With the internet flooded with articles about everything you can imagine and more being added every day – how do you get people to read YOUR article.
One thing is for sure, there is a lot of content out there in cyberspace. Some bad and some good. You need to be in the last category.
Let’s face it. It is near impossible to write on a subject that hasn’t been written about already. Just like this article. There are already plenty of lists in the search engines of ways to get your article read. So why am I writing about it?
A couple of reasons actually. About 50% of the articles I write are written from the angle of my own knowledge. So I can learn about the topic. Now, the topic has to be one I am interested in and see value in. As I do research on the subject I become more versed in the information and expand my knowledge base. It makes me better. Another reason is because I think it is an important topic and one that I want to have available to my readers.
So how do you get your article to stand out from the crowd?
1. Keep the paragraphs short. Long paragraphs are hard to read. Its easy to lose your place in long paragraphs. 2 – 5 lines is the average.
2. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. You have to be concise and to the point. I am guilty of getting to wordy and have been trying to curb my words. People that read on the net have low attention spans. I know because I am one of them. If something isn’t getting to the point right now, I move on and your readers will too.
3. Using well constructed and catchy sub headings. This will improve the readability of the article and capture the readers attention and curiosity. They will read the article closer to uncover the defining content of the sub-heading.
4. Plan your article out. There needs to be a natural flow to the article. If you start to divert from the topic and ramble on you will confuse and lose the reader.
5. Use numbered or bullet lists. Another good technique to make the article very readable is to use numbered or bullet lists to break up the article and hit some key points. This is where you can give your article the stickiness you want the reader to go away with. The meat of the information you are providing in a neat, concise, orderly list.
6. Grammar is key. You need to proof read the article and correct spelling and grammar errors. This can turn the reader off faster than anything. Take the time to do it right and your readers will keep coming back. You are perceived to be more of an expert in whatever topic you are writing about if you spell the words right.
7. Practice. Writing is like anything else, the more you do it, the better you will get. I know I have improved over the past year with more to learn but if I don’t keep writing I tend to lose my touch. I keep a dictionary, thesaurus and a grammar reference book at my desk at all times.
8. Maintain readers interest. All of the above will add up to this. From your headings to your bullet points to your content and conclusion. Deliver it in a concise format with correct grammar and spelling and clear cut direction. Keep the reader informed and entertained through the use of real life situations, metaphors and good descriptions and they will come back for more.
If you found this article helpful or wish to add your thoughts please leave a comment below.
Happy Blogging.
