Writing Articles For The Online Audience
At work by piovasco, sxc.hu
As an online marketer, writing articles is an important part of your marketing strategy. You have probably written hundreds, if not thousands, of articles promoting yourself, your products and your services. You know that a good article can increase your reputation more than any promotion can.
You have also realized that writing for an online audience is different from writing for a newspaper column or a magazine article. The online reader has some special requirements, different from her offline counterpart. I have tried to outline below the features that an online reader desires of an article, features which will make a good article into an excellent one.
Be An Expert In What You Are Writing
While this might be true for all the articles that you write, it is even more important in the online world where an alternative article is but a mouse click away. Realistically, this might not always be possible as you may be involved in marketing a wide range of products and services at any one time. But do be mindful that readers can smell a fraud a mile away, and spend as much time as is feasible to research your article before starting to write.
Use Subheadings And Bullet Points
Online readers typically like to scan an article for the main points before deciding whether an article is worth reading. So do your readers a favor and break up your article into a few sections using subheadings. And if you are presenting a list of items, use bullets points. Doing so will make it is very easy for a reader to get the gist of your article in just a few seconds, and they will thank you for it by becoming a repeat visitor.
Write In The First Person
I have always been a fan of writing in the first person and I think it is even more necessary in the online world, where attention spans are short and reading conditions are less than ideal. It is more direct and personal, and your readers will definitely find you more engaging, and would be more inclined to carry on reading.
Be Short And To The Point
Your online articles are probably more about informing and educating than about literary excellence. So, while you can adopt a writing style that is uniquely your own, do be short and sharp and deliver your message in an timely fashion.
Check For Mistakes In Spelling And Grammar
An article with spelling mistakes and bad grammar gives your readers a very bad impression. So, after you have finished your article, do take a few minutes to give your article a onceover to correct any grammatical errors. And don't forget to run your article through the spellchecker on your word processor as well.
Conclusion
A well written article is a great salesman. It speaks volumes about you, your attention to detail, and ultimately, the quality of your services and products. So do take the time and effort to craft an article that will keep your readers well informed, and one that they will enjoy reading as well.
