You're definitely into writing articles and submitting them to article directories as an amazing way to promote your small business online. The problem is, you can't organise all these patches of ideas in your head and translate them into readable chunks of information. What to do?! Chill. There was a wise German philosopher who left the world these words of wisdom: "Write the way an architect builds, who first drafts his plan and designs every detail." Makes perfect sense, eh?
So for your article to stand on its own and not collapse, here are some guidelines to help you craft the words and sentences into informative and interesting thoughts.
1. Write down all your brilliant ideas in free form.
By this time, you would have done research to back up your ideas. Just jot down whatever creative ideas that comes to mind. No holds barred. Don’t be conscious of structure yet. Evaluate your notes. Fill in the gaps by doing more research.
2. Create a title or subtitle that really grabs readers' attention.
Sum things up in a sweet and short enough title and subtitle that perfectly captures your general idea. Just like a product and its slogan, you have to grab the readers by the way your words jump from their computer monitors and into their gray matter.
3. Write an interesting introduction.
Write your introductory sentences like you're conversing with the reader. If you're writing about tips and guidelines, you can start by giving an example of a problem then offering to discuss solutions.
4. Start to write a rough copy of your article.
At this point, don't worry that much yet about spelling and grammar. Write and get into the flow. Remember, only you can see this draft so no need to be mortified if your article isn't even close to good yet.
5. Write the main body of your article.
Keep in mind, this is the meat of your article so the content must be factual and informative. You can be witty too but mostly, write with authority on the subject matter. For readers to easily scan your article, use bullet points and numbers to stress your key points.
6. Sum things up neatly.
Write a conclusion that summarizes your general ideas in the main body. Review your outline so you won't be lost. Do a recap on how readers can benefit from what they just read.
After you've written your article, you must review for clarity, do a spelling and grammar check and do a word count. Scannable web content runs from 300-500 words, longer than that and readers' attention strays. I hope these guidelines will help you create a solid outline for the articles you will be writing. Remember, the more you write the easier the writing task will get. So practice, practice, practice!
Ludwina Dautovic is the director and founder of The Red Tent Woman, an organisation supporting women in small and home based businesses. They host networking events, offer business mentoring and provide online and offline resources. Ludwina specialises in low cost and innovative online marketing strategies such as article writing and blog marketing.
The Red Tent Woman is the 2008 MCEI National Marketing Award Winner for the 'Women in Business' Category and the recipient of the 2009 Australian Home Based Business of the Year Award.
If you are looking to start your own small business or have been struggling with your existing one, then go to www.theredtentwoman.com.au now and get your free gift valued at $97.