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.
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.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
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Article Writing Secrets
“…The Easy, Proven And Simple Way To Pump Out High Quality Articles And Turn Them Into Long Term Residual Income”
If you desperately NEED high quality content for your website, adsence sites, promoting affiliate programs, promoting your own products, to create an unstoppable viral income or anything else for that matter! You have come to the rights place…
Here is just a small list of what you will learn after you get your hands on the “Article Writing Secrets” ebook…
The absolute fastest and easiest way to pump out as many high quality, rich content articles as possible (this technique will have you pumping out dozens of high quality articles every single day…imagine all the things you will be able to do with all that content!)
Exactly where to go to find inspiration, ideas and knowledge for your articles (these are some great resources you can use in order to never be stuck for things to write about)
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4 Steps To Article Writing Success
There is no question that article writing is one of the best ways to put money in your pocket. And the ways to do this are numerous to say the least.
Traffic generation to your site through syndication
Freelance writing
Guest blogging
That’s just a short list. There are many ways to take an article and turn it into cash.
But the whole process starts with the article itself. A bad article isn’t going to be worth anything regardless of whether you’re submitting to directories for syndication, writing for pay or writing for another site in order to establish a name for yourself.
The article MUST be of quality.
And that’s where a lot of people drop the ball because they end up stumbling along the road of what is essentially a four step process.
