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How to structure a great article 21 May 2007

Posted by Catriona Pollard in PR tips.
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royalty-free-images-052.jpgSome time-tested approaches for structuring an article:

• Identify a problem, give a solution
• Suggest a new approach
• Develop the pool of knowledge on a subject
• Describe the lessons learnt from a project/transaction/ruling/issue and their applications to other areas
• Conflict the majority view or “perceived wisdom” Chronological
• Give the “inside” story – new information about an already well known event, activity or undertaking.

Your article can generally be improved by using another source. Your article is about showcasing you and your firm’s competency/brilliance. It has a lot more authority if your customer or client is saying this, and is an active part of the story. If your new product/service is brilliant, get a client, buyer or user to say it.

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Comments»

1. Odile - 7 October 2007

These are great tips, but what I badly need is structure, I’m incredibly chaotic and full of ideas…

2. Article Marketer Gman - 2 December 2007

One of the best ways to self-market is by writing great articles like this one, but yeah, structure is critical. Your message must be coherent to have any REAL effect, and not be just SE spam…

How much better, though if you could get not only the link and the SE love, but also get paid cash too?

Yowsah!

Get over to http://www.nichearticleslive.com and get started NOW.

Cheers…

Glenn “Gman” Grundberg
http://www.wordgunner.com

3. T. Grundstrom - 2 December 2007

To get you article as an effective marketing tool on the web it must contain appropriate keywords, keyword phrases, and content theme workd and phrases. Integrate these into your already informative article, send it to article directories, and watch your client/customer base grow.

4. toprankarticles - 17 December 2007

As a article directory owner, unique content is king! There is so much duplicate content out there. Copy and pasting to all of the articles directories won’t do anyone any good if it is not original. Keep the original articles coming!

http://toprankarticles.com

5. LeRoi Keiller - 16 April 2008

Here is a structure for writing articles:

- Title (use keyword first in heading and CATCH the reader’s attention)
- Subtitle (an alternative title or personal comment)
- Intro (hint at and bait the reader as to what they will learn)
- Heading (headings are a roadmap and help readers find what they’re looking for in an article)
- Body (reveal your secrets, teach the reader – use interesting stories to help your reader understand)
- Summary (recap what you’ve taught the reader – bullet points may be useful here)
- Resource box (very important: put your name, what you do, your website URL (with keyword anchor text, if possible) and why they should visit your site – just don’t sound spammy)

Tips:
- Once you have your main idea, write the main body first (it will then be easy to write an introduction and summary, based on the main body)
- Make sure your first sentence is well written and grabs the reader’s attention – it often decides whether the reader will read on or go elsewhere
- Try to focus on one main idea for each article (digressing or covering several topics can confuse the reader and besides, multiple topics mean multiple articles!)
- Rather than writing a wall of text (which isn’t nice to read), break the text into sections, each with its own heading (or subheading) – this adds interest, visually and helps the reader navigate the article
- If it is possible (and allowed) include pictures to add visual interest and to ‘tell a thousand words’
- Try to write in a casual tone (“the reader is your friend”) …unless it is for a formal publication
- Spell-check AND proof read your article – especially if English is not your first language
- Get someone else to spell-check and proof-read your article – also, get their feedback (if you’re willing to take it ;)

If you use a wrong word, a spell-checker won’t highlight it (unless it’s spelled incorrectly). For example, “better then that” is spelled correctly but it should read, “better than that”.

nigger - 6 March 2012

yeaa das cool bru

6. FL Studio - Music Composition Software (LeRoi Keiller) - 16 April 2008

Although I’m a musician, I thought you’d find the above useful. :) After all, I’m investigating article writing further.

7. crustynomad - 30 April 2008
8. Odile - 16 August 2008

Thanks for the tips. I now realize I have conflicting goals when I write…

9. Alexwebmaster - 3 March 2009

Hello webmaster
I would like to share with you a link to your site
write me here preonrelt@mail.ru

10. Henry - 27 July 2009

I found one effective method to be write like this.

Identify the problem
Indetify the soltuions
Identify with the solutions and your opinions of them..
conclude everythng?

Is that a good way to strcutre an article?

11. nigger - 6 March 2012

yo dawg i is am da aweosme shiz yeaaaaa

12. http://www.james-wolk.com/2012/01/27/added-happy-endings-episode-2x14-stills/comment-page-1 - 19 May 2013

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