Have you ever had a really great story in your mind and you find yourself getting all excited to share it with the world?
But as you tell that amazing story, nothing goes to plan as your audience grow bored and your punch line doesn’t make the cut. Can you say awkward silence?
Take that same story to the internet and you’ll discover that article writing is the written process of telling a captivating story to your audience. Understand the ingredients to writing and you can capture their attention from start to end. Get the writing recipe wrong, and your reader might not get past the first line.
So what’s the secret recipe for good writing?
#1. Keeping the End in Mind
Sounds simple and logical, but how often do you come across an article which doesn’t lead to anywhere?
Even before getting started on your first sentence, write down separately what is the final outcome you want your readers to gain from reading this content. Is it meant to inspire them or to warn them of a habit they have to change? Will it remind them of an event they experienced first hand or learnt from a loved one?
Is this article meant to go on your blog or will it be hosted somewhere else to draw traffic back to your site? Keeping these goals in mind will help make it much clearer on the type of content you want to give for your readers. Which brings us to the next key ingredient…
#2. Know Who Your Readers Are
Naturally every one of us has our own preference for food, adventures and stories. After all, as delicious as a plate of pasta is to many of us, some of us will just prefer a bowl of soup. Weird? I know!
While we can’t cater to everyone’s palette, we can adjust our writing style to match our first and second class of readers. And if you’ve followed proper content marketing practices, then this part of the equation should be a piece of cake.
What information are your readers searching high and low for? Give them that information in easy to digest bite sizes and you’ve got yourself a perfect writing recipe.
#3. Easy to Tweet
What is pizza without mozarella cheese? Or morning toast without some kaya? Or in the writing context, an article without a social media sharing option?
Let’s face it, social media is playing a major role in the success of the digital marketing world. And we want to ride on this wave and not against it. Adding sharing options at the beginning and end of every article is the simple part, making it simple for your readers to hit the share button is the end goal.
And when it comes to social media, the most tricky platform has to be twitter! With only 140 characters, your title has to stay within this limit, provide enough space for your reader to add some comments and attach a link to your blog post.
There’s a lot more to writing great headlines, but let’s keep it simple for now and remember to always make it easy to tweet.
#4. It’s All in the Formatting
There are two main types of readers on the internet. The serious readers who will scrutinize every single detail of your content word by word, pixel by pixel and write an essay on their findings…
Ok I’m exaggerating. But in most cases, readers fall under the second group, the skimmers.
It’s natural for anyone of us to browse through the article and focus on certain sections or points which captures our attention. And instead of trying to fight it, we can make it easier for them to do just that.
Make use of paragraphs with subheadings and images to draw their attention in and reward them with a useful piece of advice. A happy reader will let their friends know because we all love sharing good news don’t we?
#5. Add in a Touch of You
Nothing resonates as well with as a reader then a unique personality. Nothing.
We all have our favorite authors be it J.K Rowling of the Harry Potter series, Stephen King of the Dark Tower series or George R. R. Martin of the A Song of Ice and Fire series. What made their stories great was their unique writing style being brought forth in their stories.
And while we’re not trying to be best-selling authors (most of us at least aren’t), we do want to let our readers know that we are very real. I’m not saying to tell your entire life story but keep it informal and it becomes easier to read doesn’t it?
#6. The Final Point
Every great content should end with a bang and each article is no different.
We may start well and lead our readers through one amazing story after another, but at the end of the day, it’s not how we start but how we end isn’t it? Ask yourself this, what will your readers take away from reading this piece of content?
In the case of this article you’re reading, I believe that it will get you started on making simple changes to improve your writing and continue to get your readers coming back for more. Because when you know exactly the kind of message you wish to convey across, you may find yourself with a powerful story or lesson you’re proud to host on your website.
#7. Passing on the Torch
After all your hard work, the next step is to get involvement from your readers. Similar to your final message, decide on what is the action you want your readers to take next.
Should they sign up for your newsletter, contact you for more information or get them to leave a comment?
You’ve done 95% of the work already, let’s not leave it hanging and see some results from all that effort yeah.
#8. The Taste Test
If you’re a follower of any cooking programs on the television, you know that a key part of a chef’s job is to always be tasting their dish. In the case of our writing, we have to do this a little differently.
I know there is that itch to start reviewing and making changes but hold that thought and complete the article first. Because the problem most writers face is getting a completed article out. Once that is out of the way, be critical and always remember that you’re making a great content even better.
So there you have it, the 8 secret ingredients to writing an amazing article for your blog, website or anywhere else. In the words of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay…
Article writing best practices, DONE!
What are some of your own key ingredients to writing a great content? Share in the comments below.
Leave a Reply