The Write and Wrong of Online Article Writing

Writing articles for targeted online publications can help marketers attract attention to their brand, increase site traffic and boost profits.

The rules for writing online are a bit different from those for print publications. Here’s a few tips on how to reach your audience and get your articles read.

1. Use conversational copy: Talk to your readers. Use words that people know. Don’t use jargon. It is boring. You will lose your audience’s attention immediately. Write like you talk and let your personality and experience shine through.

2.Go active: Words have power. Find specific active verbs to paint your copy. Action verbs are more engaging and will move the reader along. Another plus: By using action verbs, you automatically reduce the number of words it takes to get your message across. “John loves Mary” is stronger than “Mary is loved by John.”

3. Make your copy benefit-oriented: Your readers don’t care how many awards you have won. They don’t care how many degrees you have or how many books you have written. All they care about is how you can help solve their problems. Include strong benefits in your article title, the article itself and even your author bio.

4. Connect with your readers’ emotions: We all want to feel smarter, richer, happier and thinner. Use these emotions to connect with your reader. For example, “Do you feel paralyzed every time you have to go shopping? Do you hate trying on clothes? Does stepping in front of that three way mirror strike fear in your heart? Here are my seven top tips to help you lose weight now…”

5. Keep sentences and paragraphs short: When your readers see articles with long sentences, long paragraphs and no bullet points or sub-headings, they automatically stop reading.

Here’s why:

• Large chunks of information scare them.
• It overwhelms them.
• It takes too much time and effort to read that article.
• And that’s the psychology of most readers online.

Make your sentences and paragraphs short. If your sentences are longer than 20 words, cut them up into two sentences.

You can also add lists and bullet points. And use subheads to draw in readers when they scan articles as well.

6. Front-load your point: When you make readers wade through paragraph after paragraph of unrelated anecdotes before you get to your point, you’ve lost your audience’s attention.

Yes, Mark Twain pulled that stunt all the time. But, you’re not Mark Twain.

You want to tease your readers with bits of information they need to know. This way they’ll stick around to the end. They’ll then want to click on the link in your author bio to learn more about your products or services.

7. Simplify: Worried you’re not using the right words? Use simpler words. Worried that your sentences are not clear? Make simpler sentences. Worried that people won’t see your point? Make your point simpler.

That’s why every newspaper in the world is written so a sixth grader can understand.

Don’t boil everything down to “see spot run” simplicity. But, if you can’t make people understand what you write, it’s not because the world is filled with morons. It’s because your messages aren’t clear.

Eric Gruber is the author of the Complete A to Z Article Marketing System, and can be reached at http://www.broadcastyourarticles.com/.