This is completely normal, and let me assure you that the process will come more naturally after you've got a few of articles under your belt.

I've written tons of articles, and I'm convinced that it's a skill that pretty much anyone can learn.

But how do you make the leap from being just an average author to being a real rockstar writer when it comes to writing articles that provide value for your target market and drive traffic back to your website?

Here are 3 main characteristics that no expert article marketer can get by without:

1) Are you an expert in your field?

I know that some folks are reluctant to claim the title of "expert", but if you own your own business then you've got to be an expert in something.

Even if you're not at the absolute tippy top of your niche, you can still write with confidence and convey that you're knowledgeable on your topic.

By displaying your expertise in your article you build reader confidence, which goes a long way towards drawing readers to your website and making sales.

2) Are you passionate about your topic?

Most of the time folks who employ article marketing are small business owners who are trying to drive traffic to their website. Again, if you've taken the time to set up your own business, I would assume that you're passionate about what you do!

With your articles, you need to transfer that passion for your business into a passion for teaching your readers about your niche--there is a difference. In your articles you won't be allowed to write about your own business, so you'll need to show your enthusiasm by writing about specific topics in your niche.

Writers can convey passion and enthusiasm in as many different ways as there are personalities--the possibilities are endless!

But just to get you started, you might consider some of these approaches for showing that you're excited about your topic:

*Write on a personal level, like you're talking to a potential customer who has come up to you and asked a question.

*Keep it simple. Throw away hard to understand niche jargon, and make sure to phrase your points as simply as possible. You show your expertise and enthusiasm by making your topic easy to understand, rather than by making your reader feel, "Wow, this is really over my head!"

*Use appropriate exclamation points. When you're trying to convey emotion in print across the cold and impersonal internet, you might as well take advantage of every tool available, including punctuation.

Appropriately used explanation points are like punches of spice that catch a reader's attention and show them which parts of your article you think are the high points.

A caution: Don't go overboard here--a little goes a long way when you're dealing with explanation points.

3) Do you want to teach your readers?

I bet you already guessed this one, since throughout this article I've been telling you that the goal is to produce educational content and to teach your reader's something they would find valuable.

If you don't think of yourself as being a teacher, don't panic!

You don't have to have any actual teaching experience or training, but if you have expertise in your topic and you're passionate about your subject matter, you will naturally want to share your knowledge in a creative way with your readers.

What did you like about your favorite teachers when you were growing up?

Most likely your favorites were the ones who got you turned on to a new idea, or who encouraged you and made you feel capable and smart, or who made you laugh.

Whatever you're writing articles about, put yourself in the role of a beloved teacher and think, "How would Miss So-And-So have taught this in her class?"

We can learn a lot by simply emulating people who have been good teachers to us.

I hope this article gives you an injection of confidence if you've been wondering if you had what it takes to be good at writing articles. You don't need to be Shakespeare or anything, but as long as you've got an in depth knowledge, passion for your topic, and a desire to share what you know, you're well on your way to being an expert author!