Have ever wished that there were a formula for crafting your expertise into a Top Ten article that will showcase your knowledge, cement your credibility and promote your products and services?
1. Find a problem to solve. Think back to conversations you've had with clients, potential clients, colleagues, family, friends and strangers. What are the common problems and challenges that people in your target market face? If you don't have a target market, get one!
2. Brainstorm many ideas. Get pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and rattle off as many ideas as you can think of that will solve that problem. Don't judge, filter or edit at this point, simply capture everything that comes to mind. When you think you're done, write for ten more minutes. Then, walk around for two minutes, come back and write some more.
3. Select the best. Ideally, let some time pass after you've brainstormed, so you can look at your list with fresh eyes. Now filter through all of your ideas and choose your favourite ten points.
4. Refine your writing. Be sure that you're trying to make just one clear point in each item. You can choose to stay conversational and casual with your writing, or you can opt for a more professional style. Either way, read it out loud for a sense of how naturally you've put the words together.
5. Be consistent. Make each of your items is approximately the same number of lines so it's laid out nicely on the page. Also, try and assemble your information consistently. If each point has a definition and an explanation, put them in the same order every time.
6. Make your points "pop". Choose your ten item titles carefully. Many people will only scan your article. If they like what they see in your item titles, they might take the time to read the rest of the article. If they like what they see there, they might take the time to click the link in your author information.
7. Start with a bang. Title your article. Be as clever and creative as you can, but most importantly be clear about what the reader will get by clicking through to read your article. Answer the question "why bother?"
8. Make an offer. At the end of your article, include an author information section (sometimes called a "resource box") where you offer readers the opportunity to find out more about a specific product or service. Whether it's to sign-up for your newsletter, call you for a free consultation or visit your website, be sure to spell out exactly what you'd like the reader to do next (and why they should do it).
9. Recruit new eyes. Have another set of eyes look at your article before it's published. Whether it's a professional editor or not, they may be able to point out things you wouldn't have seen, since you're so "close" to the article.
10. Walk away. While you're waiting for this feedback, give yourself a rest from the article. File it away and work on other things for a day or two. Don't let perfectionism get the better of you!
? Linda Dessau, 2005.
Linda Dessau is a writer and coach. Through her "Newsletter Assist" and "You Talk It, I'll Write It" writing services, she helps coaches and other solo professionals promote their business with email newsletters and create passive revenue streams with written information products. Find out more at: http://www.genuinecoaching.com/writing
Airbnb cleaning service Glenview ..Making your articles available for reprints by other ezine publishers... Read More
Chances are good that the next article or book you... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
It is important for all webmasters to realize that if... Read More
I get tons of emails from people who want to... Read More
In order to sell your article must do three things:1.... Read More
Write articles, be recognized as an expert, drive a surge... Read More
It is amazing to see how much we all still... Read More
If you are starving for traffic, can't seem to consistently... Read More
This author started with a clean website and wrote 5... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
Writing for websites -- content, as it is called --... Read More
You've written this wonderful (no question about it) piece of... Read More
There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More
Articles are a fantastic source of links and additional traffic... Read More
In today's busy world, whether your business is large or... Read More
Are you an Article Marketer? If so, you know that... Read More
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
There's one key rule that every writer should understand before... Read More
This is Part 2 of a 2 part article -... Read More
Writing quality articles is time consuming for the very best... Read More
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More
efficient cleaning crew Highland Park ..If you have an entertainment website then you're always looking... Read More
Writing a great deal of articles myself, I see a... Read More
In this article I will show you how to use... Read More
Been reading up on SEO? If so, you know that... Read More
IntroductionThere are two ways to submit to magazine editors.One is... Read More
Writing and distributing articles on the internet is one of... Read More
When I was first advised to start writing articles, this... Read More
***What is the Resource box?'Resource box' is an information box... Read More
A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More
Hey! Who's that I see, typing feverishly as brilliant ideas... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
Advertisements are one of the biggest indicators of a magazine's... Read More
Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
Lately, there seems to be some confusion between Article Marketing... Read More
Are you an Article Marketer? If so, you know that... Read More
Here's a depressing fact if you sell anything on the... Read More
How many times have you read the following? If you... Read More
Marketing on the internet can be a costly procedure, especially... Read More
It's stunning sometimes how far article marketing has come over... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
When you create your articles in TextPad format, something like... Read More
One of my subscribers writes 'I can't hold my tongue... Read More
Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More
Article Writing |