Ten Steps for Writing Articles that Inspire and Tell

How do you communicate your passion, knowledge, wisdom, and interests to the people you wish to influence? What sets you apart from others in your profession or industry? How do you create a rapport, even with people you don't know, such as community members, prospects, clients, or customers?

The answer is to give them a way to get to know, like, and trust you -- and even love what you stand for! That way, they'll feel excited about endorsing your ideas and quickly spreading the word about your story or what you have to offer.

One way to do this is via a systematic article-writing campaign. You may be surprised to learn that you don't need your own Web site or any funding whatsoever to start a viable article publishing program.

This article explains a step-by-step, foolproof formula for writing and publishing articles on the Web. The more articles you write and publish, the better!

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Follow These Steps for Writing Terrific Articles

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Use these guidelines for the very best results, every time!

1) Identify the subject of your article.

For example, "how-to" articles are extremely popular, and can span everything from training a pet to cultivating roses to hiring employees. In an entirely different direction, you could tell a compelling story about something you've done that will inspire others.


2) Choose a role to author your articles, such as: 


-- A subject matter expert, where you are presenting your own knowledge on a particular topic. This role is especially gratifying if you have years of experience in a profession or hobby, or if you've just completed an educational project that others can learn from, even if you're just a "newbie."



-- An interviewer or researcher, where you're a student of the subject, and are learning about it from others. For example, you could interview some knowledgeable people to compare their viewpoints. That way, you don't need to be an expert!

3) Brainstorm your topics and subtopics.

These could include tips or strategies on something you know how to do well, or the main points of a gripping story you want to tell. To get started, try jotting down your ideas on index cards or sticky notes, and then organize them into topic groupings. 


4) Develop an outline for your article.

Arrange the ideas from your sticky notes or cards into a topic/subtopic flow inside your word processing program. 


5) Work on developing the body.

Fill in details as you go. Don't worry about getting it perfect on the first try -- you can always move ideas and information around as you write! A conversational tone for most articles works best. If you can imagine having a discussion across the kitchen table from someone you know, you can explain even complex ideas in a clear and engaging way.


6) Write your lead-in paragraph.

It could be just a sentence or two depending on the overall article length. For example, engage your readers' interest with a leading question, such as, "Have you ever wondered why dogs only bark?" Toward the end of the lead-in paragraph, explain what your article covers, such as, "This article covers five tips for teaching your dog to sing." That way, your readers know exactly what they're going to learn!


7) Insert subheadings in strategic places.

That will make it easier for people to scan your article. Even if people don't have time to read the whole thing, they can quickly skim the subheadings to absorb a great deal.


8) Write a short summary or concluding paragraph.

Your summary reinforces your ideas and reminds your readers why they read the article. For example, one of your summary sentences might be, "By using these five tips, you can turn your canine into Caruso!"


9) Hone, and tweak, and polish your article.

Be aware that your first drafts may be much longer than your target publication will allow. So, as you fine-tune, work on reducing the word count to the desired number. For instance, aim for just 300-500 words for very short articles, and about 600-1,000 words for longer articles. A thousand words, or about three typed pages, is often the maximum that many newsletters and article directories will accept.

10) Don't forget a compelling title!

After pouring so much energy into your article, give it a snappy, memorable name. One popular approach for how-to articles is to refer to the number of topics you're sharing, such as, "Five Tips for Teaching Your Dog to Sing," or "The Ten Worst Mistakes People Make When They Do XYZ."

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Next, Submit Your Articles to Online Article Directories

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After writing your article, consider submitting it to one or more online directories. It's ideal to get into the habit of doing this regularly. The directories will then make your content available for others to disseminate in their own publications. In so doing, they help circulate your name and material on dozens of Web sites and blogs. Some even do their own translations! Your articles retain full copyright under your byline, regardless of where they are republished.

Be certain to include a "resource box" for the end of each article. This term refers to a few sentences that describe you, your business, or profession; and that contain a link back to your Web site if you have one. So, when people read your articles, their next impulse may be to follow the link back to your Web site, where they can learn much more about you.

To locate article directories, do an Internet search. Select a few that relate to your subject and sign up as an author. It costs nothing to start experimenting, and the rewards can be huge!

In conclusion, writing articles for Internet publication can be a very rewarding and lucrative experience that will reap benefits for months to come. You will become known by readers around the world as your content circulates, your visibility builds, and interested visitors follow your "resource box" links to back your Web site.