There Is An Art To Writing Online Articles

Here Are The Basic Steps To Becoming A Great Writer

When writing for business, consider writing about the industry. Share knowledge, give your clients tips or address past and current industry trends. Not only will you be building your own expertise, but you will also be building your authority on the subject matter amongst your readers and within the industry.

The 'Why' Files

Writing quality online articles on a regular basis doesn't just mean you will build your own credibility in the industry.

Check out our other reasons:

• Quality online articles published regularly give your site visitors a reason to keep coming back - there's always something interesting to tickle their fancy.
• If you publish via renowned and respected publishing sites or news services, you will generate meaningful back-links to your site. These meaningful back-links  will give your site more oomph with Google.
• If your online articles are of good quality, you will gain yourself a higher status quo with these publishers which mean that your online article will be published front and centre and not somewhere backstage with the rest of the writers.
• The communities that frequent these external sites that you are publishing through will have ready access to your site, and if they respect your work they will definitely want to know more.

Online articles should be...well, kind of like the online article you are reading right now - intelligent, witty, engaging and highly entertaining.

So You Think You're No Good At Writing? Bollocks!

Your online articles don't have to be as well referenced as a doctorate thesis, as long and detailed as each Lord of the Rings book, or as widely acclaimed as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Start off by defining and understanding your topic. If it's not an opinion piece, do your research - you would be digging a pretty deep grave by saying the Global Financial Crisis had ended if stocks were still crashing and companies were folding. Organise your thoughts and opinions in a logical sequential order, and then, start writing your first draft. Remember, it's just a draft so if it's not the perfect, it's not the end of the world.

Follow this basic blueprint:

• Create a killer headline. The best headlines should captivate the readers attention. Think of the headline as the calling card or hook for the entire piece.
• Address the key points of the article within the first sentence. Many of us remember this from writing essays at school- every paper needs a thesis statement.
• The body of the article should substantiate the thesis statement. This is where your research pays off- make sure you quote sources and supply lots of credibile examples to ensure your article doesn't appear biased. Conspiracy theories are better for bad documentaries and infomercials on the shopping channel.
• Finally, it's time for your conclusion. Summarise the main main points and subpoints. And re-articulate your thesis statement.

Once you've sent the two versions off to a small sample of your email list and have identified the best response, then you can further test your message. Modify the headline, the image, the offer - but only one thing at a time. Send out these variations and see which gets the best response. Once you have the winner, send it to the balance of the email list.

Finally, don't be afraid to add a little va-va-voom. Although it's unlikely you'll get nominated for the Pulitzer Prize t's still a good idea to make sure your reader's don't drift off. Keep it engaging and personable.

To find out even more about writing quality online articles, contact us. You can also download our eBook or register for a free online analysis report.