You have finally decided that you want to post articles on your website on a regular basis but you have no idea about how to write articles. No need to worry as the following tips will come in handy.
1) Determine the length of the article. Consider how much text you need, so as to provide adequate information to your readers. You can decide to write a short article or a lengthy one. In general, try and ensure that your articles are over 300 words, since it is hard to provide adequate information using fewer words than that.
2) Pick a topic and decide which angle to take. There are many things you can write about a particular topic, so try and find an angle which has not already been covered a lot. This will provide your readers with unique content that they can’t get from other sites.
3) Research. Find reliable sources that provide useful information about your topic. You can use online sources or get information from a local library near you. You can also use periodicals, newspapers and documentaries.
3) Write your article. Pay attention to structure, tenses and voice. Ensure that all these are consistent throughout the article.
4) Proofread and edit. Always do this before you post the article on your website. It helps if you can put the article away for a couple of hours or days and the re-read it afresh, from a new perspective. This will help you pick out any grammar errors. You can also have someone else proofread the article for you.
5) Post your work on your website. You can also use images for added visual effect. Remember to hyper-link your text to any other previous articles you have posted on your site. This will help your readers ‘discover’ other content on your site, that they may not have read before. You can also link to other websites outside your site.
6) Share your article. You can opt to share links to your article on other sites like Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
Factors To Consider When Writing Articles
i) Audience. If the audience is already knowledgeable about the topic, then you will need to write something that is more in-depth. If the audience is new to the subject, you will have to provide basic information and avoid using technical terms.
ii) Keywords. Place your keywords at the right places in the article. Use the keyword in such a way that it flows naturally into the body of the article.
iii) Make your articles easier to read. You can do this by
- using outline numbering or bullet points
- using short paragraphs, of 5-6 lines or 75-100 words
- breaking up your articles into subsections and using sub-headers
iv) Avoid fluffy content. Your content should be valuable and informative to your readers. When learning how to write articles, remember that writing for print publications is different to writing for websites.
What challenges are you facing when it comes to writing content for your website?