Article Writing to Promote Your Website Part II - Article Formatting
From the discussion in Part I, you have by now selected an attractive topic which is sure to generate interest.
With your topic and research, it is time to put it into comprehensible sentences and paragraphs.
Part II of this four-part guide discusses "How to Format and Structure your Articles" in promoting your website.
After all, learning the basics will lead to your success when it comes to meeting publisher guidelines.
But more importantly, you will have a base of highly interested readers and possibly customers.
Below are the various ingredients of an article: Title:Your title is your starting point.
It is what grabs the initial attention of the reader.
Words such as "Tips" "How-to" "Steps", "Easy" ...
are some to consider in your title.
Your title let's the reader know what your article is all about and what they will get from reading it.
For instance "Five Ways to Flatten your Belly" would be an extremely popular title amongst the millions of health conscious people.
A catchy 5-7 word title is sure to engage the reader.
Here are other examples: "Learn to swim in seven days" or "How to kick-start your career in 4-easy-steps".
Introduction:Set the tone.
What is your article about?Include 3-4 sentences on what your article will discuss.
The goal here is to engage the reader to READ ON!Consider using statistics that you found in your research to develop that initial interest.
Or use a question-like statement such as "Did you know over 50% of the US is considered obese".
Of course, ensure that your information is factual and from a credible source.
Again ask yourself "what are the benefits to a reader if they read your article".
Body:Having a captivating title and introduction is not enough!The body of your article consists of the "meat" of your information.
Here you are providing readers the useful information and/or guide they are seeking.
It generally is 3-4 paragraphs with each paragraph looking at a specific aspect of your topic.
Keep it simple, to the point but make it informative.
There is nothing worse than a reader to think that he/she has wasted his/her time reading your article.
Paragraphs should be short - about 3-5 lines.
Avoid run-on sentences.
Conclusion:Recap what you have written.
It should consist of 3-4 sentences, keeping it brief and reiterating important elements of the article, including the benefits.
Signature or Bylines:Here is where marketing and promoting your website comes to play.
Bylines, also known as resource box is no more than 6 lines and provides a description about you and your business.
It is an important aspect of any article and will be the topic of discussion in Part III of this guide.
The Nitty-Gritty:In general, publishers have certain guidelines in place.
Part IV of this guide provides a list of various publishers to consider where posting your articles will help promote your website.
It is always best to refer to individual publishing guidelines abut below are a few tricks and tips to keep in mind: -Keep your articles between 500 and 750 words (again this depends on your topic).
-Use short succinct paragraphs.
Remember white space helps keep the interest; lengthy paragraphs tend to overwhelm the readers and reduces their attention span.
-Limit to "65 characters per line" which includes spaces.
Hit "Enter" after reaching the limit -Use text editors in writing your articles such as "Note Pad".
This way a publisher can easily cut and paste into their templates without having to waste time in additional formatting.
-Vary sentence lengths -Speak directly to your reader using "Second Person" (i.
e.
you, your...
).
-Use personal experiences (this engages the reader) -Utilize sub headings -Avoid using complex words or jargons.
-Use experts to validate certain points and provide great insights.
Check out Profnet to find experts on your topic.
-Use keywords to benefit from Search Engine Optimization (this ensures that searches with the use of keywords will direct customers to your website because you have the content).
It is always advisable to check the guidelines of the publisher.
Of course, with any kind of writing, proof-reading, spell-checking and editing plays an equally important role.
Have peers and friends review your material.
Just as you don't' want to waste the time of your readers, you definitely don't want to waste the time of the publishers.
Also, look at different articles on similar topics to gain some perspective.
This is a great way to get your juices flowing but in the right direction.
Once you have written and formatted your article, you are half way there.
Before you submit your article to the publishers, a well-written byline is the next step to achieving your goal and success of promoting your website.
Part III of this article discusses the how-to's of writing your Ultimate Byline.
With your topic and research, it is time to put it into comprehensible sentences and paragraphs.
Part II of this four-part guide discusses "How to Format and Structure your Articles" in promoting your website.
After all, learning the basics will lead to your success when it comes to meeting publisher guidelines.
But more importantly, you will have a base of highly interested readers and possibly customers.
Below are the various ingredients of an article: Title:Your title is your starting point.
It is what grabs the initial attention of the reader.
Words such as "Tips" "How-to" "Steps", "Easy" ...
are some to consider in your title.
Your title let's the reader know what your article is all about and what they will get from reading it.
For instance "Five Ways to Flatten your Belly" would be an extremely popular title amongst the millions of health conscious people.
A catchy 5-7 word title is sure to engage the reader.
Here are other examples: "Learn to swim in seven days" or "How to kick-start your career in 4-easy-steps".
Introduction:Set the tone.
What is your article about?Include 3-4 sentences on what your article will discuss.
The goal here is to engage the reader to READ ON!Consider using statistics that you found in your research to develop that initial interest.
Or use a question-like statement such as "Did you know over 50% of the US is considered obese".
Of course, ensure that your information is factual and from a credible source.
Again ask yourself "what are the benefits to a reader if they read your article".
Body:Having a captivating title and introduction is not enough!The body of your article consists of the "meat" of your information.
Here you are providing readers the useful information and/or guide they are seeking.
It generally is 3-4 paragraphs with each paragraph looking at a specific aspect of your topic.
Keep it simple, to the point but make it informative.
There is nothing worse than a reader to think that he/she has wasted his/her time reading your article.
Paragraphs should be short - about 3-5 lines.
Avoid run-on sentences.
Conclusion:Recap what you have written.
It should consist of 3-4 sentences, keeping it brief and reiterating important elements of the article, including the benefits.
Signature or Bylines:Here is where marketing and promoting your website comes to play.
Bylines, also known as resource box is no more than 6 lines and provides a description about you and your business.
It is an important aspect of any article and will be the topic of discussion in Part III of this guide.
The Nitty-Gritty:In general, publishers have certain guidelines in place.
Part IV of this guide provides a list of various publishers to consider where posting your articles will help promote your website.
It is always best to refer to individual publishing guidelines abut below are a few tricks and tips to keep in mind: -Keep your articles between 500 and 750 words (again this depends on your topic).
-Use short succinct paragraphs.
Remember white space helps keep the interest; lengthy paragraphs tend to overwhelm the readers and reduces their attention span.
-Limit to "65 characters per line" which includes spaces.
Hit "Enter" after reaching the limit -Use text editors in writing your articles such as "Note Pad".
This way a publisher can easily cut and paste into their templates without having to waste time in additional formatting.
-Vary sentence lengths -Speak directly to your reader using "Second Person" (i.
e.
you, your...
).
-Use personal experiences (this engages the reader) -Utilize sub headings -Avoid using complex words or jargons.
-Use experts to validate certain points and provide great insights.
Check out Profnet to find experts on your topic.
-Use keywords to benefit from Search Engine Optimization (this ensures that searches with the use of keywords will direct customers to your website because you have the content).
It is always advisable to check the guidelines of the publisher.
Of course, with any kind of writing, proof-reading, spell-checking and editing plays an equally important role.
Have peers and friends review your material.
Just as you don't' want to waste the time of your readers, you definitely don't want to waste the time of the publishers.
Also, look at different articles on similar topics to gain some perspective.
This is a great way to get your juices flowing but in the right direction.
Once you have written and formatted your article, you are half way there.
Before you submit your article to the publishers, a well-written byline is the next step to achieving your goal and success of promoting your website.
Part III of this article discusses the how-to's of writing your Ultimate Byline.