Structure Your Article for Maximum Impact
Writing articles is one of the best ways to promote your service
or product since it establishes you as an expert in the field
and you can get hundreds, if not thousands of links back to your
website. But not all articles are created equal. In order to get
the maximum benefit from your article writing they should have a
consistent layout and structure. Follow these tips to give
structure to your content and your articles will have a much
bigger impact and stand a better chance of getting published.
For people whose literate capabilities extend to that last
school essay that they handed in with a sigh of relief, writing
an article is a daunting task and the end result often looks
like a wasteland of grey text. A good article is written in such
a way that it pulls the reader in and guides him through the
content. Conforming to a standard format also makes it easier
for article directories and sites that publish content to pick
up your article and publish it. It also contributes to a
professional image of you, the writer. Here are the components
of an article and how you should use each one for maximum
benefit. ~ Title ~ The title of your article, like the title of
your website, is probably the most important part of your
article. And, much like the title of your website, you are
writing for both the search engines as well as human beings. For
the sake of the search engines, include your main keyword or
keyword phrase in the title. For the sake of your reader, you
have to create a title that will "pull the reader in". In other
words, your title must persuade the reader to read the rest of
your article.
But here is a tip from Christopher Knight of EzineArticles - do
not start your title with: "7 tips for ..." or "5 ways to ..."
The first 3 or 4 words are the most important, and by doing this
you are wasting important space! Rather use your keyword or
keyword phrase at the beginning, followed by the number or ways,
or tips that you are going to discuss. For example: Organize
Your Office: 7 Tips For Never Losing That $1000 Check Again
Remember to capitalize the first letter of each word in your
title - but don't capitalize full words, this will get your
article rejected in no time.
Another tip for coming up with a killer title is to use some of
the headline making software that helps you come up with
compelling headlines for your sales letters, like Headline
Creator Pro. While you might not actually use the headlines it
suggests, you will quickly have a list of 100 headlines to play
around with and modify. Just be careful though of not loading
your title with too much hype - you are, after all, writing an
article and not a sales letter! ~ Summary or Introduction ~ The
summary, or description, of your article is often overlooked.
This might be the only piece of text that will be displayed when
your article shows up in an article directory. Sometimes you
have the option of submitting the summary separately, other
times the article directory software simply takes the first
paragraph or so of your article. I suggest that you focus on the
first paragraph of your article to provide you with your summary
and introduction at the same time. Like the title, it should
create curiosity in the mind of your reader to entice them to
read further. Please remember that a good article tries to solve
some problem for the reader - try and describe what problem THIS
article will solve. Describing the problem by means of a story
or example help to make it real in your reader's mind. A
personal example also helps to establish you, the writer, as a
real person and creates a rapport with your reader. ~ Body ~ The
body of your article will bring across your main solution to the
problem that you have sketched in the mind of your reader in
your summary and introduction. Please remember to stick to ONE
topic! It is very tempting to branch off into different
directions, especially if you are enthusiastic about your area
of expertise. If you find that you are wandering off into other
areas, even if they are related to your main topic, consider
saving that information in a scratch pad and make another
article out of the material. DO use bullet points or subheadings
to break up your article. Bullets and headings catch the eye and
once more pull the reader into the text. But some article
directories do not allow HTML code or other formatting inside
your body. My suggestion is that you write for 'text only' as a
standard. Simulate bullets and headings by making use of
numbers, capitals, or a special character, like the tilde (~),
or star (*). ~ Ending ~ The ending should summarise the reasons
why the article solves the problem stated in the title and the
introduction. Try and end with an interesting point or final
quote, to invite readers to further investigate the topic. ~
Resource box ~ The resource box is the place to write a mini-ad
for your site, service or product. You can send people directly
to an affiliate link here, or direct them to your site. Try to
make the link contain your major keyword or keyword phrase, for
maximum 'backlink' benefit - if you can. A good resource box
will persuade the reader to click through to your site. Offer
something for free, and create a sense of urgency! If you follow
this simple layout structure (obviously combined with great
content!) for your articles you will find that - more article
directories will accept your articles for submission - you
present a professional image that instils confidence in your
reader - your articles will get published on more websites,
leading to more traffic in short, your articles will get the
exposure they deserve!