Top Ten Article Writing Tips
Posted 2nd March 2012 at 09:01 PM by Selmicro
Whether you are writing articles for submission to offline or online newsletters or magazines, for your blog, lens, hub page or for submission to article directories, you want your articles to be high quality so people continue reading right to the end and do not stop after the opening sentence. Here are some tips to achieve that result.
1. Know what you want to write about and the demographics of your likely audience before you start so that you use appropriates language.
2. Use a title that clearly states to purpose and content of the article and entices the reader to want to learn more. For a marketing article, use your main keyword in the title.
If you cannot think of a title, you can always fall back on some of these tried and tested formats:
Effective Tips for...
How to...
Secrets of...
The best 10... or the top ten or top five or seven etc.
Must Know....
Things to avoid when...
Basic Steps to...
Better ways to...
Affordable ways to...
Easy steps to...
2. Have a short introductory paragraph that outlines the content of your article. If your article is for marketing purposes, use a primary keyword in the introduction and summarize the benefits and not the features of whatever you are writing about in your article. By mentioning benefits at the beginning, you are answering the unspoken question "what's in it for me"
3. Divide the body of your article into sections. A good way to start is to jot down a list of ideas, sort the list into a logical order, then enlarge on each idea. Sometimes it is helpful to do the body of the article before the title, that way you know exactly what your article is about and how many sections you have; this can help you select your title.
4. Keep white space between different points so the article is easy to read. Bulleted or numbered lists can be very effective, especially for readers scanning your work quickly.
5. Use simple words so that those with a limited vocabulary or knowledge of the language is able to understand what you are saying. Keep your sentences short and to the point.
6. Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Use the spell checker on your word processor or a dictionary if you are unsure. Ask someone else to read your work and give feedback. Sometimes it is hard to see errors and inconsistencies in your own work.
7. Write to your audience. For example, if you are writing for a senior audience & reviewing children's toy that a grandparent might buy, you could stress how much a child would love them, but if writing for a young adult audience you might stress the educational or safety benefits.
8. If the medium supports it, use relevant images to add interest.
Although this is not appropriate for articles intended for article directories, images are very effective in blog posts, lenses, hub pages, newsletters and magazines.
9. Write using a conversational tone. If you are unsure if your work is doing this, imagine that you are talking to a friend and explaining the material, then judge if what you have written is interesting by checking things like this:
Is it too long-winded?
Does it sound condescending?
Is the language used too complicated or overly simple?
Have you used the same word over and over till it sounds boring?
10. Beware of making your article purely a sales pitch; nothing is more annoying or more sure to send your reader off to another source.
If you are reviewing or discussing a product or products, make sure that what you say gives useful information, is accurate, can be substantiated by real testimonials or other reviews.
There will always be a need for great articles.
They might be for your own use, for your blog, copy for your websites, to promote yourself, your interests, your own products or affiliate products.
You could sell private label rights to your articles and earn money that way or you could upload them to membership sites where they become available as resources for others.
Whatever their purpose, following these tips will ensure that the articles you write are of high quality.
1. Know what you want to write about and the demographics of your likely audience before you start so that you use appropriates language.
2. Use a title that clearly states to purpose and content of the article and entices the reader to want to learn more. For a marketing article, use your main keyword in the title.
If you cannot think of a title, you can always fall back on some of these tried and tested formats:
Effective Tips for...
How to...
Secrets of...
The best 10... or the top ten or top five or seven etc.
Must Know....
Things to avoid when...
Basic Steps to...
Better ways to...
Affordable ways to...
Easy steps to...
2. Have a short introductory paragraph that outlines the content of your article. If your article is for marketing purposes, use a primary keyword in the introduction and summarize the benefits and not the features of whatever you are writing about in your article. By mentioning benefits at the beginning, you are answering the unspoken question "what's in it for me"
3. Divide the body of your article into sections. A good way to start is to jot down a list of ideas, sort the list into a logical order, then enlarge on each idea. Sometimes it is helpful to do the body of the article before the title, that way you know exactly what your article is about and how many sections you have; this can help you select your title.
4. Keep white space between different points so the article is easy to read. Bulleted or numbered lists can be very effective, especially for readers scanning your work quickly.
5. Use simple words so that those with a limited vocabulary or knowledge of the language is able to understand what you are saying. Keep your sentences short and to the point.
6. Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Use the spell checker on your word processor or a dictionary if you are unsure. Ask someone else to read your work and give feedback. Sometimes it is hard to see errors and inconsistencies in your own work.
7. Write to your audience. For example, if you are writing for a senior audience & reviewing children's toy that a grandparent might buy, you could stress how much a child would love them, but if writing for a young adult audience you might stress the educational or safety benefits.
8. If the medium supports it, use relevant images to add interest.
Although this is not appropriate for articles intended for article directories, images are very effective in blog posts, lenses, hub pages, newsletters and magazines.
9. Write using a conversational tone. If you are unsure if your work is doing this, imagine that you are talking to a friend and explaining the material, then judge if what you have written is interesting by checking things like this:
Is it too long-winded?
Does it sound condescending?
Is the language used too complicated or overly simple?
Have you used the same word over and over till it sounds boring?
10. Beware of making your article purely a sales pitch; nothing is more annoying or more sure to send your reader off to another source.
If you are reviewing or discussing a product or products, make sure that what you say gives useful information, is accurate, can be substantiated by real testimonials or other reviews.
There will always be a need for great articles.
They might be for your own use, for your blog, copy for your websites, to promote yourself, your interests, your own products or affiliate products.
You could sell private label rights to your articles and earn money that way or you could upload them to membership sites where they become available as resources for others.
Whatever their purpose, following these tips will ensure that the articles you write are of high quality.
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