These days it is possible for anyone to be an online publisher, and any online publisher can submit their words at no cost to the seemingly endless selection of online article directories. These online directories are not only read by a countless sea of readers, each article you publish also sets in place a back link that leads directly back to your site.
When you are first building your website or blog, it is fundamental that you author and submit as many articles as you can. While you are attempting to spread your presence as widely as possible, it really is a case of the more the merrier. But there is a catch: your words are a reflection on your business, and it is imperative that you not only come across as articulately as you can, but that you also make sure your copy reads no different than it would be if you were handing it across the desk to a paying client.
Here are 9 tips to help you tailor your articles closer to perfect.
1. Make sure the majority of sentences in your article are succinct and to the point. Typical offline sentences run between fifteen and seventeen words. Try to write your article so that the majority of the sentences fall below that count. If you make it simple for your readers to receive your message rapidly, they will be more inclined to follow your call to action.
2. Stay far away from boring, slow, or passive sentences. Begin sentences with a subject, followed by a verb. This will help you avoid passive construction. Abandon unnecessary verbs and replace them with more powerful, active verbs.
3. Begin your piece with a question or perhaps an interesting tidbit of data. Hook your reader right from the first sentence by reaching right into the belly of their emotions. Never forget - it is about the reader rather than the writer.
4. Keep your online copy zippy. Make sure the introduction carries carefully written paragraphs that stretch to no more than a couple sentences and proceed to keep the copy just as tight throughout the body of the article. Online readers are looking for quick, easy-to-read articles, not Faulkner.
5. Be specific. General references do little to engage your reader. Use specific nouns. Allow your reader to clearly see size, shape, and color. Do not simply tell the reader that a train is moving quickly, describe with subtle details the effect that speed has on the passenger.
6. Write your copy so it is clear and compelling. Draft with simplicity, intelligence, and precision. Try speaking to an audience of one and you will find you are speaking to an audience of many.
7. Get rid of all unneeded adverbs. This should be most of them. Adverbs are most often unnecessary and can frequently act as roadblocks on an otherwise well paved literary highway.
8. Appeal to the universal sense of humanity. Do not explain to a reader what they should do - tell them instead how they will feel upon completion of the action. The 5 senses are universal. Tie benefits neatly into sensation, and half your work is done.
9. Trim the fat. Few people appreciate conversation with someone who constantly repeats themselves. Writing is not any different. It is okay to get wordy when still in the rough draft, but by the time you are staring at your final edit, it had better have lost 10% to 20% of the final word count.
Your copy is a reflection of your business. Follow these 9 tips and give yourself the confidence you need to break through the barrier and make your business boom.
Sean Platt is a ghostwriter and blog writer. Visit him at GhostWriterDad.com and order your custom blog post, web copy or press release today!
Tags: copywriting, article marketing, writing articles, writing, writing for the web