Twelve Tips for Writing Articles to Grow Your Business
Here are twelve simple tips to get your started writing articles:
1) Treat Article Writing as a Creative Process
I like to write my articles in a different space from where I do my day to day work. I have a separate desk that has objects that call forth my writing muse, such as photos, colored markers and other colorful objects, and lots of space. I put on music that will inspire me to tap into the deeper message of what I want to say.
2) List Five Topics You Are Passionate About
An exercise I give to many of my clients is to write a long list of topics they could speak on or write about. Most are pleasantly surprised to discover that there are many things they could write about even if they thought they had nothing to say.
3) Start an Idea File
Gather ideas on these topics from websites or other articles you read. Save them in a paper folder or a folder on your computer. When the time comes to write, pull out your idea file to get your creative ideas flowing.
4) Block out Time to Write
Time blocking is an effective way to accomplish any task. Make an appointment with yourself to write, and don't let anything interfere.
5) Just Start Writing
The hardest part of writing is getting started. Once you put that first word on the blank page, you're half way there.
6) Write Quickly
Write a rough first draft quickly. Don't edit or censor or format. Don't be concerned on the first try with correct spelling or grammar. Just get what you want to say down on paper. The editing can come later when it won't interfere with your creative process.
7) Think About the Questions Your Article Will Answer
Use your article to answer key questions that your clients are asking. Write out those questions, and provide them with solutions in your article.
8) Give Concise, Useful Information
How-to articles are very popular and useful. Give your article an angle based on what your best clients want to know.
9) Write for a Targeted Niche
Create a profile of your ideal audience. Writing experts suggest that you write to just one person who would represent a composite of several of your clients.
10) Find an Accountability Partner
Find a writing accountability partner or writing support group to keep your focused and on task. If you can't find a support group, start your own with other people you know who want to do more writing. You can review and give feedback on each other's work.
11) Create Titles that Grab Attention
Start with a draft title. Once the article is written, give the title a little more punch by adding a benefit driven statement in the headline using your keywords.
12) Create and Editorial Calendar and Timeline
Plan ahead of time the topics you will write about and when you'll write them. For example, if you plan to write one article a week, make a chart with the dates and the topics you will write about. This makes it much easier when the time comes to sit down and write.
Copyright 2007 by Jan Marie Dore.
Related Tags: referrals, small business marketing, marketing strategies, target market, women entrepreneurs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jan Marie Dore, 'The Women Entrepreneurs Success Coach', is a small business coaching expert and the creator of the 'Women Entrepreneurs Small Business Marketing System'. She mentors women entrepreneurs and solo professionals to market themselves effectively and achieve extreme success. Get free marketing tips, resources, and the workbook: "Seven Critical Women Small Business Marketing Mistakes" at http://www.femalepreneurs.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Small Business Consulting That Actually Counts
Small business consulting providers can be present in nearly any respectable sized metropolis or cit - 3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Know About Affiliate Mail
Affiliate Mail3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Know About Affiliate MailEvery affiliate mark - Proven Article Marketing Tips In Terms Of Article Titles
The first article marketing tip that you need to look at when drafting a post is the title. This is - Magnetic Sponsoring Review-is It Worth The Money
I truly believe Magnetic Sponsoring has been responsible for many success stories, as evidenced by t - Hand Truck Use In And Around The House
When using a Hand truck in your house, you have to take precautions that one does not have to be con - Article Writing For Fun And Profit - Part 1
Writing articles can seem like a chore, especially if you are in a mind set of needing to do it. The - Internet Marketing: Problems And Issues
The funny thing about this business is the business itself. Never before has there been opportunitie - Great Twitter Advertising Programs
It's difficult to find a good piece of Twitter marketing software. You need to understand which feat - Getting Good Twitter Promotional Software
It's difficult to find a good piece of Twitter marketing software. You need to understand which feat - Geographical Marketing For Geographical Businesses
Geographical businesses are in a majority of cases are missing out on vast numbers of potential clie
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How To Find Ghostwriters Online
You might have already known that article writing is vital to your business. This is off course with - Article Marketing - How to Use Articles to Build Your List
This is one of my favorite topics to write about, for three reasons:1) I have generated the bulk of - Boost Response Rates with This Under-Used Article Secret
No matter what you write to your clients or customers benefits have to be up front. That's the rule - Article Marketing - Why I Use Article Marketing for My List Building
Article marketing is one of the most effective methods of lead generation and list building that I h - How Not to Article Market
Article marketing is one of the most cost-effective, efficiently viral ways to generate one-way link - Thoughts on Article Directory Oddities
If you publish articles to promote your site, you have probably noticed the directories evolve. Som - Make Money with Articles by Using Free Articles Directories
Amongst the many ways of making money with articles, the use of free articles directories is one of - Do Your Readers Wish You Would Stop Writing Articles?
For a lot of us, writing articles can be a chore. Even if you don't gnaw on your nails in the fear o - Article Marketing - How to Create a Steady Stream of Traffic to Your Website
Article marketing is, and has been for some time now, my primary method of traffic generation. Why? - Article Writing is the Best Method of Getting Backlinks
Article writing is the best method of getting backlinks. You can write thousands of articles and sub