by Carl Pruitt

Publishing articles is far and away the most effective method existing to build long term interest in and traffic to your website, but many people would rather chew off their left arm to keep from having to face the keyboard in the morning. They think it is far too much wasted work and effort to produce an article no one is going to read anyway. On the other side of the see saw are the people who know that reading those boring and bland articles is a tedious chore. But articles exist to be read and enjoyed. An article unread actually was a waste of time and effort.

To be sure the articles you write get read and enjoyed, here are 6 simple techniques to keep your audience reading:

1) Use short paragraphs.

Long paragraphs jumble the mind of the reader before they get started. If it looks like work to read your article, your reader will give up and quickly jump past that offending paragraph and move on to easier reading. Keep them short. Even as small as one sentence or one word. Keep the reading on an eighth grad level

2) Use numbers and bullets.

Numbers or bullets will make your point quickly and keep it easy to remember and absorb. Readers will see easily that this is the most important part of your article. Their attention can flow easily flow through the article. Format your bullets and numbers so your article doesn’t look like a single block of square paragraphs. Throw in a little bit of flair and imagination to the shape of your articles.

3) Sub-divide your paragraphs too.

This will break each point into easy to digest sections that would still be incorporated into one whole article. It will be easy for your reader to move from one point to the next. You will hold your reader’s attention long enough to get your point across.

4) Provide a good attention-grabbing title or headline.

Go out and study the headlines of the great copywriters. A title that makes your reader curious gets you most of the way to your goal of getting your article read. Include statements and questions with keywords people are looking for. Describe your article’s content in a short and concise manner with your subtitles.

Titles like, “7 Tips To Make Her Start Stalking You Today”, or “The Secret To Making Her Faint When She Hears Your Voice” incite curiosity. Titles that command people work as well, such as “Make Her Yours In Six Easy Steps”. Titles should draw attention on their own.

5) Speed up the pace.

With your opening paragraph, include real situations and stories that draw in the reader. Descriptive language can drive home the point your are trying to make. Don’t overdo the flowery language and metaphors though. Don’t waste words just to make a longer article.

6) Use specific facts and figures when you can. Not just ordinary and insipid statements.

Specific facts and figures make your article stronger by making it authoritative. But don’t make it too formal. This is not your college thesis.

Writing a great article does not have to be a tedious chore. The above are just a few quick points to watch out for. Some simple guidelines you can use to improve your articles. Writing articles can be fun and profitable once you get the hang of it.

About the Author:

Related posts

Tagged with: