One of the best reasons for writing articles is to get traffic to your webiste and lots of it, but you won't attract much traffic with boring content, ramblings and regurgitated ideas that no one cares about. Your articles must be interesting, easy to read and spark interest.
How can you do that? Here are a few tips:
1. Forget what you Learned in English Class Internet surfers are skimmers, they want something that is easy to read and gets to the point fast. When it comes to paragraphs, shorter is better and each paragraph should consist of about 3-5 sentences. The last thing they want to read are big long run-on sentences, even if they belong together it's easier to read if you break them up. Keep your words simple, get to the point quickly and don't ramble or get preachy.
One thing you do need to remember from English class is make your writing understandable. I do this by speaking what I write. After you write it, say it out loud. If it doesn't make sense to you, it won't make sense to anyone else.
2. Use a Catchy Title Your title is what lures your reader in. It must capture their attention and incite intrigue. This means using powerful, descriptive words. For example, the title of this article is "8 hard-hitting article writing tips'. 'Hard-hitting' is a powerful description of these tips. Get the idea?
Remember also that your title should reflect exactly what your article is about, so keep it relevant and focused.
3. Skip the Broad Topics There's nothing worse than a broad topic with little detail. Keep your article focused on one specific topic and then follow through with informative details. Deliver good information in an expert manner. If you have too many topics running through your head, break them up into separate articles. If you are a little foggy about what details to include, ask yourself the who, what, when, where, why and how questions for ideas.
Additionally, keep your ideas flowing in a logical manner, don't jump around. Your article should flow like smooth running water.
4. Stir up Some Action Light a fire under your reader by using action words. This means avoiding words like was, were, can, maybe, are, am, may, could, should, etc. Bring your message alive with action words like get, find, will, do, must, go, run, drive, etc. The idea is to bring forth a powerful message that adds enthusiasm and provokes action. Don’t be wishy-washy with your ideas. Project a powerful, authoritative, say what you mean voice.
5. Deliver Quality over Quantity When submitting your articles to a directory, use the minimum number of words it requires. If a directory requires of minimum of 500 words and your article is 1000 words, split it up into two articles. The more articles you can submit the better. Having more articles is better than having larger articles.
6. Show Some Personality for cryin' out loud Let's face it, articles can be dull. Just read some of the articles out there and you'll see what I mean. You'll get a lot more feedback and interest if you can interject some personality in your writing. If you are a funny person, let that humor come through. Even a little sarcasm or controversy can add to a reader’s enjoyment and help put them at ease.
No one wants dull, so let your personality reflect a 'spark of spirit' that will help your reader better engage in your article.
7. Funnel Your Readers Forget the bio pitch. Your articles are not the best place for them; leave that to your website. Instead use your article's resource box to funnel your readers to your website. If they liked what they read in your article they will likely want to see more. Use your resource box to lead them there by attracting them with something of value. For example, your resource box might say something like this: - get your free course here... - learn more about xyz here... - get more articles like this here...
The idea is to channel your readers to your website, not pitch your bio. At this point no one really cares. Get them to your site first.
8. Grammar and Spelling Count Ever read an article with poor grammar and spelling errors? It's a bit of a turn-off. It diminishes your professionalism and authority. That's why you must use spell checker, particularly after making article changes or updates. Keep in mind; however that spellchecker may not pick up errors for words like 'there' and 'their' so give your articles a good eye-balling before submitting them.
As for your grammar, you don't have to follow every rule of grammar but you don't want to sound like a first grader either. Don't be sloppy; take the time to read over your article for good punctuation and a style of grammar that projects intelligence yet lets your personality shine through.
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