Article Marketing - Strengths and Weaknesses

Article Marketing has taken off in the last few years, bringing a variety of strengths and limitations to the online marketing industry. This business model, also referred to as publishing or e-publishing, runs on stories written by a variety of people for the general population that are generally only a few paragraphs in length. These short pieces range from long blurbs to mini-exposes on literally any topic imaginable. The diverse nature of articles within this field of marketing speaks to the diversity of internet websites. There are many strengths and weaknesses of this business, and I have highlighted a few below.

First, article marketing provides a venue for information on nearly any topic to reach a massive audience in a form that is easily digested. Because these articles are generally written at the sixth grade level, nearly anyone can read and understand the content. The easy reading format of these articles has opened the field for many fledgling writers who have not yet broken out as journalists or novelists. Internet article writing is a writing job open to nearly anyone and requiring limited talent to excel.

The open invitation that is article marketing also serves as a weakness. Because nearly anyone can participate in this business and make money, the bar for journalistic excellence is set quite low. Many people write articles without spending any time editing. Additionally, sources are not usually required for these pieces, so content can be quite unpredictable and unreliable. Nearly anyone can write nearly anything, and few are held accountable for their content. Articles drive internet site visits. A searcher will enter in a term on a search engine, and article titles appear that drive the searcher to particular sites. Once there, the site can market products or services primarily, and the job of the article is largely done. Because the information is rarely written for information’s sake but to drive internet site visit, the articles lack integrity and structure at times.

One way to increase the legitimacy of article marketing might be to utilize peer reviews and to increase the stringency placed on article authors to be correct and succinct. Sites that set the bar for articles higher often offer better content and receive longer visits from searchers. As searchers finish one quality article and stick around to read another, the internet site’s validity and viability increase in the tough online market as a result. This overwhelming benefit to quality articles might drive the industry towards quality over quantity.