An article is a piece of instructive, inspirational, or explanatory material, usually non-fiction. The demand for article writers is stronger than ever. Not only publications and news need good articles but all businesses also need good articles. Article writing has become an essential component of the content marketing strategy for small to enterprise-level businesses, hence, they all require writers. Quality writing is noticed by search engines and helps build relationships with potential customers or keep current customers engaged and informed.
An article is an effective format for packaging and delivering information to a large audience. According to its purpose, an article will be of other types like:-
Expository Writing
Expository writing shares facts and information with a target audience. This includes everything from ‘how to’ articles to research articles published in scientific journals.
Explanatory articles follow a logical progression and guide the reader toward a new understanding. Many articles published on the web today are explanatory as companies establish themselves as authorities in their field. They want to showcase their knowledge and expertise while providing value to the reader.
Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing evokes more emotions than expository writing. This is the format for writing articles for a sales page or whenever you want the reader to feel inspired to take a specific action. In persuasive writing, you connect to the reader’s current experience or the problems they are trying to solve. Then, you inspire them to understand how they can solve those problems or benefit by taking your recommended action.
Also Read- Copywriting vs Content Writing: Understanding the main Differences
Narrative Writing
Descriptive writing is essentially telling a story. This may be a form of persuasive writing, but a good narrative article has a strong introduction followed by rising action, a climax, and a resolution. The purpose of narrative writing may be to inform, persuade, or connect. If you want to take your readers on a new informative journey, drawing on the experiences and examples of others can lead you to a new understanding. Descriptive writing is a useful way for businesses to connect with customers, share their stories, or create a sense of community.
Descriptive Writing
If you are writing an article that describes a product, its features, and its benefits, you can employ descriptive writing. With a descriptive writer, you can provide concrete and sensory information about an experience, place, or thing while setting the scene. Descriptive writing is used when you want to set the scene for your readers by giving them all the sensory information. You want to describe the atmosphere, the environment, and what is happening in this writing.
The Correct Format Article Writing
To grab the reader’s attention, articles must be attractive. That’s why you want to format it correctly with a title, body, and conclusion. The writing format of your article should have a structure that presents information in an easy-to-consume manner. Every article needs to have a clear purpose. You want to build reader expectations with your headline and fulfill that expectation in the body of your article.
Heading
The title should be a concise and accurate description of what your article will discuss. If you’re writing an article for the web, including a keyword in your title helps search engines understand the content. You also want to format your title as an H1. Your title should be attractive as well as informative. If you grab the reader’s attention with a funny title that has nothing to do with your content, you will lose their attention. Search engines keep track of how long someone looks at your article, so this type of temptation works against you. For many articles, you’ll add a byline with your name below the title. This depends on whether you are writing for a publication that will credit you as an author or if you are ghostwriting.
Introduction
The top-most essential element of a good article is the Introduction. Your introduction should grab the reader’s attention while also confirming that they are in the right place and will find the information they need in your article.
Body
Once you’ve presented your topic, you can dive into the content of the body of your article. You may determine the length of your article as you write it, or your employer may give you a target word count.
For the web, you’ll want to break your content into clear sections with H2 or H3 headings that identify upcoming content. Keep your paragraphs short and make the body of your article easy to scan. This will give the readers the information they want and hence will stay connected with you for a long time.
Conclusion
Your conclusion may have a descriptive title or be called ‘Conclusion’. This is one or two concluding paragraphs that leave the reader with an appeal, recommended action, opinion, or concluding thought.
How can I Write an Article
Now that you know the types and format of an article, you will want to understand the process of writing it. Here are the steps to follow while article writing.
- Choose your topic. An ideal topic is focused enough to address in one article.
- Think about your target audience. What questions are they asking on this topic? What is the most important answer you can give them? You want to speak directly to your reader, so having your target audience clearly in mind is an important step.
- Gather your facts and data. Are the points you plan to include in the article supported?
- Write an outline including headings. Does it flow? Can you adequately cover this topic in one article?
- Write your rough draft and edit it. Some writers read their drafts out loud to check the flow and avoid common grammar mistakes. You can use a tool like the Hemingway app or Grammarly to help with this step.
Also Read- What Does Copywriting Mean in Marketing?
How Do I Start Writing Articles
Work samples are required to apply for jobs and freelance projects. First of all, you have to understand the basics of web formatting and SEO.
However, if you don’t have a sample of work ready, there are several ways to develop a portfolio. The pay for these first steps is little or nothing… but you will gain experience and take the first important steps to becoming an article writer.
- Write content for a company, agency, or content mill that accepts beginner’s content.
- Write your articles and submit them for publication in online magazines.
- Submit your guest blog posts for your areas of expertise.
- Provide content for friends and family to publish on their business websites.
- Take on some writing responsibilities for your current employer.
- Before signing up for any online article writing opportunity, research the company. There are many legitimate opportunities for every experience and skill but there can also be scams.
If you’re new to writing, developing your portfolio is a chance to become familiar with different industries, topics, and formats. Something will be more natural and enjoyable for you. It’s okay if you don’t like the first thing you try, just keep trying because there are still more opportunities.
Scope of Article Writers in Industries
From video games to healthcare to finance, every field needs article writers. As the web expands, the importance of maintaining consistent, original, and high-quality content is also increasing. Mainly because it works! Content marketing generates almost three times more leads than traditional marketing. The need for skilled content writers is increasing. No matter what you’re interested in, someone needs your expertise.
How to Find Work as an Article Writer
As a content writer, you can apply your skills in any favorite industry. Ways to find work in your areas of interest include:
- Job Listings for Content Writers
- Platforms where freelancers compete for project bids. like – Freelancer
- Work through web builders, digital marketing companies, or content providers
- Find sites you want to write for and pitch the owners
- Join a startup company in your field of interest
- Advertise your services locally or online
- Build your network with Chambers of Commerce and other business networking groups.
- Network through Facebook and LinkedIn
Start with one or two ways to look for work. With continued effort, you will find paths that work for you. The more people available who know about your services, the better. The main purpose of steady work is to get in front of as many potential employers as possible!
Sources of Articles Writing
Use free online tools to improve and refine your blog writing. Many grammar and typo-checking editors offer free versions. They capture the issues of tone and consent left by The Word.
Hemingway Editor aids readability by identifying complex and difficult-to-read sentences. It tells you the grade level of your writing, highlights the passive voice, and provides simple word choices.
To increase the attractiveness of your headlines, the Advanced Marketing Institute has created a free Headline Analyst.
If you find yourself repeating words, Word Hippo is an online thesaurus that helps keep the variety of words interesting.
The Dream World of Article Writing
Whether your dream is to work as an article writer for your current employer or make a name for yourself in the journalism world, your voice and skills are in demand. The important thing is to keep writing and keep learning. The road to success may be bumpy in the beginning. Even if you have an idea of who you are as a writer and a clear picture of where you fit in, there will still be challenges. This happens to all writers at first.
Or, you may not know what interests you as a writer or what format works with your natural strengths. Stay calm! You will keep learning as you go. Once your work is published and assignments start filling your email, things will become easier.
When writing is done well, it is a natural part of the audience’s experience. Articles shape the way writers present content and can influence the way people think. Even when writing someone else’s point of view, your skill makes it worth reading. The entire web is full of people sharing their online success stories. Hopefully, reading this is a small step on your journey to writing success.
