Keep these guidelines in mind each time you write your articles to ensure that you'll be able to connect with your target market, drive more traffic to your website, obtain the exposure you need, and ultimately, become more successful in the online arena'
* Here are the do's of online article writing:
1. Abide by the rules set by the publishers. You really don't want to go up against the publishers as they can help you make your articles more visible online. Don't worry, as they don't require anything impossible. They just want your articles to be unique.
2. Use keywords. Making your articles extremely informative is not enough to succeed in this endeavor. You also need to make them keyword-rich to make them easier to find online. Insert your keywords on your titles, resource box, article summary, and on each of your paragraph. Just make sure that you do not exceed the allowed keyword density which is 2% of your total word count.
3. Use catchy headlines. There are so many articles that are very informative but are left unread. This is because their headlines are not punchy. Get people to open your articles by making your titles impacting and very powerful. They must be descriptive, intriguing, and they must be well thought-out.
4. Use the inverted pyramid technique. Did you know that almost half of online users do not have the time to finish reading an article? You can serve these people well by giving them the information they need on your first paragraph. Doing this can help you get a hold of the attention of your readers.
5. Keep it short and simple. Most online users have limited time to spend over the internet and they will surely not appreciate it if they have to read 1,000 word-articles just to get the information they need. So, keep your articles relatively short. Strive to discuss your chosen topics in 250-600 words. Also, keep it simple or very easy to understand. Your readers must not need to check thesaurus or a dictionary just to understand your points.
6. Make it scannable. Your readers will surely be happy to read your articles if they are easy on the eyes. They must be composed of short paragraphs and they must contain subheadings. Also, you must list your tips and your instructions using bullet or number list.
7. Use conversational tone. One of the best things that you can do so you readers will not be bored reading your articles is to use conversational tone. Use words and tone that you would normally use on your day-to-day conversation. Be enthusiastic, ask questions, or share your stories.
8. Research. Even if you are considered an authority or guru on your chosen topic, it will surely not hurt your reputation if you do research when writing your articles. You see, there are new information that are being discovered from time and time and you would want to keep yourself posted about these things so you can always be a great source of information to your target audience.
9. Use an outline. Having a "cheat sheet" is the best way to fight memory lapse and to ensure that your content will flow smoothly even before you start tapping on your keyboard.
* Here are some things that you shouldn't do when writing your articles. These are the following:
1. Load your articles with blatant ads. Keep in mind that online users read articles because they want to be informed. So, do not offer them with sales pitches (at least not right away). Inform first before you advertise. If you are offering solutions to their problems for example, take time to explain their problems first so you can convince these people that you really understand where they are coming from. Once you have earned their trust, you can easily get them to buy from you.
2. Bad mouth your competitors. Yes, you do not want your prospects to deal with these people as this would mean lost sale for you. But this doesnít mean that you should badmouth them. Always be professional. Instead of saying bad things about your competitors, you can just highlight the competitive advantage of your offerings.
3. Submit articles that are full of errors. This is one of the most common mistakes of article writers. They submit articles without proofreading them. The danger in going this route is that you'll possibly annoy your readers and later on, lose their business forever.
4. Resort to blatant lies. Iíve seen a lot of article writers who exaggerate the truth or resort to using blatant lies just to capture the interest of their readers. This is not the best way to succeed online. You see, once you lost the confidence of online users, there is no way that you can get them to buy from you.
Sean Mize teaches coaches, consultants, and small business owners how to package their knowledge and sell it at a high price.
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