Viral marketing is a methods of list building
Whether you're writing articles to promote a business, building your blog, or writing content for an e-zine, your writing has to stand out on the web. Effective web writing involves writing articles that are concise, well-organized, and easy to scan. Here are five qualities the best examples of online writing have in common.
It's broken up into bite-sized paragraphs. Large blocks of text have a tendency to turn off readers. If the readers think they'll be able to process the information effectively, they'll read on. But if they see a big, page-long chunk of text when they click on the link to your article, they won't try to take your message in. Be sure to break your text up into concise paragraphs.
It includes bolded sub-heads. Online readers love to scan. Make it easier for them by including subheadings or bolded sentences at the beginning of each paragraph to show them what they'll get at each stage of the article. This way your message will come through more clearly, and readers in a hurry can skip to the parts that interest them most.
It's well organized. There should be a logical progression to the ideas in your online article. One easy organizational template to follow is the "tip list" or "how-to," which offers the readers seven or ten tips or steps to complete a specific task.
It includes keywords. Keywords should be included in your article, particularly in the title. But a balance must be maintained between keyword density and good writing. By offline standards, repeating one word or phrase over and over in an article is definitely a writing "don't." Incorporate your keywords only as much as sounds natural; more is definitely not better, and search engines are getting more and more sophisticated at detecting keyword "stuffing." The more natural you can be, the better for your SEO and your readers.
Keep your words simple. Web writing isn't the time to show off your stellar vocabulary or sling around industry-specific jargon-unless that's what your audience expects. Your readers have dozens of options online for websites that offer the information they need. Keep it clear and understandable, or your readers will look elsewhere.
The best online writing is concise, well-organized, and easily understood. Give readers the information they need as efficiently as possible, and your writing is sure to succeed on the web.
Jennifer Williamson runs a successful business as an article writer in southern Pennsylvania, writing for clients all over the world. For flawless writing at affordable prices, check out Catalyst Writing Services. For more of her advice on writing and article marketing, visit her writing blog.
