In a companion article I mentioned my exasperation over the fact that my 575 posted articles havent brought me any tangible results, and specifically no paying clients!

It reminds me of one of my favorite stories.

A guy in Florida loaded a freight train with oranges and sold the cargo to a fellow in Georgia. The Georgian rerouted the shipment to someone in Kansas City, who in turn, transferred ownership to a bloke in Oregon.

The Oregonian opened the cargo and saw nothing but rotten oranges.

In a huff, he phoned the person who sold them to him and demanded to know, Whats going on?

His contact said with utter seriousness: You misunderstood: Those oranges arent for eating; theyre for SELLING!

I have to say the same principle applies to writing articles and then to posting them. The Ezine site will come out, because it sells ads, and inevitably, some folks will click on them.

But if youre seeking to attract your own customers or clients, you may well be disappointed.

Heres why:

The wrong folks are reading your stuff. Its probably other writers, indeed your competitors, who are trying to see what youre up to.

And while articles may elevate your rankings at search engines, you have to be sure that people are searching under the terms that are tapped into by your writing, and that these folks are buyers, as well.

Like an aspiring actor who hangs out on Hollywood Boulevard hoping to be discovered, article marketers are doing something with similar odds of success.

Wouldnt it be a lot easier, faster, and certainly more direct to call or to mail something to a highly targeted audience, one consisting of known buyers of what youre selling, and then follow through with them, one at a time?

In a word or two, isnt article marketing just a little too indirect and iffy?