Article marketing is one of the most effective methods for building an online business. Anyone can be an online publisher, and any online publisher can submit articles (for free) to countless Internet article directories. These online directories are not only read by thousands to hundreds of thousands of readers, each article you publish also establishes a back link that builds a thin bridge between your site and theirs.
When first starting a site, it is essential to write and submit as many articles as you in order to spread your presence as widely across the Web as possible. But here’s the thing: your words are a reflection on your business, and it is imperative you are not only as articulate as possible, but that you also make sure your copy is as crisp and clear as it would be if you were handing it to a client.
Follow these 10 quick tips to tailor your articles to perfection.
1. Begin your article with a question or surprising nugget of information. Hook your reader right from the start. Reach into their emotions and never forget that it is about them rather than you.
2. Keep it clean. Online copy should be snappy. Make sure your introduction has paragraphs that stretch to no more than a couple sentences and keep it just as tight throughout the body of your article. Online readers are looking for quick, easy-to-read articles. Long winding prose is boring to the typical Internet reader.
3. Make sure the sentences in your article are short. Standard print sentences run between 15-17 words. You should write your article so the majority of your sentences fall under that number. Complex sentences render the reading unnecessarily difficult. Make it simple for your readers to get your message quickly.
4. Avoid boring, slow, or passive sentences. Start your sentences with a subject, then follow with a verb to avoid passive construction. Abandon unnecessary verbs such as “is,” “was,” “seemed,” or “had” and replace them with more powerful, active verbs.
5. Write so your copy is not only crystal clear, but compelling as well. Write simple, intelligently, and to the point. Have an ideal reader in mind and point your prose in their direction.
6. Be specific. General references do little to engage your reader. Use specific nouns. Allow your reader to clearly see size, shape, and color. Rather than telling your reader a car drives fast, describe the car whipping their hair and stretching the skin on their face.
7. Throw the adverbs behind your shoulder and leave them there. Adverbs are often unnecessary and frequently act as potholes in an otherwise well maintained road.
8. Less is more. Toss unneeded adjectives into the pile alongside the adverbs. Don’t say “amazingly pretty.” Go with “gorgeous” instead.
9. Appeal to those senses that make us human. Don’t explain to someone what they should do – tell them how it will make them feel once they do. Our five senses are universal, by tying benefits into sensation, most of a writer’s work is already done.
10. Trim the fat. No one likes to have a conversation with someone who constantly repeats themselves. Writing is no different. It’s okay to get wordy in the rough draft, but by the time you’re at your final edit, you should lose ten to twenty percent of your final word count.
Your copy is a reflection of your business. Follow these ten quick tips and inoculate yourself with the confidence you need to break through the barrier and bring your business a bit closer to booming. If you need a little help with your article, a ghostwriter might make all the difference.
Ghostwriter Dad
Related posts:
- 5 Quick Tips For Fresh and Fast Article Ideas If you are a ghostwriter, you probably write every day....
- Developing the Perfect Ghostwriter/Client Relationship Being online for slightly less than the length of a...
- Writing Web Copy Writing Web Copy The Internet may be the great equalizer,...
- Why You Need to Write an Elevator Pitch Write, Elevator Pitch Imagine you find yourself in an elevator...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
i must say, it was interesting to browse trough so many interesting posts on your blog. I must bookmark your site now as the stuff here on your site looks to be very helpful.