Gone in 60 seconds! How to write a successful one minute read on Medium.
A quick fire tutorial on short-form articles. No time-wasters please.
Headline & subtitle
This is your shop window. Make it more than a precursor, it should intrigue and set the tone. Don’t clickbait, your article won’t be shared and people will think you suck.
Content
Educate, inform and entertain. Tick these boxes and you’re onto a winner. Choose areas of expertise or personal experience. Even better if it’s topical.
Writing style
Do not utilise unnecessarily verbose and avoidable hyperbole that unnecessarily embellishes. Like that last sentence. Keep it punchy. Although darling, please give your copy some fucking character. Allow your personality to shine.
Image use
A picture is worth a thousand words, so use one to pack more punch without hitting the minute limit, and make sure it’s eye-catching.
Boosting search results
Choose your tags wisely. Ask for claps from those who have enjoyed reading (wink, wink). Pose a question to encourage comments. On that note, got tips on writing short articles? Leave them in the comments below (more winking).
To conclude
Add a conclusion, to end the reader’s journey. But keep it quick, you’ll be short on time. Speaking of which…
