Writing articles, if written correctly, can bring you an extreme amount of exposure on the internet. The first thing to keep in mind is that writing for the Internet is very different from writing for a newspaper, report, or magazine.
Before you start creating the perfect article, get to know your target audience. Be aware of who they are, what they need and how you can reach them. If you’re writing an article about soap operas, it’s obvious; you will need to attract, in general, middle-aged women who are housewives. However, if you are writing about the latest trends in electronics, your target audience will be men between the ages of 16 and 40. Knowing who your target audience is will give you great insight into the type of article you should write.
The first thing that will be noticed about your article will be its title. You must first grab their attention by creating a title that is relatively short, catchy, and has the ability to make them want to read. As an example, the title of this article “Creating the Perfect Article” is much more interesting than “Writing an Article”.
Also, your article should have content that can hold the attention of your readers. If you provide a visitor with an article that is dull and boring, they are likely to skip past it after the first paragraph and continue their “navigation”.
Take your writing very seriously and write about topics you are familiar with. Casual writing can be good, but you shouldn’t write while you speak. Be professional and interesting in your writing.
Another aspect to consider is the time limit of your readers. Often time online is valuable and they will want to read an article quickly. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point with focused information. Be brief and keep your articles between 500 and 1500 words. You should also avoid capitalizing words and the occasional exclamation point will suffice.
Humor is a great way to keep your readers’ attention. Using humor allows them to connect with the writer and is a great read when examining a serious topic. However, be careful and use humor with good taste.
A big issue, especially on the Internet, is “borrowing” other words or written works. Avoid borrowing too much from someone; Write your articles from the heart and with meaning. If you feel the need to always use someone else’s words or written work, acknowledge them directly.
When listing items within an article, be sure to use bullet points of some sort. The use of bullet points allows for organization and helps the reader to follow easily without getting lost in the content of the article.
Finally, use good design, make sure your grammar and spelling are correct, and always read and reread your article until it’s “perfect.” Include a summary at the end of your article, essentially to remind your reader why they stopped to read in the first place.
Creating the perfect article is a combination of many things, your main goal is to reach your visitors and readers and keep them. Many companies have used articles as a marketing effect to promote themselves, their products, and various other aspects of their company. A proven technique is tried and true; use it to your advantage.
