Article writing is one of the best long-term strategies you can use to build your credibility as an expert, drive traffic to your business and website, and build a relationship of trust with your clients and prospects. Following is a quick checklist you can use to write irresistible articles for your target market, so they see you as an expert, and ultimately buy more from you! 1. Establish the Objective of Your Article Why are you writing it? Or think about what do you want the article to achieve for you? Here are some objectives to consider: * Drive more people to your website * Have people pick up the phone and call you * Encourage people contact you by mail or email * Have people visit your office or store * Entice people to request more information from you * Order a product or service * Establish your credibility/knowledge about a subject/industry 2. Article Preparation After you determine your objective about why you are writing an article, you now must come up with ideas about what to write about. Here are places you can look for article ideas: * Subscribe to other eZines and read articles for inspiration * Review trade publications * Look at popular books in your area of expertise and choose a topic * Ask your clients/subscribers/contacts what topic they want to know more about * Visit online discussion boards to see what people are discussing * Sit and think quietly about topics that interest you 3. Write Your Article Writing an article for your target market is not difficult if you follow a systemized process to 'get your thoughts down on paper'. Brainstorm and create an outline of the article topic you can write about. Also consider: * Write articles that are between 500 and 800 words in length * Have keyword(s) peppered throughout the article text * Stay away from difficult words (write at a 6th grade level) * Keep paragraphs short (2 to 4 sentences) * Break up text with subheads * Include clipart * Include a photograph of yourself * Include a copyright notice * Spend time to edit your article (or have someone else edit for you) * Include an author's resource box to direct people to your website 4. Headline Tips You've written your article. Now, choose a snazzy title for your article that piques the interest of others. Here are some things to think about when creating your article's title: * Look at 'The 100 Greatest Headlines Ever Written' list for ideas * State 3 to 5 concepts, such as '3 steps' or '3 ways' * Keep titles short (5 to 7 words) * Create a subtitle * Ask a question, such as "Do You Despise Used Car Salesmen?" * Address a problem, "Do You Need More Clients?" * Evoke curiosity * Use power words and phrases such as 'The Truth About... Discover... Do You... How To... How Much... How Would... Secrets Of... Yes...At Last!...Imagine... Protect....New Facts...You... Free * Capitalize the first letter of each word in your title * Address a benefit or value in your title * Address a pain your target market is dealing with * Put desired keyword in the title (first and second words is best) * Put desired keyword in subtitle 5. Promoting and Getting Publicity for Your Article Get your article public and start driving traffic to your website and business! * Send it to your top 10 list of eZine publishers * Send it to your target list of print magazine publishers * Send it to specialty offline newsletter publishers * Post it on article directory websites * Send it to article distribution services * Post on discussion boards your target market visits * Convert your article into a press release and send to newspaper editors and online press services * Post the article on your website Remember, article writing is a great way to build your credibility, build a relationship with your clients and prospects, as well as drive traffic to your website and business so you can create more income in your business! Copyright 2009 Bonita L. Richter
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