15 tips to help improve your article writing

There are many ins and outs to article writing. It can be hard knowing where to start or what skills are required for successful article writing.  It’s not just as simple as writing whatever comes to your mind. There are steps to take and skills to consider. Here are 15 tips you’ll wish you knew sooner about article writing.

1. Keep a list of ideas

It can be hard coming up with ideas for articles. Many writers often go through blank spaces and writer’s block where they have no ideas or words to say.  You’ll be surprised what will inspire you about ideas for an article. People like to read articles on all kinds of topics.

Wherever you go, take a notebook and jot ideas down as they come into your head. A walk in the park or a bus journey could trigger inspiration for great article ideas. It’s better to have plenty of ideas even if they don’t work out than no ideas at all. Some of your best ideas may pop into your head at 3am so keep that notebook close by.

2. Try writing with bullet points

 Next on our list for article writing tips is how writing in bullet points can help generate a full article. It’s a good idea to format your article into bullet points first. It’s a great starting point when it comes to writing the full article. Bullet points can help you organise your thoughts and complete the article quicker. Bullet point articles can drive in higher traffic. Google prefers articles that use bullet points or subheadings. Using bullet points will help you save time and increase your chances of reaching your target audience.

3. Inverted pyramid

This is a common method to follow for article writing. The inverted pyramid is how to structure out your article effectively. The inverted pyramid consists of the following process.

• Most newsworthy info – your article should tell the readers the who, what, when, where, why and how. Your intro should basically tell the story.
• Important details – expand on the above details and add further description.
• Other general information – any small details that may be relevant to the article.

You should always bear this structure in mind when writing an article.

4. Avoid distractions when article writing

It can be easy to procrastinate when writing, especially if you’re starting to lose your momentum. Once you lose your focus its hard to get back into the mindset of writing. It’s important to avoid any form of distractions as it could affect your writing ability. We advise staying away from social media and turning gaming consoles and TV’s off. Try and work as far away from these as possible. If they are in your sight, you can be easily tempted to have a look on Facebook or watch TV. Keep them out of sight. You should take breaks to avoid too much exposure to your screen for consecutive amounts of time. Go for a 10-minute walk, have a drink or something to eat.

5. Conduct research when article writing

Being a good researcher goes a long way when it comes to article writing. Before you start writing about a particular topic, it’s a good idea to do some background research. This will help you gain more knowledge and give you an idea of things you could write about. Researching topics will broaden your horizons on different industries. Be sure to research effectively as you don’t want to provide any incorrect information to your readers.

Whilst researching, jot down your findings in a notebook. You may find interesting points that you could use in your article. Jotting down what you find when researching will give you more to work with when drafting your article. The last thing you want is not having enough material so the more notes you make, the better.

6. Catchy headlines and intros are essential in article writing

It’s not just the article itself that is important, but the headline too. Your headline is the starting point of your article. It’s the first thing your readers see. If you don’t have a good headline your readers won’t read your content, even if your content is great. You should write compelling headlines that will get the reader engaged. All your hard work on your blog could go to waste if your headline isn’t up to scratch.

It may take a few attempts to write a good headline but it’s worth spending time getting it right. Some good ways you can create a good headline include:

• Use odd numbers – odd numbered lists will stand out better than the usual top 10 listicles. Using odd numbers in your headlines can help your article stand out and improve overall performance.
• Use special characters – just like using odd numbers these will also help your headline grab reader’s attention. Brackets and hyphens are good examples of using special characters in your headlines.
• Questions – the use of questions generate more curiosity and deliver SEO
• Use keywords – the use of keywords is important especially when it comes to your headline. It will make it easier to locate on Google.

The second thing your readers will see is your intro. Just like the headline, it needs to be engaging so the readers want to continue reading. Check out similar articles of how to write a good intro. If your intros and headlines aren’t good, everything else will let you down. Spend plenty of time making sure your intro is appealing.

7. Be original

As a writer, you should always be using your own ideas. If you are stuck, take a look at someone else’s idea and see how you can make it slightly different. It may seem tempting and easier to copy and paste someone else’s work, especially if you’re stuck for ideas. DON’T DO IT! You should never plagiarise someone else’s work. Google will notice it and you will be penalised.  You will make yourself look unprofessional if you use other people’s content. Article writing is about being creative and coming up with new ideas. So, spend time brainstorming. Remember to be original.

8. Make it visually appealing

You should be aiming to make your articles more visually appealing to your readers. Articles aren’t just about words. Sometimes visuals can tell a story better than words alone. If a visual can say everything you need it to without the use of words, use it. Visuals make your article more aesthetically pleasing. It’s a great way of breaking up large chunks of text as bulks of text can often put people off. You should look to create some white space around your text to make it easier and more satisfying to read. Examples of visuals you can use in your text include:

• Images
• Videos
• Graphs
• Diagrams.

It’s also recommended to make your copy scannable so it’s easier to read. You can add bullet points, numbered lists and sub-headings to divide up your text. This makes it easier for your reader to quickly skim through and find exactly what they are looking for.

9. Impeccable writing skills

This may seem like an obvious skill for article writing but it’s a vital one. If you want to create successful articles, you need to be able to spell and use correct grammar. You should also construct sentences that flow so it is easy for the reader to understand. You also need to be able to write creatively and effectively. Your copy should be powerful so that it hooks your reader in. They should be interested in your words from start to finish. Words are powerful, so make good use of them.

Whilst you want to show off your article writing skills, don’t over complicate things for your reader. Avoid using complex words and jargon as this will confuse the reader. If they can’t understand what you’re saying they won’t read the copy. You should keep your words, sentences and paragraphs short. No one wants to read large chunks of text at once. We recommend keeping your sentence length to 20 words or less.

10. Be direct in your message

Your articles should always be concise, to the point and direct. Don’t focus on the word count if you want a long piece, you should focus on getting the point across. No one wants to read irrelevant points so avoid waffling. Be sure to keep your copy relevant to the topic at hand.

11. Read other articles

Article writing isn’t just about being a great writer, although it helps. You should also be a great reader. As a writer, you should be reading books, magazines, newspapers or other blogs often. Reading will not only help you with your spelling and grammar. You will come across styles and sentence structures that you can relate to. Reading other content can also help you come up with new ideas. Reading other content can help improve your proofreading skills which is important in the writing process. We will talk about proofreading later in the blog.

12. Be passionate

You should be passionate about what you write about. There’s no point in writing about things that you don’t enjoy or things that bore you. Channelling positive energy into your article writing will help you create better articles. Writing with passion will allow you to write more naturally and truthfully. If you have no passion, it will show in your work. Instead of being interesting and engaging it will be dull and flat. Immediately, your readers will switch off. Aim to give your readers the same feeling of passion you put into your work.

13. Plan your article writing

You should always plan out your article beforehand. Rather than sitting down at your desk and bashing words out on your keyboard, plan what you’re going to write. You could create a spider diagram or bullet points to highlight ideas and points you want to talk about. By planning out your article, you’ll save time, be more organised and have a better understanding of what to write.

You should break your plan down into: titles, headings, sub-headings etc. so you know what to cover in each section.

14. Always edit your article writing

When it comes to article writing your first draft will never be your final version. Creating the perfect article takes a few attempts. As you work through your article, your ideas will change and develop. You may decide to write the article from scratch again or edit small sections of it. The editing process may take quite a bit of time. It’s worth investing as much time as you need to make your article perfect. Trying to edit whilst writing can slow you down. You should wait until you have finished your article to work through edits.

15. Proofreading

One of the most important article writing tips is the importance of proofreading. Once the article has been written, there is still work to do. It’s time to check through your article for any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. When working on a long document it can be easy to miss mistakes. You should set aside plenty of time to proofread through your article. The last thing you want to do is post an article that has spelling mistakes or grammatical issues. It makes you look unprofessional and lazy. Your readers won’t be able to read the content. You could ask someone else to take a look through your work. They may pick up on any issues you may have missed.

 By now, you should be well equipped with article writing tips to help write your article. By following these tips you’ll soon be creating successful articles.

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