trust you and buy from you when you are giving me bits and pieces of information. Yes, 200-250 word articles are perfect for your blog as long as you produce highly-valuable, highly-informative content all the time. But if I’m reading your articles on someone else’s blog, website or ezine I need to see that you are the expert and I need you to give me a real reason to go to your website to grab even more information.

4. Hard selling.

If you if you are hard selling within your articles, you instantly lose credibility. Instead of being seen as an expert who truly wants to help others success, you’ll be seen as an advertiser.

Also, trying to sell me within your article is like asking me to marry you on a first date. You have to build and nourish your relationship with me first. Provide rare gems that no one else is offering, then invite me in your bio box to grab a free resource such as a special report, ebook, templates, video etc. And, make sure this free offering provides real value – otherwise you are wasting your time.

5. Writing in gigantic blocks of text.

Big blocks of text are easy to get lost in. They also strain eyes and make reading difficult because it’s hard to scan, let alone read. In fact, a study shows that only 16% of your readers will actually read your article word-by-word. The rest mostly scan.

6. Writing like a robot with no personality.

Readers do not like to read writing without personality. It feels as if you’re reading from a robot! Or even an impersonal “professional” commercial site! Instead, write your articles with style and personality.

This is one of the reasons why I say that you should be writing your own articles instead of hiring a writer. No one can copy your personality. Let your personality shine through and you will create an instant connection with your readers. This connection builds trust and will help you in your cause of getting them onto your list.

7. Crossing the line with your writing.

I want you to write with personality. That doesn’t mean to get profane. It doesn’t mean to insult your audience. It does not mean to talk down to your readers. It doesn’t mean to be a Rush Limbaugh in words!

8. Re-purposing the same story over and over again.

One of my article marketing clients includes the story on how he went from barely making it to the bottom of his driveway to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in every single one of his articles. These articles are getting put on his blog. They are being used for article submission and in a 30 day auto-responder series. Now, I just want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to get away from this story.

9. Over-stuffing your articles.

Now, I already talked about not adding enough beef. Here, it’s the complete opposite. Many article marketers are throwing together so many different ideas together – and they’re all over the map. They’re literally confusing and overwhelming readers. Keep your articles on focal point! If you need help, check out these article templates: http://www.StartWritingArticlesFaster.com

10. Making your articles boring.

The number one rule of writing anything – is to stay away from boring. You need to add stories. You need to engage readers. And, you need to add psychological triggers.

By avoiding these 10 ways to piss off your article readers you will convert more readers into prospects and customers. Just remember, you need to provide value.

Article marketing expert Eric Gruber creates online marketplace opportunities for authors, internet marketers and small business owners who want more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now you can get started with article marketing fast with Eric’s free instant article writing templates that will help you write articles in 30 minutes or less. Grab them now at: http://www.trymyfreearticletemplates.com

Some business owners attract clients and customers like magnets. Their marketing seems effortless. They don’t advertise. They haven’t made a cold call in years. They charge more. They’re regularly asked to speak at conferences and are featured in newspapers and magazines. Their articles are found on top websites and ezines. They’re invited to be guest bloggers on very influential blogs. And, everyone knows their name, and they get all the business they can handle.

It’s almost as though they were famous.

Their names come to mind when people are looking for a particular product or service. They get more business – not only more, but the right kind of business. Unlike you, they don’t have to work so hard to get it.

Why?

Because they have become a thought leader in their industry. You can too if you start writing articles with the idea of becoming a thought leader.

3 New Article Templates for a Thought Leader WannaBe.

Article template #1 – A Little Bit of Controversy

An article stating a controversial opinion can attract interest and readers if it is written well and based on facts and if it avoids inflammatory statements or personal judgments. Although “controversial” implies disagreement, you don’t have to use words that intentionally create divisions among readers and set one group of readers against the other.

Your goal as a thought leader should be to tell the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable or challenges common assumptions. Make controversy a side effect of your article rather than its goal.

Article Template #2 – Predictions

It’s generally believed that authors who make informed, reliable predictions gain credibility in their field. Good predictions are based on knowledge, experience and an ability to recognize and explain trends, developments and signals. They provide a glimpse of what lies ahead and are highly sought after by those not yet in-the-know.

Using this article template, you can quickly tap into your particular knowledge and expertise to generate articles that are both enticing and provide a high-value insider perspective for your readers.

Article Template 3 – Traps and How to Escape Them Article Template

We’ve all been trapped from time to time on almost every plane of possibility, whether it was a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or financial challenge. With this article template you get to save the day with your expertise by delivering the “escape plan” followed with a Resource Box where they can learn how to further escape from the trap.

Now, I’d like to help you escape your challenges of becoming a thought leader so you can start attracting more clients and customers like magnet. So, I’m going to invite you to claim 3 of my instant article writing templates for free.

This way you can start writing articles more articles, faster. And, then submit your articles to become the expert in your field.

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners, authors, entrepreneurs and speakers who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get 3 of his favorite his instant article writing templates that will help you overcome writer’s block and write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Get your free article templates now: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com

Recently, I was in a karate tournament competing in the 18 to 34 year old advanced black belt division. I was fighting for 3rd place, when all of a sudden I was caught by a punch in my eye. The punch was so hard and fast that I did not see it coming. When I woke up, I didn’t even know what I was hit with.

Now, that black belt was disqualified for malicious contact.

But as an Internet marketer and article marketer, you want to legitimately hit your competitors so hard and fast that they don’t see you coming. And, when they wake up, you already have their traffic and sales.

How to Get New Customers and Sell Like Never Before with Article Marketing

By writing and submitting articles online to the top websites, ezines and article directories, you will get more links, more traffic and more sales without any problem.

But, if you really want to compete with the BIG guys and girls in your market, then you need to follow my secret strategies to getting new customers:

1. Write articles that give away your best information for free!

Most people are afraid to give away great information so they resort to giving the same old information as everyone else. But this doesn’t differentiate you. This doesn’t show that you truly are the expert. It doesn’t give me a reason to go to your website instead of your competitors. You want to wow me with truly great, free content that makes my mouth watery for more. You want me to be like: “Oh my god, I can’t believe the information he’s giving out for free. I can’t wait to see the information that I have to buy for.” If you do this you will be a step ahead of your competition.

2.Write articles that educate the prospect on how to buy products and services within your niche.

Inform them on the types of questions they should be asking and what they should be looking for. Every question that you include should be something you do, that your competition doesn’t. An example, would be my article: “How to Choose an Article Submission Service.”

This article helped Article Marketing Experts make more than $10,000.00 in less than 2 months.

Why does this template work?

Because it pre-sells your products and services.

Now you won’t have to work as hard to close the sale.

When you go to: http://www.StartWritingArticlesFaster.com/BeatYourCompetitionVideo you’ll get even more information on how to hit your competition so hard and fast that they don’t know what hit them. Plus, I’m offering you 3 FREE Instant Article Writing Templates, including the template that helped me make more than $10,000.00 in less than 2 months.

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners, authors, entrepreneurs and speakers who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can Eric’s FREE Article Marketing Video and 3 of his favorite his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles fast. Get it all now at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com

When you write articles, if you don’t keep your audience in mind then you are insulting them. Let me show you an example (unrelated to article marketing) of what happens if you don’t keep your targeted audience in mind.

Recently my girlfriend, Kristina Jaramillo, attended one of the worst bridal showers ever. I’ve never heard of a bridal shower where more than 75% of the guests left insulted, have you?

Here’s one of the reasons for the total disaster…

The bridesmaids thought it would be funny to put on a clothesline the different types of underwear to represent the different phases of life and marriage ending with Depends. Now this would have been a perfect gag for a bachelorette party, where all the guests would have been in their 20′s and 30′s. But not a bridal shower, where at least 75% of the guests were ages 55 to 75.

The bridesmaids totally forgot who their target audience was.

Out of respect for the bride, the guests did not leave, even though they were disgruntled. However, if you write articles or website content that’s not geared for your targeted audience, people will leave.

Keep reading this article below to find out if you’re insulting your targeted audience – without even realizing it.

3 Mistakes Most Article Marketers Make That Insult Their Audience

If you’re making any of the mistakes, then you are insulting publishers, prospects and readers alike.

Mistake #1: Failure to identify your audience.

I search the Internet all time for articles that can help me build my different online businesses. There are many times that I won’t open an article because I don’t know if it’s for me. And, because my time is valuable, I don’t want to waste it on an article that isn’t for me. That’s a slap in my face. So identify your audience in the title, in the introduction and in the bio box.

Mistake #2: Failure to use examples that resonate with your targeted audience.

Let’s say you write a sales article titled, “How to Double Your Sales in the Next 60 Days.” And, let’s say you use examples from the financial services sector to reinforce your points. Then, you target an online publication that’s specifically for IT sales professionals. And, although your tips, tools, information, systems and products may work for a broad variety of industries, if you don’t tweak your article examples, to show that you understand my industry – you lose instant credibility. It’s an insult to think that you can connect with me, even though you don’t show me that you have experience with my particular industry.

Mistake #3: Giving the wrong level of information to the wrong audience

One of my article marketing clients is a career coach who would love to get more 100K+ executive clients. The problem is that every article he writes has basic information that recent college graduates need – not executives who have been through the job searching process many times. If he wants to attract higher-level clients, then he has to stop insulting their intelligence and start writing articles with information that resonate with that specific audience. When you write, you have to keep your audience in mind and write to their needs, wants and desires.

That’s why it’s important that you write a variety of articles.

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber teaches experts, authors, small business owners, entrepreneurs, speakers and internet marketers who want more publicity, prospects and profits how to write articles that persuade and motivate prospects to take immediate action. Now, you can get 3 of his favorite instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com