These simple lessons will help you create web content that gets readers’ attention. Discover the secrets to writing outstanding web content. Start today…
Web Content Writing – Article Writing
Although web content comes in various forms like blog posts, sales messages, social media messages, info-graphic content, email messages, Tweets, etc, we will talk about article writing. Keep in mind, article writing is only one of the many forms of web content writing. Now, let me tell you how to write an article for the web.
Structure of an Article
An article mainly has four parts, viz. Heading, Lead Sentence/Paragraph, Article Body, and Conclusion.
How To: Writing a Heading for the Web
Write a headline from the key-words of the article. Key-word here means, any word that will fully explain your concept – fast and easy. The headline should be explanatory. When it is explanatory, interested people will click on the link to read your article.
Examples of some explanatory headings:
– Top 10 Lessons to Writing Unique Web Content
– How to Write Articles Fast
– Simple Template to Writing Articles to Grab Instant Attention
Those headlines will tell the readers what they can expect from your article.
In other words, convey the essence of the article in as few words as possible. Your headline is a promise you make. You deliver that promise through the body of your article.
Maybe, you want to see this article on how you too can Write Magical Headlines that Grab Readers’ Attention:
Headlines are the most important factor determining the success or failure of your article.
How To: Writing a Lead Paragraph or Intro That Keeps the Attention
A lead (also known as an intro) is the second most important element of a successful web article. You grab the attention of your readers with a telling headline. Now keep that attention with a telling intro.
Write a short, simple and straight-to-the-point lead. Ideally, the lead paragraph should have a two to five sentences in it. It has to fully explain what is to come.
Keep your lead to less than 160 characters (including spaces). That is the maximum snippet search engines usually show in search results page. If the intro is not self-explanatory, people will click over to articles that have a self-explanatory lead.
Examples for some leads that work:
– More than 90% of journalists follow this simple technique to writing attention grabbing leads. Learn how you too can write telling intros like a journalist.
– Most people don’t get article writing right. They try everything and fail. These 10 simple article writing tips will make you a successful article writer.
– Getting readers for your blog is tough. Learn these seven marketing techniques and you will start attract readers like crazy – works like magic.
Article Body
Article body is where you deliver the promises. Your heading made a promise. Your lead/intro reinforced that promise. Now is time to deliver the promise.
How to write an article body: The following points are pointers for writing articles for the web.
– Stick to a single idea for the whole article. Don’t try to explain several ideas with one article.
– Break down that idea into smaller, supporting ideas. Explain a single point, idea or concept in a paragraph. Too many ideas will distract your readers.
– Write short, simple sentences. They are easy to read and understand.
– Write short paragraphs. The maximum length of a paragraph is five or six sentences.
– Give subheadings to paragraphs when explaining an idea in detail.
– Format your article with bold, italics and underlined text. This will increase the readability of your article.
Conclusion
In most cases, you can write an article without a conclusion. You don’t need a conclusion every time. When you write, remind one or two of the most important points explained in the article. Don’t try to pack everything into the conclusion.
A conclusion like the one below will work nice in most cases.
Now you have learned the techniques of writing an article, attracting readers’ attention, and formatting that article for the web. Apply the techniques you have learned above and you can be the web content/article writer you wanted to become.
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