steps to write an article

Seven Easy Steps in Writing an Article with Substance

Content Marketing

Who’s your favorite article writer? Do you envy how a writer comes up with great blogs and articles you see on the internet? I’m sure you can name different authors from your favorite sites. But do you dream of writing an article on your own ? The structure of article writing follows general and advance rules. However, article styles vary in creative forms to reach the target audience or readers. This article writing guide gives you a step-by-step plan to help you write your own article content.

Article Writing Guide in Seven Simple Steps

Step 1: Select your main topic and define your objectives.

The first step on how to write an article is to choose your topic. Come up with specific topic to avoid scattered contents. List the objectives your content must have. Decide the scope and boundaries of your article. It is easier to compose an article that has target topic to tackle. Once you’re happy with the choice of topic, be sure to stick to it.

Step 2: Target your audience.

After you settle your main topic, you must know your target readers. Ask yourself, what do you want your readers to learn from you using your article? What information do they need to know in your article? And define your writing approach.

Step 3: Gather your information and resources.

After selecting your main topic and target audience, do research existing works. Find articles with the same taste of idea and content flow. You’ll need to back up yourself once you start writing the article. Pick up ideas and support your claims. If you’re writing an opinion, you must claim facts from researches and authors as your basis. Bullets and adding keywords to highlight your article eases the flow of writing. And you must never forget to site your resources.

Step 4: Create your topic outline and rough draft.

As you gather data and ideas from your research, create a rough draft. Topic outlining is an effective way of letting your ideas flow. Jot down concepts and create section breaks. Write every idea that pops into your mind. Mind your grammar, punctuations, and analytical factors lesser at this step. Just let your mind and hands work. Inject ideas to form your article. Use the bullets and keywords to solidify your article’s work.

Step 5: Edit your draft.

After your rough draft, the next step in article writing guide is to edit your content. Be sure to follow correct grammar usage and punctuations. Scan for misspelled words and track your article’s flow. Ideas must come in order to avoid directing your readers away. Spot proper usage of words and align it to your target audience.

Step 6: Proofread your content.

As any article writing guide would say, proofread your work. Don’t just trust your editing skills. Proofreading defines how your article sounds and how it affects your readers. Grab the chance to spot for any more mistakes and aim for a seamless reading flow.

Step 7: Add visuals, infographic, and images.

Last step in article writing guide, is to add any infographic, visuals, and images in your article. This gives your readers a break. For today’s fast-paced industry, audience engages more with visual materials and it helps them digest what they’re reading. Add visuals relevant to your content to make sure reading engagement.

Seven Tips to Boost Your Article Writing Skills

1. read more..

Reading promotes learning and it harnesses your skills in different areas. Read more and update yourself to the trends of literature and social media.

2. Use lists and bullet points in your article.

As one of the steps in article writing guide, using lists and bullet points organizes your thoughts in crafting your draft. Even using this tactic helps your reader to absorb direct info with lesser stuffing. Arranging the data in bullet or list form attracts readers. This also conveys solid info.

3. Keep a writing tool in your pocket.

Whether it’s a small pad of paper, a notebook or even a gadget, always have a writing tool with you. You’ll never know when an amazing topic hits you or you see catchy quote as you travel. Ideas are everywhere so be ready once it’s in front of you.

4. Engage with your audience.

Talk to your audience. Let them feel you are pointing at them and relate to what they experience. Write an article that your readers want to digest.

5. Stop showing off too much.

Your reader’s capacity to enjoy your article depends on your word usage and style. Unless you’re speaking professionally in jargons, avoid using deep words and prioritize your readers.

6. Remove distractions while writing.

Imagine trying to write while watching your favorite Netflix series. Do you think you’ll be able to write up with distractions around you? It’s best to block the world and enter your article’s dimension.

7. Love what you do. (Writing)

Doing what you love is the most efficient way of working. Fall in love in writing as much as you love your morning coffee. Get excited with your topics and you won’t notice that time flies. Whether it’s a job or a hobby, learn to love writing. All else will follow in the article writing guide for you to create a content with substance.

This article writing guide aims to give you the basic guidelines you need to write an article. Writing offers you a wide range of career fields to grow. Take time to experience writing and its creative world.

Feel certain that this article writing guide from Allied Writers is the great start for good articles.

writing in a paper and typing in a laptop

Sources: writersdigest.com | entrepreneurs-journey.com| thepenmagazine.net | thoughtcatalog.com

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How to Write Articles

Last Updated: February 4, 2023 References Approved

This article was co-authored by Janet Peischel . Janet Peischel is a Writer and Digital Media Expert and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, she develops content strategies and builds online brands for her clients. Prior to consulting, Janet spent over 15 years in the marketing industry, in positions such as the Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Bank of America. Janet holds a BA and MA from the University of Washington. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 26 testimonials and 88% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 3,224,590 times.

There are a multitude of different types of articles, including news stories, features, profiles, instructional articles, and so on. While each has specific qualities that are unique to its type, all articles share some common characteristics. From forming and researching your idea to writing and editing your work, writing articles can give you a chance to share compelling and important information with readers.

Forming Your Idea

Your goal is to convey enough passion that your readers think the issue in your article is worth caring about.

For example, for the organic food topic, you might focus on one grocery shopper who doesn’t understand organic food labeling. Use that opening anecdote to lead into your main argument, known as a "nut graph," which summarizes your unique idea or perspective.

Researching Your Idea

You can make a longer list of evidence and examples. As you gather more evidence, you will be able to prioritize which ones are the strongest examples.

Don’t assume that one source is completely accurate. You'll need several unrelated sources to get the full picture.

Choose a citation style sooner rather than later, so you can compile citation information in the correct format. MLA, APA, and Chicago are some of the most common citation styles.

Don’t copy any text directly from another source. Paraphrase this text instead, and include a citation .

Outlining Your Idea

For example, if you are writing an article for a specialized academic audience, your tone, and approach will be vastly different from if you’re writing an article for a popular magazine.

Writing Your Article

Be flexible, however. Sometimes when you write, the flow makes sense in a way that is different from your outline. Be ready to change the direction of your piece if it seems to read better that way.

For example, you might write about the grocery shopper having trouble with organic food labels: “Charlie concentrated on jars of peanut butter on the shelf. The words ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ seemed to jump out at him. Every jar said something different. He felt they were shouting at him: ‘Choose me!’ ‘Buy me!’ The words started swimming in front of his eyes. He left the aisle without buying anything.”

For example, use words or phrases such as “however…,” “another important point is…,” or “it must be remembered that…”

Finalizing Your Work

It’s helpful to print out a hard copy of your article. Go through it with a pen or pencil to catch mistakes. Then go back and correct these mistakes on the computer.

It is common to be able to identify your mistakes in grammar or writing while reading aloud as well; this could cut down on the feedback that you may receive from someone else.

This person may also catch errors and inconsistencies that you have overlooked.

If you want to convey slightly more information, write a sub-headline. This is a secondary sentence that builds on the headline.

Article Outline Template

Expert Q&A

When writing for a newspaper or magazine, do not do so free. Ask what the freelance fee is beforehand. Your pay will usually be calculated on a per-word basis or per-article basis. Your work is valuable. Writing for free makes making a living more difficult for those who depend on freelance fees to pay the bills. If you're just starting out, volunteering to do some articles for smaller community papers, student publications and trade magazines is a great way to build your portfolio. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

About This Article

To write an article, use both primary and secondary sources to gather information about your topic. Primary sources include photos, government records, and personal interviews, while secondary sources include books, abstracts, scholarly journals, other articles, and reference books. When you’re writing, use facts, quotes, and statistics from your sources to support your point, and explain your topic as if the reader has never heard of it before. To learn the different types of articles, including news, features, and editorials, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Write An Article? An Easy Step By Step Guide (2023)

Did you know, as per worldometers.info, the number of newspapers circulated on the day i write this article is 326, 900, 999 (and counting), and the number of blog posts written are 4,941,999 (and counting) those are huge numbers. with those stats, it is impossible to imagine the number of articles written per day. how to write an article how can you stand out when there are so many article writers do newbies stand a chance these are just some questions i would love to answer through this article..

image of How To Write An Article? An Easy Step By Step Guide

Also, I am excited to share some really cool free tools that make writing fun and easy.

How to write an article? It’s easy, really. Just be yourself. The cardinal rule is “ TO WRITE .” All else comes next. Yes, the trouble starting is real. Even Stephen King admits to the scariest moment being just before you start. But once you overcome that hurdle, the rest of the track is easy.

In an era of infobesity (yes, that is the new word for information overload), where a simple Google search of “how to write an article?” also yields 2,18,00,00,000 results in just about 0.51 seconds, how will you assimilate all the information out there?

The information undoubtedly exceeds our human processing capacity. While we are at it, do you know about IFS?

When too much information becomes noise, it leads to Information Fatigue Syndrome. The fog created by so much information literally impacts, interferes, and hampers with decision-making ability. Not to forget the stress that accompanies the indecisiveness.

Adding to the situation is the fact that the human attention span is a mere eight seconds owing to technology. But if you are still reading this article, congratulations! Your attention span is not compromised.

Learn the fundamental principles of writing with this free Content Writing E-Book!

Content writing e-book, article writing faqs :.

We fear that which is unknown to us. But once we know about it, the topic is not so intimidating, at least almost always. Any issue of which we do not know comes with a host of doubts and questions.

Similarly, how to write an article also comes with a host of questions for a newbie. Is it difficult? Am I suited for article writing? Do I need special qualifications to do article writing?

I believe answering the frequently asked questions will help clear a lot of the doubts and apprehensions that you might have.

So stay with me till then end while I attempt to give you all the information on how to write an article in the best possible and most straightforward manner.

In this comprehensive guide, you will find answers to:

What is article writing?

How to write an article.

If you aspire to become a writer, check out the details of the bestselling Content Writing Course .

Other courses to consider from IIM SKILLS

Technical Writing Course

Digital Marketing Course

First things first, what is an article? Any written piece of information published in print or on the digital/electronic medium is an article. The purpose could be anything, from news, research papers, analysis, academics, blogs, scientific journal s, marketing articles, etc.

Generally speaking, an article is for a broader audience, and the motive is to make a positive difference. The topics are various. It uses words to express an idea or present facts and solutions for mass consumption.

Today, it is a lot easier to publish articles online. The digital medium is very powerful and easily accessible with good outreach. Anyone can write and post an article online. But remember, only the useful articles see sunny days while the mediocre ones are relegated to the background with hardly any views and read.

The thing that differentiates good articles from the average or bad is good content. An article with good content provides value to people and can influence or change their perception. The keyword here is “providing value.”

Heard about digital marketing? Read through my article on how digital marketing is redefining business success.

The topic of how to write an article also has information overload but worry not. I am here to simplify the process and separate the wheat from the chaff.

All writers start as readers, and this is true of every single writer out there. If it calms your nerves and eases you any, “Every writer I know has trouble writing.” Well, it’s not me who says so, but Joseph Heller (American author) who did. Couldn’t agree more, right?

But hey, there are ways to make the process easy and stress-free. Though ultimately, it is personalized, there are broad ways to go about it, such that writing is fun and not a task.

Of course, your very purpose in reading through this article is to become an article writer. So yes, this article can be your ultimate guide with detailed tips on article writing.

Golden Rules to Article Writing, our Pro Tips:

Rule #1: select your topic/niche.

Are you a generalist or a specialist? The generalists can write on any topic. They can write about food, travel, pets, etc. With the same finesse, they can even write on marketing, finance, and educational articles.

Specialists, as the name suggests, pick an area of expertise and specialize only in writing about that niche or topic. You will most often come across specialists in the field of finance, academics, and technical writing, as these areas require more in-depth knowledge.

They say the riches are in the niches. To understand this better, let me take an example of the doctor fraternity. How about we consider the generalists as general practitioners or general physicians and the specialists as specialist MDs? Makes sense now?

To choose a niche, you need to start with what you are good at. Each one of us is better at that one thing than others; that could be your niche. It could be something you are passionate about. If you identify opportunities and gaps in the market for your area of expertise, you are good to go.

This is not to say the generalists have no place in article writing. No one is born knowledgeable. Learning is an endless and ceaseless process. One can always learn and earn. Nothing is impossible, and even the word impossible says, I’m possible!

Rule #2: Create a User Persona to address your target audience’s needs.

Okay, you have your topic ready and also know that good content and providing value are essential. But how do you know what is of value? Simple again.

Before you write, create what we know as the “user persona.” Say, for example, you want to write about gardening tips. You have excellent knowledge, and now you want to share it in the form of an article.

Your user persona is someone who loves gardening and wants to learn more about it. Yet, it is someone who is not a professional in gardening. They do not have the time to skim through detailed technicalities but will definitely appreciate simple, practical tips and tricks.

Another example, say you are great at finance, understand the nuances of the share market and mutual funds and all the important financial stuff that helps make wise investments. You have friends who are not as blessed to understand the nuances of the finance industry. All you have to do is write in simple words; the tips and tricks for wise investments.

You can easily spot your user persona, and when you think of the user persona as your friend, you will have all the information that you know the friend needs and has no access to. Compile all the useful information in simple language, easy for a non-commerce person to understand, and you are good to go. You will have an article that is super relevant and super useful.

Once you have your user persona in place, the rest will fall in place. Producing excellent and valuable articles is that much easier once you know your target audience.

Rule #3: Research, Read, Watch, and Take Notes (most crucial and essential rule)

You have the topic; you have the user persona. Now what? Next is research. I cannot stress enough the importance of research. It is the most significant aspect of article writing and lays the foundation for your article.

With a defined user persona/target audience, it is easy to learn their likes and dislikes, their challenges, the problems they face, etc. Write to provide solutions to their questions, and voila! Your content is highly valuable.

In the opinion of American Journalist, Burton Rascoe, “ A writer is working when he’s staring out of the window .”

True that. Once a writer, something is going on inside your head, even when you appear to be doing nothing.

Well, not all inspiration comes from staring out your window, though. Today, we have a whole lot of information to inspire ideas. For your inspiration, you could read through popular blogs, websites, or even watch videos.

In reading and researching well, you can structure out your content and form a skeleton of sorts. Researching will give you all the vital information about an issue, its challenges, and possible solutions.

The more you read and research, the better insights you have on the information you want to provide.

As you keep researching, your brain goes into an autopilot mode and enables you to jot down points for your article quickly. Brainstorm on all the information you have collected. Now organize all your data in a logical outline.

Rule #4: WRITING, THE CREATIVE CRAFT

The next and most significant step is to: START WRITING.

Once you through with the warm-up, you are now ready for the main exercise of writing itself.

There are article writers who need more guidance on how to write an article than a newbie. That is because, some articles though very well-crafted, are so difficult to understand that either you have to be highly literate to make sense of it or sit with a dictionary.

If people don’t understand what you write, all your writing loses meaning. Be like the coaching classes (by the way, they earn maximum bucks right now). Keep it simple; easy to read. Break down the concepts into bite-sized, easily digestible nuggets.

Every writer has a unique voice. You will have yours too. Though most of us have authors or writers whom we admire and seek inspiration from, it is imperative to retain our uniqueness. Convey your perspective of things. Your unique style is a reflection of your inherent personality. When you are another, you lose your individuality and, in the bargain, lose your unique writing voice.

Finally, write about actionable content. Validate your writing with facts and statistics. Link the facts to resources to let your audience know; you know what you are writing about. Linking valuable information to the resources is a way to back up your claim.

Make your writing enjoyable. Tell a story. Talk about trivia, or did you know facts that make for exciting tidbits and keep the audience engaged.

Have clarity in writing and your article structure. You can also include anecdotes or incidents as a form of storytelling. Despite our age, we all have a childlike fascination for stories and are ever willing to listen to a good story.

Rule #5: Read, edit, check your grammar, and proofread again:

Once you are through with the writing aspect, come the editing, grammar, and proofreading parts.

Firstly, fix the grammar and sentence structure. Next on, be absolutely ruthless with editing. Make your article crisp with all the relevant points. Cut out the fluff. Shorter sentences and short paragraphs are the way to go.

Rephrase any complex sentences. There is nothing better than having another pair of eyes read through your article and give you critical feedback. Since this option is not viable in the long term, you should hone your editing skills and be self-reliant.

Avoid repetition. Stay focused on the subject and the solution you wish to offer. Be mindful of the logical flow of information. If it works for you, make a pre-submission checklist.

When you are writing for the digital medium, there are several things you need to consider. Primarily, you have to optimize your article for the SEO or search engine optimization point of view. There are keywords and focus phrases you have to consider. Similarly, different mediums necessitate different requirements. Make sure your article is in total compliance.

Rule #6: Publish

Articles for publications have some guidelines. Follow them implicitly, whether it is the layout, font, font size, or any other aspect. Finally, when the outcome of your article looks satisfactory, pat yourself on the back. Go ahead and publish it or hand it over for publishing.

No article can be perfect. In fact, perfectionism is a myth. So don’t obsess over details. Writing, like most art, gets better with practice.

You will learn more as you write more. Gradually but certainly, you will see a positive difference in your work over a period of time.

The above were some bite-sized tips and rules on how to write an article. Chew on them and assimilate them for efficient and productive article writing.

Basic Article Writing Format:

Now that we have the golden rules in place let us explore the basic format of article writing. Different forms of article writing necessitate different formats, but there is a basic structure of importance.

Succinctly put, the components or article writing framework includes:

Heading/Title/Headline : How to write an article headline?

The heading or title is the most crucial part of an article. It decides in a fraction of seconds whether your article is worthy of reading or not. Even a great article with a drab title will go unnoticed and unread.

The main heading and the subheadings help organize the contents and allow the reader to skim through the article to find out how relevant it is for them.

Some things to keep in mind with headings are to keep them concise and use them to enhance, not replace information in your article. Also, never overdo the titles as not all paragraphs require one.

Main headings are typically short, whereas the subheadings can be a little longer.

Intro : How to write an article introduction?

Writing intriguing introductions sure is an art that not everyone is blessed with, but again, you can be observant and cultivate it. If the heading captivates your reader to glance at your article, it is the introduction that persuades them to give you writing a read-through.

If the introduction is not convincing enough, does not grab the reader’s attention, you will lose the audience.

Smart writers write engaging introductions such that it piques the reader’s curiosity, and he/she wants to read further.

Some great ways to writing introductions that matter is to ask the readers a question, tell a story, use some interesting quotes or statistics and facts, or simply be descriptive and ask the reader to imagine.

The introduction does not stop with a brilliant first line. Speak of something unique and exciting to keep the reader with you. And finally, introduce the content and importance of your article.

Body : How to write an article text/body?

Now that you managed the herculean task of attracting the audience’s interest with your headline, keeping them curious through the introduction, it is time to have them hooked with the body of text as well.

Your article headline and intro have done their work. But your article body has nothing important to convey, does not share the message you intend to, and does not focus on the key topic; then, your reader will just shut your article or flip over to the next article with a catchy headline.

Even though the body of the article is the longest portion and consists of all the essential points you wish to convey, a structured presentation helps.

A logical flow of ideas, well-researched content, using sub-headings, writing smaller paragraphs, not straying away from the main point, and even using bullet points where required, all go a long way visually and from the readability perspective.

Conclusion : How to write an article conclusion?

When you exercise, a cool-down is as essential as a warm-up. Similarly, a proper conclusion is as vital to a good article as is its introduction.

An appealing conclusion either summarizes the article or explains the significance of the article.

Reiterate the main points, summarize succinctly, focusing on the main point, and wrap it up. In many instances, you can talk about the benefits of the topic, or circle back to your opening lines, or end it with a quote.

Suggesting further reads or motivating readers to take action are also great ways to a great conclusion.

Do you feel more confident now about how to write an article? Do you feel comfortable enough to give article-writing a try?

Moving on to our next FAQ, are the article writing types.

Article Writing Types

Moving on, there is a multitude of article types. Each comes with a different set of rules to write. Overall, the golden rules and format apply to any form of article writing.

The skeleton of topic selection, research, write, edit, and publish are common to any form of article writing. There are, however, subtle other nuances that you need to adhere to when writing for different mediums. Writing on each medium is a vast topic in itself, but I can surely give you a gist of what it looks like.

Let me walk you through the different article writing types:

How to write an article for a newspaper/news? News, whether on the digital medium or the newspaper, requires you to be up-to-date with current affairs. These articles are either of recent events or something that is going to happen shortly. Essentially, every news article has details of the five Ws and the H; who, what, where, why, when, and how.

Most news articles are crisp, include all details, create an impact, and involve emotional elements to humanize the story and help readers/listeners relate to it.

Often it necessitates an interaction with first-hand witnesses or people with expert opinions that adds to the credibility of the information. Remember, though, that news articles carry immense social responsibility of presenting nothing but accurate information. So research well before you present the masses with the facts.

A news article format consists of a headline, byline (name and position of the writer), lead/lede (includes all the Ws and H), body, and conclusion.

How to write an article for a feature story? A feature is more creative and descriptive than a news article, and a longer piece at that. Feature articles find a place in newspapers, magazines, and even online. It is all about covering one issue in greater depth and usually has an angle/focus to it. Maybe it is a recent trending story but from a different angle/perspective.

Now, feature articles could be something that:

Furthermore, a feature need not be a current or recent issue/event, is like an anecdote, and contains various angles and sources.

The feature article format follows pretty standard guidelines and includes The headline, the deck (subhead, a second chance to entice your readers), the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

Editorial :

How to write an article for an editorial? An editorial is more a writer’s/individual’s opinion on an event, current topic, or social issue. It influences the readers to think from the writer’s perspective. An editorial advocates for a cause with the audience and raises awareness.

The goal of an editorial is persuasion. Most often than not, editorials are about controversial topics with very different viewpoints and create a discussion of sorts.

The editorials can be interpretive (information on an event or issue), critical (causes of a problem with solution), persuasive (influencing the masses encouraging them to take action), praising (appreciation of a person or organization).

The standard outline of an editorial will have an introduction, an argument, evidence, counterargument, refutation, and a conclusion.

How to write an article for a profile? This form of article writing includes all information on a person. You can compare it to a portrait of a person, a written portrait at that. It is a non-fiction narrative. The profile story revolves and includes facts discovered through research and previous interviews of the subject.

Profile stories are highly informative about a single subject and blend stories, photographs, and quotes. It involves very very thorough research on the subject.

Some pro tips for writing profile stories are:

A great profile article format includes a compelling introduction, facts and bibliographic information, quotations, visuals, and observation or quote about the person as a conclusion.

Now, people, this is self-explanatory, or is it what I am currently doing? Well, coming to the how-to articles, these are articles that give clear instructions on how to accomplish a task. The thing about how-to articles is that they are always solution-oriented articles.

How-to articles are an excellent way to share your expertise with people. Depending on the topic, the how-to articles can have varying tones, serious, funny, specific, or casual. There are no set rules for that.

A good how-to article helps the target audience solve a problem or accomplish a task. So first and foremost, identify the problem or task and then set about providing a solution for it. The do-it-yourself or DIYs fall under the category of how-to articles.

One important thing to keep in mind with the how-to articles is to keep your information easily understandable. You should have the ability to break up the intricate pieces of information into more manageable bits. It requires an in-depth understanding of the topic to be able to do so.

The article format for how-to articles is almost standard and includes the headline, dividing the body into step-by-step or smaller points, and conclude.

So, these were the types of article writing and article writing formats. Now, if you intend to become an article writer, there is another aspect to be aware of; the article writing styles. No doubt, each writer has their individual, distinct style. But there are some standard writing styles that you should know. Let’s move onto that now.

Writing Styles

How to write an article is a HUGE subject, and since it is not possible to cover all information in one article, I am attempting to cater to the frequently asked questions about how to write an article.

Amongst the various FAQs is a question about writing styles. Did you know there are four main types of writing styles?

From novels to textbooks, billboards to poetry, to scholarly journals, all writing essentially falls under one of the four styles, which are expository, descriptive, narrative, and persuasive.

As an article writer, you should know when to use which style of writing to better connect with your audience.

Expository :

If you look up the meaning of expository, it is “an intention to explain or describe something.” Defining a particular subject to the readers is one of the most common styles of writing. It is a descriptive process, with information organized sequentially and logically for better understanding.

Where would you find such a writing style?

Textbooks, cookbooks, how-to articles, business writing, technical writing, scientific writing, self-help articles, manuals, etc., all fall under the category of expository writing style.

The main goal here is to explain and inform readers. This style of writing is long on facts and never includes storytelling. It contains facts, citations, charts, links, and other such data to validate the information.

Summing up, tips for expository writing include researching and citing sources, no personal opinion, no persuasion, use quotes, and illustrations.

Descriptive :

Descriptive writing takes the expository style a notch higher. While expository will give you bare facts and instructions, the descriptive writing style uses various elements to evoke your senses.

It uses metaphors, adjectives, adverbs, appreciating details, and activating the reader’s senses with vivid images. Descriptive writing always includes a lot more information. It is more profound than expository writing and also makes readers feel they are experiencing it all.

Some examples of descriptive writing, as you can guess, include poetry, personal journals, screenplays, nature writing, travelogues, etc.

Tips for descriptive writing include similes and metaphors, attention to even small details, and evoking the senses to make the readers feel they are experiencing it all.

Narrative :

The narrative writing style is nothing but storytelling, complete with a plot, a beginning, middle, and end. It may contain descriptive writing as well with portions describing the setting or appearance etc.

This is one of the most versatile styles of writing, and in this writing style, the plot is central, not the facts, not the descriptions.

Narrative writing style finds uses in novels, short stories, memoirs, myths and fables, and even historical accounts.

Achieve the narrative style of writing with a plot, timeline sequence of events, giving readers an insight into the elements of your story, all while conveying an important moral or lesson.

Persuasive :

Lastly, the persuasive writing style, as the name suggests, has the purpose of influencing the reader. Here, the writer opines and gives justification, reasons, and arguments supporting his viewpoint and tries to convince the reader to agree.

It attempts to persuade readers, make an emotional connection with the audience, and goads them into taking action.

Some examples of persuasive writing are academic papers, advertising copy or copywriting, editorials, company brochures, political speeches, and even business proposals.

You can achieve the persuasive style of writing by connecting with your readers at an emotional level and subtly making them take a decisive and actionable step.

Understanding the different writing styles can enhance your writing abilities.

Writing Skills and Habits of Successful Writers

If you have it in you to express ideas through the written word, you can become a writer. But not every writer has an inborn skill to write well. It is an art, yes. It is a skill, yes, but one that you can acquire through perseverance and loads of practice.

As you set out on the journey of becoming a writer, it is not unnatural for you to try to ape your idol writer. At least one great writer inspires most of us, and in our endeavor to become a writer, we think aping their habits will get us there.

There are newbie writers who will stand and write, just because many famous writers did and do so. Some believe that being morning larks or night owls, like their favorite authors, will get them there for sure.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but nothing can be further than the truth. You have your focus on the wrong habits to ape. It is the discipline and other characteristics like a daily writing habit that you need to copy from great writers.

Let me outline some writing habits that will slowly but surely help you become a good writer over a period of time. These writing skills will not just help you become a good writer but also increase your productivity.

Of course, all of these writing skills are also habits of great authors and writers, but ape-worthy, if I may say so.

Tip#1: Write-A lot-write everyday

Famous author Jodi Picoult opines there is no such thing as writer’s block. Instead, it is having too much time on your hands, and I, for one, completely agree with that. The only way to become a good writer is to first get started.

Make it a habit to write every day, even if it is just 500 words. Think of yourself as a literary laborer who has to work on writing every single day, no matter what.

Tip#2: Set teeny-weeny goals

Tiny goals are achievable and motivating. One step at a time is what takes you distances. As a newbie, set smaller goals such that you have no excuse to skip them. Gradually increase them to reach your goal. Say write for 15 minutes for a few days and gradually increase the duration.

Tip#3: Read

When you are a writer, you consume everything like a writer. It means you read like a writer, and you watch TV like a writer, you even watch movies like a writer. Read voraciously. It is the next big tool for enhancing your writing abilities.

The more you read, the more you learn, and the more you can write. There is no dearth of good content in the form of books, blogs, eBooks, and more. Make it a habit to read every day, and it will help you write every day.

Tip#4: Research, Record and Write Things Down

Before any project or article, be thorough with your research. As you research, note down all the relevant points, and you can further elaborate when you write.

You can even cultivate the habit of carrying a notepad with you for jotting down ideas that strike at moments you are not at your desk. Just make a note of it and take action when writing.

Tip#5: Create a Distraction-Free Zone

This one is essential, as well. A quiet and calm zone, free from distractions, allows your thought process to flow uninterrupted.

When I say distraction-free zone, it is more talking about the biggest distraction in the modern world. Yes, I am speaking of the mobile. Put it in a silent mode or do not disturb mode and concentrate on writing.

Tip#6: Have a routine

This one is a no-brainer. A disciplined routine always leads to improved productivity and efficiency.

Tip#7: Maintain a calendar

Keeping a calendar helps you stay focused and complete your writing tasks on time.

Try to incorporate these tips and enhance your writing skills.

Speaking of skills, the jewels in the crown for an article writer are adaptability, research, originality, time management, communication, and proofreading and editing.

Article Writing Tools

Whether you are writing for a living or as a hobby, a writer’s life is much like a rollercoaster. Some days it is as easy as a walk in the park, and other days it is like the dip of the rollercoaster.

It sure takes hard work, a lot of practice, and being consistent and disciplined with your daily routine to get the productivity rolling.

But thankfully, there are a plethora of tools to make your writing work and organization a smooth sail. I will outline some of the free article writing tools to boost your creative energy and amplify your writing skills. And yes, I personally use all of them and swear by their benefits.

Article writing tool #1: CoSchedule Headline Analyser

This is a brilliant tool to analyze your headlines. It tells you about the optimum word count, the sentiment, power words, etc., and gives you a score for every headline you create, allowing you to choose the best.

Article writing tool #2: Grammarly

Never skip this one. Irrespective of how good you are with the English language, Grammarly always shows you, you can do better. Again, an extremely easy-to-use tool that helps edit your article, provides suggestions, indicates passive voice, punctuations, and other grammatical errors in a fuss-free fashion.

Article writing tool #3: Hemingway Editor

The Hemingway Editor is splendid and intelligent. Writing simple sounds easy, but it is a complicated task to achieve. Writer’s in their enthusiasm, many times incorporate words that make sentences complex. The Hemingway Editor suggests spots complexities and prompts you to change or do away with them to make your content more reader-appealing.

Article writing tool #4: Wordcounter

Word Counter is yet another simple, no-fuss tool that does just what it says. Paste in your content to get your word count. Also, if you think you have a crutch word syndrome (words we tend to use often), it allows you to keep a check on that.

Article writing tool #5: Canva

For visual appeal and graphics, Canva is the way to go. It has a straightforward user interface. You don’t have to be a pro to use this tool, and the thing that makes it even better is that it has a massive library of free templates and designs. Whether it is images, infographics, headers/banners, you can effortlessly customize and give wings to your creativity on Canva.

This is one topic that can be an article in itself. But, some more additions that I would undoubtedly not want to skip are:

Did you know even digital marketing tools that work great ?

Wrapping it up:

The FAQs answered here are just some of the more common ones. I am sure all the information on how to write an article clears a lot of your doubts and apprehensions.

There is no one particular formula for writing an article. If you can clearly articulate your ideas to the reader through the written word, then you have it in you to become a successful article writer.

I hope that the information in this article empowers you to believe you are capable of doing much more than you give yourself credit for. I also hope it has inspired and motivated you to find the strength to flip the page of your life and take that step towards becoming an article writer.

Choose your area of expertise, combine it with a specific style of writing you love, and grab the potential market opportunities to boost your writing career.

So, all you aspiring closet writer’s out there, stop stressing and start writing .

For a Career in Writing:

For all the wannabe article writers, I would highly recommend you take a course in writing to help you take off. Yes, there are numerous resources, blogs, articles, and tools out there that give you a feeling you can become a successful writer without a formal course.

On the personal front, cutting a long story short, I went from being a wannabe writer to a good writer after taking the Content Writing Course at IIM SKILLS .

The institute beyond doubt helps you transition from Learning to Earning , helping you remove the L and empowering you with the knowledge that no free resources can provide.

Many subtle intricacies play a significant role in writing. It depends on the type of writing as well. For example, writing on the digital medium requires knowledge of keywords, SEO, and optimizing your writing. Similarly, copywriting requires a sales tone, and articles on product descriptions are quite different.

If you intend to have a career as an article writer, take up a course and maybe do some internships as well. It pays to showcase your work portfolio when looking at the freelancing market or taking up a job.

Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments below of your preferred writing tools, and what works for you as a writer.

Author: Aarti Kalra

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How To Write an Article

April 27, 2022 (Updated: March 8, 2023)

Depending on the industry of your business, it’s possible you might benefit from creating quality content like blogs and articles. Well-written content can help you attract an audience to your brand by providing them with helpful and insightful information. In turn, this helps your company build audience loyalty and satisfaction, which you can use to turn your readers into paying customers. So, let’s dive into what you need to know on how to write an article. In this article, we discuss:

What Is an Article?

How do articles work with content marketing, what is the format of an article.

How To Write Articles for Your Business

Tips for Using Articles In Content Marketing

Image via Unsplash by @nickmorrison

An article is a piece of informative content that people research, write, and distribute to readers. You can write articles for different mediums such as newspapers, magazines, and websites. Companies, however, most often write and use articles as part of their content marketing strategy. This provides readers and potential customers with information that’s valuable and helpful. This helps motivate them to interact with the company further, such as more articles, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.

Read more: All About Content Writing: Your Definitive Guide

When companies perform content marketing with well-written resource articles , they often develop a lot of content at once. To start this, businesses research specific keywords that their website and content should target. These keywords are often relevant to the business’s industry or field. For instance, let’s say your company helps new authors self-publish their works. Some of the articles you write might include “how to self-publish your book,” “tips for a first-time publisher,” and “how to tell an engaging story.”

Each one of these articles might attract a specific audience to your website. Then, using well-placed calls-to-action, you can entice your visitors to interact with your company further. This can include scheduling a call, downloading content, or reading more articles on your site.

Want to build your own content marketing campaign, but you’re unsure where to start? CopyPress has a team of experts who can help you research, plan, and create high-quality articles for your business. Schedule a free call with us today to see how we can work with you to develop effective content marketing strategies.

Here are some steps to help you format your articles and improve their readability:

1. Add a Title

Your title defines the article’s topic and gives readers a preview of what they expect to read. When writing your title, it’s important to keep it between 50 and 60 characters. This will help ensure that Google and other search engines show the entire title on the search engine results page (SERP). It’s also helpful to make sure it’s enticing. Consider using different techniques, like adding numbers or promising the answer to a question. For example, “Marketing: A Definitive Guide” or “12 Tips For Changing Your Fashion Style” are both examples of eye-catching titles.

Looking for more tips on how to title creation? Check out our free eBook on how to create effective titles and headlines .

2. Include Your Name

Adding a name or author information to your article can help humanize your brand. This can allow you to build better relationships with readers and develop a community around your content. If you have a content team, have them take turns publishing posts with their own bylines and a bio at the end of the article. This might even encourage some of your readers to comment on your articles and start a conversation with the writer by asking them questions or voicing concerns about the material. This also gives your team the opportunity to showcase their expertise in a particular topic.

3. Write the Introduction

Your introduction tells your audience what the article is about and explains to them why they might find the information interesting. Often, an article’s introduction can mean the difference between someone continuing to read or immediately clicking away. Use strategies to catch your audience’s attention, like captivating narratives that outline a problem your target audience faces with the promise of demonstrating how to solve it.

Here are additional tips to improve your article’s introduction:

4. Insert Your Body

The body of your article should include different headings that relate to the topic. For example, let’s say you’re writing an article on “how to change a tire.” Your headings might include “why is it important to know how to change a tire?,” “tips for changing a tire on a highway,” and “steps for changing your tire.” Under each of these headings, you can write short paragraphs that deliver unique information to the reader based on the subject of the heading.

Though the number of headings in an article may vary, it’s beneficial to have at least two. This can help break up the information and improve the readability of your piece. If you’re writing listicles or how-to articles, you can also create sub-headings for each of the steps or list items. Improving readability can ensure that your potential customers read your content for a longer period of time, which can reduce its bounce rate and increase its conversion rate.

5. Write a Conclusion

The conclusion restates the main point of your article. It gives the reader a clear picture of the lesson they should learn after reading the article’s content and how the main points connect with the purpose of the article. Conclusions should include a call-to-action, which gives the reader an action to perform once they finish reading your article. Explain the value of your call-to-action to give the reader an incentive to act on it once you present it to them.

These calls to action can include phrases like:

Your calls to action can vary between articles or landing pages of your website depending on any ongoing marketing campaign or if there’s a subset of your target audience who will be visiting your content.

How To Write An Article For Your Business

Here are some steps to help you write a quality article for your business’s marketing efforts:

1. Define Your Topics

Pick a topic that can entice your target audience to read about your company or your client’s company. Write a list of engaging topics and evaluate how they’re relevant to your target audience. If you need to expand your list, conduct keyword research to find the highest-ranking articles on search engines. You might need to narrow down your list of topics based on their relevance and the difficulty of the keyword.

Having trouble with your keyword research? CopyPress has a content analysis tool that compares your website’s content to its top three competitors. We help our clients find low-hanging fruit in the form of keywords so you can close the gaps in your marketing strategy. Request your analysis today!

“CopyPress gives us the ability to work with more dealership groups. We are able to provide unique and fresh content for an ever growing customer base. We know that when we need an influx of content to keep our clients ahead of the game in the automotive landscape, CopyPress can handle these requests with ease.”

Kevin Doory

Director of SEO at Auto Revo

Once you have your keywords and topics, create a content schedule. This can help you develop deadlines for each article you write and ensure you’re posting consistently. When you post content consistently, it can help increase your audience’s loyalty and help them know when new content might be available.

2. Perform Research

Once you have the topics ready to go, it’s imperative that you perform research. This research can help you deliver quality and accurate information to your readers. It can also help you understand the most popular headings other businesses use for their topics. For instance, let’s say you’re writing an article on “how to write a book.” When you search that keyword into Google, take a look at the top-ranking articles. Do any of them have similar headings? What kind of information do they cover beside the main topic? Use this information and bring it to your own audience.

If you need to perform additional research on content, look at different types of evidence to support the main points of your article. Some data you may find for your article includes:

2. Write a Draft Without Editing It

Write a rough draft to structure the ideas you’re communicating to your target audience. This can give you more freedom to write your ideas and thoughts about the direction of your article. The ideas and thoughts you write lay the foundation for your article and present the work you need to complete during the editing process. Keep your research in one folder or document so you can note the data you found and reference it in your content.

Relevant: 9 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing

3. Read Your Draft Out Loud

Once you’re finished with your rough draft, read your article out loud from start to finish. Refer back to your research to identify if your rough draft matches the tone and messaging of your company or what your client requested. For example, you might note that you need to elaborate on the year-round benefit of travel if you’re working on an article for a client in the tourism industry.

Find any errors and fix them and pay attention to sentence flow and structure. The notes you make when reading out loud help you humanize your content and keep readers engaged until the end of your article. If your target audience stays on the page long enough to read the article, it increases their chances of performing the call-to-action. For example, if a reader clicks on a link in your article’s call-to-action, it may influence them to buy more products and services or give feedback on their experience with your company.

Ask an editor or friend to read over your article to make additional edits. They might provide insight on what you need to add to improve your article’s quality, such as adding information to give readers more clarity.

4. Make Final Edits

Read your article out loud one more time after you make all edits to ensure that you’re confident of its quality. If you have a style guide, read it over again to make sure your content aligns with their specifications, then submit.

Here are tips to help you write an engaging article:

At CopyPress, we can help you with all the above. We’ll work with you to create a living style guide that describes your content’s purpose, target audience, competitors, and brand voice and tone, as well as any stylistic details you want our content team to keep in mind. Then, we’ll write content that both search engines and your target audience will notice. With the right content in place, have our content team repurpose your top-performing articles into an eBook or white paper .

Feel confident with our team of expert writers, editors, and quality assurance specialists who can help you create high-quality, engaging articles for your website. Schedule a call with us today to see how we can help you boost your content marketing efforts.

“CopyPress has been a wonderful partner for us; the team is involved in our entire content marketing process from helping to determine which blog topics to write, writing them, and ensuring they get seen by our desired audience. Working with CopyPress has been great and I would recommend them to anyone!”

Joe Sinkwitz

CEO and Founder at Intellifluence

“From creating content in various languages to helping with idea creation, the CopyPress team has been a pleasure to work with.”

Mattias Bergehed

Head of SEO at LeoVegas

“It's infinitely cheaper and easier for me to use CopyPress rather than in-house, they handle it all for me. It's easy for us to scale up quickly, because they've got a stable of writers that know exactly how to write exactly what we're looking for.”

Greg Gifford

VP of Search at SearchLab

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