How to Write Articles in 7 Easy Steps for Beginners
Articles are written material that is read by an audience, and the quality of the content can have a far-reaching impact on the targeted readers. Articles may be written by marketing or public relations departments to communicate an organization's thought leadership while providing relevant information related to their industry. Some content writers can write articles in a content management system if they write them daily or weekly.
In this article, we will discuss what articles are, how to write them, and important tips for writing them effectively.
What is an article?
An article is a written communication that describes a writer's central theme that they wish to present to their readers. Article topics can vary and feature current or past events around the world. Additionally, authors aim to write content that appeals to human interest and connects with viewers in a unique way compared to other stories.
Some other goals a writer hopes to achieve when writing an article include:
Provide suggestions and actions
Encourage exposure to news and technology stories
Influence current reader opinion
How to write an article?
Review this guide for efficient ways to write articles that your target audience is more likely to read.
Choose a topic to write about.
Identify your target audience.
Find out facts that strengthen your story.
Come up with an outline of your article.
Write a rough draft and reduce your outline.
Determine your subject matter.
Read aloud until your draft is error-free.
1. Choose a topic to write about
Make a list of topics you want to write about before you start writing. This gives you a chance to find out what you like. If you're writing articles for your company, brainstorm ideas with the rest of your team to see which topics might pique the interest of potential customers. You may need to talk to your manager or executive team directly to get a better idea of your targeted audience. However, it is recommended that you define your article as soon as possible, so that you can start writing and see if that is the direction you want to take.2. Identify your target audience
You need to take the perspective of the readers of your articles to identify the target audience you want to reach. Consider formulating a SWOT analysis) to see which audience suits the content of the articles you write.Also, look at these factors when looking for the right target audience:
Demographics: This factor gives you a comprehensive view of an individual's age, annual income geography, and educational background. For example, you could target articles to women ages 18 to 35 living in the tri-state area if you choose to write them on beauty products, whereas you could target suburban men ages 35 to 54 for shaving products.
Behavior and interests: You want to know what type of content readers are interested in, so it's important to study industry trends in marketing and advertising to see the types of people who interact with their brand regardless of the fact that they sell to them. One example could be a company that generates a lot of foot traffic at sporting events for some reason. Knowing what motivates readers to take action gives you important details about how you can prompt action from them.
Buying habits: Data about customer trends separates those looking to buy a product from those browsing the internet. Companies may use targeted ads that entice them to scroll back to their website, so you may want to check with your company's marketing team or check customer trend articles online to see what might be a contributing factor to them consuming a product. This way, you can find out what elements can provide insights for your audience and write content that matches what they are buying.
3. Research facts that strengthen your story
Having facts is essential to writing a strong story that captivates readers. You want to have a centralized area to store your facts, so you can gather all the elements of your story in one place. While it's nice to have a notebook where you can jot down ideas quickly, it's easier to write notes digitally in a word processing document on your smartphone computer.Some examples of research you can collect include:
Statistics
Quotes from sources related to the topic you are writing
about Definitions regarding the topic of the article
Short stories
References to pop culture or media
Local or national events
Resources that users may find useful
4. Create an outline of your article
Your article should have a basic format before you start writing, so you can spend more time on content than structure. Your resources can also help you produce a format that is clear and understandable for readers.The four main parts of the outline you should draw are:
Title: The title is usually one of the parts of an article that viewers see online when they search for content in their search engines. Make sure you write content that targets rich snippets at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) to increase their viewership.
Introductory paragraph: An introductory paragraph introduces the main point of what you want to say about a topic. This is an ideal method to capture your audience's attention because you demonstrate value that shows why they should continue reading your work.
Body paragraphs: Body paragraphs allow you to organize and organize supporting information that supports the point you are trying to convey. Use examples from your research above to highlight your topic and inform your audience about new information and why it impacts them.
Conclusion: Your article conclusion can end with a call to action or something for future readers to consider. You want them to focus on the value they receive from what they learn, so they can tell others to read your content and share it with their networks. If you're writing for a company, they can have a focus group make a decision about what they want to see next from the company, which can be a driving force for how you end your article while enticing them to look forward to more. meaningful content.
5. Write a rough draft and reduce your outline
You should write everything down first before you start editing, so you can release your creative process on paper. You can edit everything afterwards and reflect on what you could have done differently to improve the quality of the article and which subjects you plan to elaborate on. Make sure you start writing and editing your article from top to bottom, so you can save time on your first draft.6. Determine your subject matter
Outline the important points for each section of the outline, so you can stay on track with your article. You want to keep the reader's eyes on your article at all times. You should always collaborate with editors or internal members of your team if you have questions about content and where to develop it.7. Read aloud until your draft is error-free
The final step is for you to read your article several times before you submit it for approval. You want to make sure that it will be short and understandable to the reader. Ask a trusted friend or family member to read it to get honest feedback as well.In conclusion
, it is not easy for you if you are just starting to learn to write articles. However, you need to know that there is nothing instant in achieving something special. Therefore, keep fighting until you feel comfortable being a writer and I hope that one day you can become a book writer or a writer in the news media.