Bombarding the web with useful titbits is a sure way to raise your profile.

Through article websites and your own e-newsletters, your words can promote you as an expert in your field – and bring people flocking to your website waving their credit cards in the air!

Of course, content syndication is an art in itself - but before you can send content out into the world, it has to be written (obviously!)

So here’s a whistle-stop guide to writing lovely articles - some basic pointers to help you sidestep the classic mistakes of old:

1. Get familiar with the best. Read the clearest, most interesting articles you can find. Then examine them closely, and try to figure out why they’re so effective. Are they authoritative and reliable? Do they tell compelling stories in an engaging style? Is it a new twist on an old idea? And if so, what‘s the angle? If it says "who, what, where, when, why and how" with an irresistible fizz, how can you apply the same thinking to your own subject matter?

2. Put your topic under the lens. Be objective here - think with the reader’s hat on. Is your article going to offer anything new? A revelation? A theory? An opinion? Moreover, is it something that your reader wants (or needs) to know? How can they act on it? How will it shape their lives? (If it won’t make a difference, go and write something else!)

3. One article, one focus. Realistically, you can only put across one core idea per article. So everything you write will either develop your thread or muddy the waters. At any stage of the article, your reader should know what they’re reading and why - so if the relevance factor starts to dip, it might be time to squeeze out the tangents.

4. Storyboard it. Do you start at square one or tell the ending first and work back? Are you focusing on the world at large or telling the tale of one individual? Whatever your focus, outline each section in turn, planning the reader’s journey. If each section builds on its predecessor with a smooth and logical flow, congratulations - you’ve got a blueprint for a tightly focused article.

5. Get your facts straight. After all, one day someone might quote you as their source! But just stating facts isn’t enough. Your reader needs to know where each snippet comes from and see its relevance as a part of your argument. So weave your sources into the story and try to stay objective. (You don’t want to be accused of positioning opinion as fact).

6. When you catch an adjective, kill it. That’s what Mark Twain said, and let’s face it, he’s the boss! Adjectives are usually there to bolster weak choices of words, but if you choose the right noun the concept should already be screaming out at you. On the same note, beware of low-impact words like "good", "bad", "nice", "almost", "quite" etc. These are limp, overused words that sound weak & apologetic. Go there at your peril!

7. Place your words. You can shine a spotlight on important words: just give them pride of place in a sentence. Put them at the beginning or anchor them with a big fact juicy full stop. But don’t drown these words in the middle of sentences – unless hyphens can come to the rescue!

8. Create original images. Okay, article writing isn’t really the best place to wax lyrical! But if you want to offer the occasional metaphor, don’t use clichés or timeworn idioms. Instead, have your Thesaurus at hand. Make word lists, indulge in free association. Play with language! (It’s a hoot!)

9. Keep it simple! If you dip into literary mode, keep the waffly tangents in check. You’re writing to engage another person’s interest, not smother them with obscurity! So for the most part use fewer, simpler words that keep your message plain and clear.

10. Don't forget keywords! When you’re targeting a web audience, you'll need to include relevant keywords to grab the attention of search engines. Try Yahoo's keyword assistant to see the variations that people are searching for, then pepper your text with the most popular relevant phrases.

But remember you're writing an article that you want real people to read - so while you're busy pleasing Google spiders, don't lose sight of the human audience. Limiting your keywords to around 4-5% of your wordcount is a healthy compromise - especially if you maximise keywords in your headers and opening paragraphs.

These tips should give you a head start in article writing, and certainly help to win a reader’s approval. So you’ve got the know-how, and you’ve got the motive:

All you need now is the idea…