Writing the Perfect Article: A Template for Success
How to write perfect articles every time
Writing the perfect article doesn’t just happen, and it’s not something that all people can do naturally or intuitively. If you’re trying to master the art of writing, you need to know what steps to take when you sit down to craft an article, from start to finish.
Here’s a template for writing the perfect article that will walk you through all of the important steps involved in creating great content.
Before We Get Started
It’s important to get a feel for who you’re writing to before you begin. You want to tailor your tone and style accordingly. To do that, research what type of information they’re looking for and how they like to receive it — is it an easy-to-read bullet list or a long narrative with examples?
Look at popular posts about your topic. Read through them and take note of their tone, structure, language, and even punctuation use (you may have different audiences across different social media platforms).
If you know anyone personally who has recently posted content similar to yours, ask them what their experience was like. This will help put you in their mindset when you start drafting your first draft. Now on to the template for writing articles.
Start with your goal
Writing goals are important because they provide you with something to strive for. They provide the structure, direction, and clarity you require to keep your project moving forward. The wrong goal, on the other hand, can become a millstone that demotivates, causes delays, and makes writing feel overwhelming.
The first step in establishing a writing goal is to ensure that it is a goal and not something else. Some writers claim to have a goal when all they really have is a wish or a vague hope.
Having a dream to write may sound aspirational, but it can be demoralizing and demotivating if it remains a dream for an extended period of time. However, transforming your vague wish into something more concrete is simple. Consider the following writers’ wishes:
I wish I could find more time to write
I wish I could write a novel
I wish I could complete my projects rather than give up
I wish I could establish a more consistent writing routine.
Define your target audience
Having a clear idea of who you’re writing for is crucial to creating engaging content. Sure, you can tailor your writing to appeal to a wide audience, but it will do little good if your message lacks relevance or falls flat with specific demographics.
Do some research and make sure that your material is appropriate, relevant, and resonates with readers. If possible, take it one step further by directly asking members of your target audience about their preferences before you begin writing.
By understanding how they consume information, you’ll be able to create a more direct message that resonates with them on an emotional level.
Outline your points
Start with a list of three to five points you want to make in your next post or column. Write these down on a sticky note and place it on your computer monitor or somewhere else where you’ll see it every day.
Next, write a few sentences summarizing each point in an outline form. Now comes the fun part — you get to sit down and start writing.
“Writing is like sex. First you do it for love, then you do it for your friends, and then you do it for money.” — Virginia Woolf
Create an introduction
The first paragraph of an article, called an introduction, is all about grabbing your reader’s attention and getting them hooked on your piece. According to Shawn Haigh, a popular blogger for Content Marketing Institute, you should use that opening space to share a problem or pain point and then introduce your solution.
The most popular tool used by bloggers is a slideshow, so you might want to consider creating one of those. You could also just write out all of the steps you’re going to take in order and bullet list them. How’s that for being unconventional?
Write two supporting paragraphs
Your first paragraph should include your topic, and it’s a good idea to give your readers a glimpse of what they can expect in future paragraphs. The second paragraph is where you get into detail about why readers will want to know more.
Explain how they’ll benefit from knowing these details and state any reasons why they might need these additional facts. Write your conclusion last; re-emphasize what you’ve already said, then offer a call to action for your readers.
Be sure to use bullet points if there’s a lot of information that needs to be absorbed quickly; people have short attention spans when reading online, so don’t bore them with long-winded explanations or instructions. Keep things short and sweet.
Creating an outro
Conclusions (Outros) appear at the end of nearly all types of writing. When a reader reaches the end of your work, a good conclusion paragraph can change their mind, and knowing how to write a thorough, engaging conclusion can make your writing more impactful.
A conclusion paragraph’s purpose is to wrap up your writing and reinforce the main idea presented in the body of your paper. One of the most important aspects of academic writing is the conclusion structure (for example, personal essays or argumentative essays).
A conclusion connects the initial thesis statement presented in the opening paragraph with supporting points and a final impression that provides closure to the reader. A well-written conclusion clearly conveys the writer’s main point. A strong conclusion can offer the reader a new perspective or shed new light on an old idea.
What makes an article effective?
The perfect articles are easy to read and understand, they’re concise, they have interesting content, and they get results. The best way to develop those qualities is to create a template of your own that you can follow consistently with each piece of content you write.
By understanding how to write an effective article, you’ll be able to produce higher-quality posts more quickly and spend less time editing. Let’s take a look at what goes into creating a great template for effective articles and why each component is important.
Final Thoughts
I have put together an exhaustive, step-by-step guide to writing perfect articles. If you’re ready to start earning residual income by writing and publishing regularly, you owe it to yourself to read through the entire article.
The next time you want to get paid to write online, choose your idea carefully, ensure that it has a large audience, and then the template described above. Good luck!
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