Posts Tagged ‘article writing’

Hot Tips to Get Your Articles Read
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

A lot of affiliates are asking me how to write an effective article that can catch reader’s attention. I’ve shared some of my tips to them and I’d like to share it to all of you who are following my blog too!

Articles have to be written to be read. It’s just a matter of making them good. Making a good article doesn’t have to be strenuous and straining. There are just some points needed to be reminded of and some guides to follow. Once you get the hang of it, writing articles could be fun, as well as profitable for you and your site.

Writing articles must be about something you know about, that’s why if you own a site, you probably is knowledgeable about that certain topic and theme. When you write about it, you won’t have a hard time because you already know what it is and what it’s about. It’s just a matter of making your articles creative and interesting.

To make sure that you’ll capture the minds of your readers making them visit your site again because you have great contents, here are some tips:

1.) Use short paragraphs. When your article‘s paragraph are very long, the words get jumbled in the mind of the reader by just looking at it. It can get quite confusing and too much of a hard work to read. The reader will just quickly disregard the paragraph and move on to much easier to read articles that are good to look at as well as read. Paragraphs can be a single sentence, sometimes even a single word!

2) Make use of numbers or bullets. As each point is stressed out, numbers and bullets can quickly make the point easy to remember and digest. As each point, tip, guide or method is started with a bullet or point, readers will know that this is where the tips start and ends. Format your bullets and numbers with indentations so that your article won’t look like a single block of square paragraphs. Add a little bit of flair and pizzazz to your articles shape.

Utilize figures when necessary and not just ordinary statements. Using specific facts and figures can heighten your article because it makes it authoritative. But do not make it too formal, it should be light and easy for them. Like a friendly teacher having a little chat with an eager student :)

3. Provide a good attention-grabbing title or header. If your title can entice a person’s curiosity you’re already halfway in getting a person to read your article. Use statements and questions that utilize keywords that people are looking for. Provide titles or headers that describe your articles content but should also be short and concise.

You could also use titles that can command people, for example, “Make her yours in six easy Ways”. These types of titles reach out to a person’s emotion and make them interested.

4. Use Sub-headings to sub-divide your paragraphs in the page. Doing this will break each point into sections but still would be incorporated into one whole article. It would also be easy for the reader to move on from one point to another. The transition would be smooth and easy. You will never lose your readers attention as well as the point and direction to where the article is going.

5. Keep them interested from start to finish. From your opening paragraph, use real life situations that can be adopted by the reader. There’s nothing like the reader feeling you! Use good descriptions and metaphors to drive in your point, just don’t over do it. Driving your examples with graphic metaphors and similes would make it easy for them to imagine what you are talking about. Making the experience pleasurable and enjoyable for them.

So there it goes! I don’t apply those five tips in an article all the time.  It does depend on what type of article you are writing or how long the article is but one thing matters most, you just need to GRAB their ATTENTION!

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Writer’s Block: Hindrance to Article Writing
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

My post today is something that we can use when we’re writing our own articles. I know there must be a lot of times when you have your creative juice flowing and you just have a good time writing but other times, we just stare at our monitor for minutes to pass (or sometimes even hours) and we can’t think of something useful to write!  Yeah, I hear ya!  These are the times when we have what they call, “The Writer’s Block”.  When we are in the affiliate business, writing our own articles is essential for our business to survive online.

The possible reasons for writer’s block are endless: fear, anxiety, a life change, the end of a project, the beginning of a project…almost anything, it seems, can cause that particular feeling of fear and frustration. Well, you can always outsource this task and have someone write good articles for you but if you’re the one who knows how to capture the interest of your readers and get them to keep on reading, why not write them yourself? Or you might be a start-up affiliate marketer and doesn’t have much budget for outsourcing. Then you don’t have much options, do you?

Putting words into images in the readers mind is an art. A clear and crisp depiction requires a certain flair that only creativity can provide. Similes and metaphors may help a lot, but the way an article gets entwined word for word, sentence by sentence then paragraph by paragraph into a whole masterpiece develops the essence of the article.

So just what do you have to do when nothing comes to mind? There are no surefire ways to get the perfect ideas but there are easy ways to get your creative juices flowing. No one can guarantee you of having the perfect mindset but many methods may aid you in achieving that state of mind. Here are five easy ways for that:

1) Keep a journal with you always. Ideas can be triggered by anything you may hear, see, or smell. Your senses are your radar in finding great ideas. Write all of them into a journal and keep it with you for future reference. You may also write down anything that you have read or heard, someone’s ideas could be used to develop your own ideas and this is not stealing. Remember that ideas and creativity can come from anywhere; it’s the development of the idea that makes it unique.

2) Relax, relax, relax.  Take time to sort things out. A jumbled mind cannot create any space for new ideas. You must have a clear mind if you wish to have your creativity in full speed. Get rid of all obstacles that can be a hindrance to your creativity. If you are bothered by something, you cannot force your mind to stay focused.

Try to relax every time you think about your experiences and interactions with others. Your experiences are what shape your mindset and your opinions which could be reflected on your writings. Try to discover yourself, find out what triggers your emotions. Discover what inspires you and what ticks you off. You can use these emotions to help you in expressing yourself and your ideas, with this you can grow creatively.

3) Create a working place that can inspire your creativeness. Your working place can be quite a hindrance if it doesn’t make you feel happy or relaxed. Creativity comes from being in a good state of mind and a messed up workplace that causes distraction won’t be conducive in firing up your creative flow.

Surround your working place with objects that makes you happy and relaxed. You may put up pictures, or scents, objects that inspire, or anything that can get your creativeness cranking. A clean and well organized workplace also rids of distractions and unwanted hindrances. With a good working place, you can work in peace and never notice the time pass by.

4) Set the mood. Setting the mood requires you to just go with the moment or to induce your self to feeling what makes your mind works best. Finding out what makes you tick could help you find ways to get your creative juices flowing. Set the pace and tempo for your mood and everything else will follow.

There are many ways to set the mood. Some writers have been known to use alcohol, a little sip of wine to stir up the imagination. Some would like some mood music while others let the lighting of the environment create the mood.

5) Go on a getaway and just do something like crazy. Letting yourself go and have fun produces adrenaline that can make your imagination go wild. Take an adventure or a solemn hike. Whatever it is that is unusual from your daily routine can take the rut out of your schedule. In no time at all, your creativeness will make use of that experience and get your imagination to go on overdrive.

So there you go, I personally prefer the last one.  I love adventure.  After every hustle and bustle in the business world, it’s good to take your time alone or with friends and family and just have fun.  After you read this, I would most certainly hope that you’ll have more ideas than this post can give you on how to get back on track when writing articles.

My post today is something that we can use when we’re writing our

own articles.  I know there must be a lot of times when you have

your creative juice flowing and you just have a good time writing but

other times, we just stare at our monitor for minutes to pass (or

sometimes even hours) and we can’t think of something useful to

write!  Yeah, I hear ya!  These are the times when we have what

they call, “The Writer’s Block”.  When we are in the affiliate

business, writing our own articles is essential for our business to

survive online.

The possible reasons for writer’s block are endless: fear, anxiety, a

life change, the end of a project, the beginning of a project…almost

anything, it seems, can cause that particular feeling of fear and

frustration. Well, you can always outsource this task and have

someone write good articles for you but if you’re the one who knows

how to capture the interest of your readers and get them to keep on

reading, why not write them yourself? Or you might be a start-up

affiliate marketer and doesn’t have much budget for outsourcing.

Then you don’t have much options, do you?

Putting words into images in the readers mind is an art. A clear and

crisp depiction requires a certain flair that only creativity can

provide. Similes and metaphors may help a lot, but the way an article

gets entwined word for word, sentence by sentence then paragraph

by paragraph into a whole masterpiece develops the essence of the

article.

So just what do you have to do when nothing comes to mind? There

are no surefire ways to get the perfect ideas but there are easy ways

to get your creative juices flowing. No one can guarantee you of

having the perfect mindset but many methods may aid you in

achieving that state of mind. Here are five easy ways for that.

1) Keep a journal with you always. Ideas can be triggered by anything

you may hear, see, or smell. Your senses are your radar in finding

great ideas. Write all of them into a journal and keep it with you for

future reference. You may also write down anything that you have

read or heard, someone’s ideas could be used to develop your own

ideas and this is not stealing. Remember that ideas and creativity

can come from anywhere; it’s the development of the idea that

makes it unique.

2) Relax, relax, relax.  Take time to sort things out. A jumbled mind

cannot create any space for new ideas. You must have a clear mind if

you wish to have your creativity in full speed. Get rid of all obstacles

that can be a hindrance to your creativity. If you are bothered by

something, you cannot force your mind to stay focused.

Try to relax every time you think about your experiences and

interactions with others. Your experiences are what shape your

mindset and your opinions which could be reflected on your writings.

Try to discover yourself, find out what triggers your emotions.

Discover what inspires you and what ticks you off. You can use these

emotions to help you in expressing yourself and your ideas, with this

you can grow creatively.

3) Create a working place that can inspire your creativeness. Your

working place can be quite a hindrance if it doesn’t make you feel

happy or relaxed. Creativity comes from being in a good state of

mind and a messed up workplace that causes distraction won’t be

conducive in firing up your creative flow.

Surround your working place with objects that makes you happy and

relaxed. You may put up pictures, or scents, objects that inspire, or

anything that can get your creativeness cranking. A clean and well

organized workplace also rids of distractions and unwanted

hindrances. With a good working place, you can work in peace and

never notice the time pass by.

4) Set the mood. Setting the mood requires you to just go with the

moment or to induce your self to feeling what makes your mind

works best. Finding out what makes you tick could help you find ways

to get your creative juices flowing. Set the pace and tempo for your

mood and everything else will follow.

There are many ways to set the mood. Some writers have been

known to use alcohol, a little sip of wine to stir up the imagination.

Some would like some mood music while others let the lighting of the

environment create the mood.

5) Go on a getaway and just do something like crazy. Letting yourself

go and have fun produces adrenaline that can make your imagination

go wild. Take an adventure or a solemn hike. Whatever it is that is

unusual from your daily routine can take the rut out of your schedule.

In no time at all, your creativeness will make use of that experience

and get your imagination to go on overdrive.

So there you go, I personally prefer the last one.  I love adventure.

After every hussle and bussle in the business world, it’s good to take

your time alone or with friends and family and just have fun.

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