Article Marketing Tips: How to Write Articles that Readers Love
You can save some money on article marketing if you write your articles yourself. Perhaps you fall into that small percentage of people that actually enjoy writing. Not everyone is good at it, but if you enjoy it, chances are, you probably have a knack for it. You can put that natural talent to favorable use in your content marketing campaigns.
Writing articles intended for an article marketing campaign is a bit different than other kinds of writing. The basics (catchy title, persuasive opening paragraph, body rich with information, and summarizing closing) are the same.
Articles destined for the Internet, though, need to have some additional elements. This is because the main purpose for distributing content is to drive traffic to your website. Therefore, articles need to be written and formatted in such a way as to be friendly to search engines and searchers.
They also need to be, at the same time, readable by actual human beings. That is, they need to be understandable (without sounding simplistic). They need to be appealing (in other words, not boring). They must, above all, be filled with accurate and helpful information.
Undoubtedly you’ve spent time surfing the net yourself. You’ve likely run across articles and wondered how on earth they ever ended up getting published on the Internet. They’re poorly written, awkward-sounding, and contain little more than “fluff” in the way of information.
These are the kinds of articles written by someone who is probably not a writer. Fortunately, if you already have a knack for writing, your problem is half solved. All you need are tips on how to write articles for your article marketing campaign that are search engine/directory-friendly:
1) Familiarize yourself with search engine optimization techniques. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the “art” of writing articles specifically for the Internet. The goal is to create works that will grab the attention of search engines and result in high search rankings.
The success or failure of an article marketing campaign may rest on its use of keywords. They must be strategically placed. They should appear at least once in the title, opening and closing paragraphs. They should also appear in the middle. The rest should be sprinkled throughout the remainder of the piece. Keyword density should be about one to three percent.
2) Strive for continuity in style. Every article in your article marketing campaign should sound as though they were written in the same style, or “voice.” They should, in other words, sound like they were all written by the same person (you).
Consult a “style sheet” or “style guide” when you write. Style sheets/guides have been developed by writers and grammar experts as reference materials for writers. They help to ensure that a publishing entity (like a newspaper) produces articles that follow all of the same rules of style and grammar. In other words, it ensures continuity.
The most logical style guide for Internet article writers to use is the Associated Press style guide. This is the same one used by a majority of media publishers in North America, both on and offline. Copies can be obtained both online and in bookstores.
3) Use good grammar and proper spelling. This should go without saying. Yet some article writers/publishers seem to have a poor grasp on grammar and spelling.
Even if your grammar and spelling are stellar, you should always run your articles through a spell/grammar check. This can help catch mistakes you might miss.
Don’t rely solely on computers to edit your articles though. It’s helpful to get another set of human eyes to edit your grammar and spelling too. Pick someone, preferably, who also has a good handle on grammar. Nothing sounds more unprofessional than an article with bad spelling and grammar. It will only make your business look untrustworthy.
4) Format your articles for directory use. Every article directory has specifications as to how an article you submit should be formatted. Many of these directories have similar specifications. It will save you time if you know this beforehand and format your articles in a way that pleases them all.
The best way to format articles in your article marketing campaign is to create them in block style. Font size should be 10 or 12, with a universally-accepted font such as Times New Roman. Your title should appear at the top of the page, along with your keywords and a 2-3 sentence summary of the article. This summary can be pulled verbatim from your article, usually from the first or last paragraph.
Remembering these tips when you embark on creating an article marketing campaign will greatly increase your chances of success. Not only will it be great for business, you’ll undoubtedly come away with a tremendous sense of personal satisfaction.
Mike Lawson is a freelance consultant to internet marketers. His Professional Writing Service provides quality content for article marketing automation programs.
Distributed by ContentCrooner.com
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