Writing Articles that Captivate Your Readers
By: Terry Jackson
You've heard it time and time again: if you want to get your name out there,
write articles and allow them to be freely reproduced (with a resource box
pointing back to you, of course). Largely, that is true. A well-written article
can:
* help you build your profile as an expert
* draw traffic to your site, and
* help you to build a database of potential clients through associated e-courses
or a newsletter.
So far you probably haven't heard anything you didn't already know. What YOU are
likely to be struggling with is the process of actually writing the article.
Sure, you can come up with the content - but how do you really grab those
readers? How do you keep their attention all the way through? And most
importantly, how do you make them want to come back for more?
Let's assume that you understand the basics of constructing and editing an
article (it has a beginning, middle, and an end and you know how to check the
grammar and spelling.) Most of us can manage that. But if you're not content
with simply "getting something out there" - if you want to WIN readers - then
you need to start thinking about what they want to know, rather than what you
want to tell them.
Put your readers first - every time. Give them what they want, and they'll be
queuing up to read anything you produce. Give them something bland (or worse,
blatantly self-serving) and they'll blast by you so fast you'll be spinning in
the back draft.
The following four steps will give you a blueprint for writing articles that
captivate your readers - whatever the topic.
1. Find Out What Your Readers Really Want
Sometimes you'll know what they want because you're an expert in the field, and
understand the problems. If you don't know the subject area well, you'll have to
do more research. Look for forums on your topic and see what people are
discussing. What are the problems that need solving? Can you provide an answer?
("If they have a headache, give them an aspirin.")
2. Start With An Attention-Grabber
Spend time working on your opening. Try to avoid trite questions like "Have you
ever wondered why so many people find it difficult to lose weight?" Firstly,
it's dull. Secondly, it's not targeting the person reading the article - what do
they care about the difficulties "many people" have with losing weight? They
only care about THEIR weight problem!
Try to come up with an opening paragraph that gives the reader that warm "Hey,
this is about me!" feeling right away. Better still; try to generate a rush of
excitement - "This could be the answer I've been looking for..."
Example: "The diet gurus make it all sound so easy: to lose weight, all you have
to do is expend more energy than you take in. Huh! If it were that simple, the
"Big People" stores would be out of business in a heartbeat. Luckily for those
of us who are tired of diets, gyms and dull group meetings, there is a
back-to-basics way to tackle this. A way that won't cost you a fortune or leave
you feeling deprived."
3. Write As You Speak... Then Edit!
The sample opening above also illustrates the importance of the tone you use in
your article. You need 'meat' in each article, of course, to make it worth
reading - but make sure it's not indigestible!
You're better off writing your article in a natural, relaxed style that's akin
to normal conversation. It doesn't matter if the first draft is a little too
informal - you can fix that when you edit. Naturally you don't want to irritate
your readers with a too-breezy style, but too-formal is worse. Readers may want
facts, tips, and strategies, but they hope to be entertained, too! Let your
personality shine through.
4. End On A High
What's one of the biggest problems with most articles? They fizzle out! Writers
often don't know how to end on an upbeat note. They either just stop dead or
they come up with a trite ending like: "So what are you waiting for? Get started
today!"
The beginning and the end of your article are the two parts that make the
biggest impression. Start by creating a feeling of anticipation... and leave
them feeling satisfied (or excited) when you finish.
If you are offering advice to help them solve a problem (like obesity) gives
your readers a reason to feel optimistic and good about them. Don't make rash
promises... but do offer hope. If you are giving hints on marketing or business,
sum up the benefits of acting on your tips. You can also experiment with using a
pithy/humorous quote, or giving readers a specific action to get them started.
Be creative - and don't rush it.
Here's a final tip: create an article-writing cheat-sheet for yourself. Divide
it into beginnings/middles/ends and add more useful strategies as you think of
them. (For example, using the tips in this article, you might write: ENDINGS -
end on a high, offer hope, use funny quote, suggest action to get started.)
Do this, and you'll be steadily cranking out articles that everyone wants to
publish!
Author Bio
Article by Terry Jackson. Terry is the webmaster of,
www.webmarketingpro.biz, a free
resource for web site promotion and search engine optimization. Please visit his
site for more free tips and tutorials on building traffic and generating income
on your site.
There's a proven way to make money online, you can do this by selling
information or knowledge you have.
The great part is you'll be your own boss. You're work from your home, while
earning money on line. Isn't this fun?
But to successful, you'll need to promote your website.
Make a comprehensive marketing plan that where you've clearly identified your
markets and how to appeal to them. You'll also need to
work closely with your web team to optimize your website, so your business
connects with both the human audience and content spiders.
But remember - you can only do some much promotions and marketing before you
fall flat on your nose. Be sure you have the following elements present in your
website.
To promote your website successfully, you need to have great products and
services. Otherwise, they will come in to look but won't buy. Your promotional
efforts will be a total waste.
Make sure your website is perfectly positioned, to sell and process orders. If
your e-commerce aspect is not secure, then no one will buy. No matter how many
great products you have. No matter how many links you swap with, promoting your
website will just be a waste of time.
Third element - internet marketing, means you need a marketing plan which
clearly speaks to your audience. Make sure that it's at a price you can afford.
If you spend too much on your promotional efforts, only to have it die down
because of lack of funds, you will lose your momentum. So stick to a promotional
budget you can afford.
So how do you promote your website?
Website design
Keep your website design basic and user friendly. This means minimizing the use
of animation or outlandish colors. Make sure your content has the appropriate
keywords in them, so that search engines can read and put you at the upper top
of the rankings.
Optimizing your website for search engine rankings
Make it a point to submit your website to two of the most popular and heavily
used crawler based search engines - Yahoo and Google. If your promotional budget
is small, make sure it's keyword rich. Then submit, wait patiently for a few
months before it to appear. Or you can do a sponsored listing if you have a
bigger promotional budget.
Submit your website to directories. This is free; and many seo experts say
you'll dramatically increase your chances of appearing at the top of the search
engine results. Try these directories: MSN, Yahoo, Google, AltaVista and Inktomi,
for starters.
Do swap links with other websites. Only after, you've researched their websites
to see if you're a fit for each other. Some will refuse to swap links, but don't
let it throw you. Just keep trying.
Post authoritative comments about subjects you are knowledgeable about. A
majority of these forums give you the freedom to put your URL at the bottom do
so.
Lastly - write articles about subjects you are an expert on. Submit these
articles to the directories that have big audiences. Include your URL and
byline. Soon, you'll get the traffic you need, because of the promotional
efforts you've done.
Author Bio
Not long ago, I didn't know ANYTHING about Internet marketing... However, within
just 2 weeks, I launched my own website AND learned how to profit from an opt-in
list, pull in sales with ezines, make money with Google Adwords and setup my own
BLOG!
Here's how: www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9583
Here's the website: www.JennerJohnHomeBusiness.com
