Writing articles is one of the best ways to establish yourself as an expert, generate website traffic and get people to buy from you. You can get article ideas everywhere.

Get them from news, current events and concerns voiced in online forums and discussion groups. You can read other articles, and expand on what the authors wrote, or use them as a springboard for offering a different point of view.

Whatever you write, follow these steps for best results:

1) Know What Readers Want
In their book, Turn Words into Traffic, experts Jim and Dallas Edwards list six things readers want:

• Answers to technical problems causing them pain
• Solutions to problems costing them money
• Solutions to save time
• Answers to personal or stress related problems
• Information they can use right away
• Something fun, amusing or entertaining

2) Write a Great Headline
Headlines are critical. If your headline doesn’t grab attention, the reader will stop reading. It must answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”

There are many types of headlines, including:

• The Guarantee
• The Testimonial
• The Frustration/Problem
• The Reason-Why
• The Benefit
• The How-To
• The Question

Within your headline, use these power words for maximum impact:

• Announcing
• How Much
• Advice To
• The Truth About
• Amazing Secrets
• Little-Known Secrets
• Facts
• Life
• New
• Now
• Discover
• At Last
• Free
• You
• Only
• Breakthrough.

3) Know the Do’s and Don’ts

DO keep content relevant and interesting. That way, readers will be engaged and may even share your article with others.

DO deliver on what your headline promises. You can either (a) cover a topic in depth, or (b) cover only part of the topic and drive readers to your website for more information. Either way, don’t disappoint the reader.

DO stay focused on why you’re writing the article. Don’t try to cover too much.

DO write in a conversational tone. Write to one person, not an entire group.

DO be mindful of copyright issues.

If you read something valuable, you can write a brief introduction and link to the original piece. However, if you want to include the article on your web site or newsletter, then get permission to reproduce it.

DON’T make your article all about you. Avoid constant sales pitches. If you’ve written a good article, your resource box at the end is enough.

DON’T write down to the reader. Sometimes a few subtle word changes can make all the difference.

DON’T overuse crutch words. Your article will be easier to read. These are all crutch words:

• am
• are
• is
• was
• were
• be
• been
• have
• has
• had

4) Focus on Word Count
Keep your article at 600-1,000 words. A full typed page is 500 words. If you are writing for your ezine, articles should be even shorter. Expert copywriter Robert Bly says his ezine always contains five to seven short articles, each only a few paragraphs. It takes readers less than a minute to read each article, and less than seven minutes to read his entire ezine.

5) Use an Easy Formula for Writing

Step 1: Grab your reader’s attention with a strong headline.
Step 2: Write your introduction. Use just a few sentences to explain your position on the topic.
Step 3: List your main points; around five of them.
Step 4: Expand on your main points with a few sentences.
Step 5: Write your conclusion. This could be a call to action or an opinion you want the reader to acknowledge or adopt.

6) Vary the Types of Articles You Write
Make it fun for yourself by changing the types of articles you write. Here are a few:

How-To: Include step-by-step instructions. If the information is too long for an article, link it back to your website for further material.

Interview: Select a topic your readers care about, and interview an expert. What trends are on the horizon? What actions, products or services do they recommend? You can write this straight or use a Q&A format. Interview your expert in person, by phone or email.

Profile: Profile a subject matter expert. Feature basic facts about where they work and how they’ve influenced the company or industry.

List: Magazines use these types of articles all the times. For example: 10 Ways to Feel Better Fast.

Seminar/Conference Recap: Attend an industry seminar or conference and write an overview of what you learned (e.g., new products and services or industry trends).

Case Study: If you have a satisfied customer, write about their experience using your product or service.

7) Rid Yourself of Writer’s Block

If you don’t know what to write about, an editorial calendar can help. This is a schedule of writing topics you can plan a month or more in advance. It helps with writer’s block because it gives you the topics. You gather material ahead of time so when you’re ready to write, you’ll have most or all of your content handy.

Whether you write your own articles or use contributing writers, you can ensure your readers eyes will be glued to your article with a catchy headline and relevant, interesting content. Following these simple steps can take your article from ho-hum to WOW!

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By Lauren Tyson
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This article first appeared in the September 2008 issue of the MarketingDotCom newsletter. You can get a free copy of the latest issue for the price of shipping at http://the7figuresecrets.com

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