niedziela, 1 kwietnia 2012

How To Write How-To Articles - Four Ways You Can Get Started

By Roger Gray


So you're planning to update your blog or online newsletter but aren't too enthusiastic about having to write articles all the time. But writing how-to articles can be easy if you have developed an organized way how to do things.

These how-to articles are where the action's at when it comes to writing - you get a chance to separate your blog or online newsletter from the rest of the pack. Your clients need an expert to answer their questions, and writing these articles the right way can make you look like one, while improving your bottom line.

Whenever you're ready to start updating your e-mail newsletter, you may want to create a template depending on your target clients. What do your clients really need - is it specific information, or can you wing it in such a way that they can use this information for their own specific purposes?

If they want specific info, you could always include a teaser paragraph in your newsletter and then provide a link at the bottom of that paragraph. The link can lead to more detailed information about the subject your that audience is interested in.

You can start making your information look like a real article once you've determined what they want to see. Here's a system I've often used to produce quick, informative articles.

Start Out With A Paragraph To Identify

This gets you started on your subject of choice. Make sure this paragraph does not beat around the bush.

Move On To The Selling Point

Here you would try finding out what would keep the viewers reading. You will what you're talking about help them do their jobs better? In essence, that's all people really want to know.

Give short, realistic pieces of advice.

You have so much to say it's hard to fit it into short bits of info, but do it you must. Your audience didn't go to your site to read a novel, after all. Think of the things that could make your readers go WOW - it may be something special your business does, or something you're doing that the rest of the industry isn't.

Closing Remarks

Back when the Internet was still largely untapped as a source of revenue, one of those great Internet writers once said "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em. Then tell 'em. Then tell 'em what you told 'em." Believe it or not, it went "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em. Then tell 'em. Then tell 'em what you told 'em." Believe it or not, it could work for you too. All you would want to do is leave a lasting impression on your reader by recapping key points. A takeaway - yes, that's what we call it. What's the one thing you want the audience to take away from your article and implement in their daily work lives? It's just that short and easy to make a final paragraph.

KISS - keep it short and simple. You may want to use all those big words you learned in Lit class, but remember you're not trying to reinvent the wheel. When people read their email, they don't want to be stumped with complex language and jargon. And that's especially true if those words and phrases add more to the bottom line and/or help them become more efficient.




About the Author:



Brak komentarzy:

Prześlij komentarz