Article is one form of written communication that a company may use to share information with its employees or customers. Articles might be written by marketing or public relations departments to communicate an organization’s thought leadership while also providing relevant industry information.
In this article, we discuss how to write an article in seven steps and we offer noteworthy tips for writing an effective article.
Select a topic to write about
Make a list of topics that you want to write about before you start writing. This gives you the chance to find out what you’re passionate about. If you’re writing an article for your company, brainstorm ideas with the rest of your team to see which topic can evoke interest from potential customers.
You may need to communicate with your manager or executive team directly to get a better idea of the audience you’re targeting. However, it’s recommended that you specify your article as soon as possible, so you can begin writing and see if it’s the direction you want to take.
Write a rough draft and pare down your outline
You should write everything down first before you begin editing, so you can unleash your creative process on paper. You can edit everything after and reflect on what you can do differently to enhance the article’s quality and which subjects you plan on elaborating on. Make sure that you start writing and editing from the top to the bottom of the article, so you can save time on your first draft.
Keep a list of ideas handy
You never know when writer’s block will hit. That’s why it’s important to keep a list of ideas for potential news articles or personal stories that could be expanded into essays. Any time you have an idea, jot it down in a notebook or in a Word document on your computer. That way, when it’s time to start writing, you’ll already have a place to start.
Eliminate distractions when you write article
A lot of people claim to work better while multitasking. Rarely is this actually the case, especially if the goal is to write an entire article in a short amount of time. The best articles require your complete and undivided attention. Before you begin writing your first sentence, turn off the TV and mute social media so you can focus solely on article writing.
Minimize your barrier to entry
Make it easy for your reader to be drawn in. A large opening paragraph at the start of an article is a huge barrier to entry. Your reader has to wade through a large wall of text before determining if the article is really interesting and worth reading. This requires a large expenditure of effort. Most people won’t bother.
Keep your opening short and punchy. A one-sentence or two-sentence leading paragraph is an easy buy-in. You can skim it and read it in barely more time than it would take to scroll past.
Start with something short and easy to engage with. Prove to your reader that you’re providing value, then ask them to expend effort.