The Most Important Elements Of Successful Article

Highly effective articles all have several things in common. Understanding what those elements are and how to implement them will greatly enhance your own efforts. Below, you’ll find a list of these elements:

- Consistency of voice

- Consistent style and tone

- Grammatically correct

- On topic

- Concise

- Written directly to consumer set

- Expert tone

- Direct and authoritative

- Industry correct phrasing

- Appropriate use of humor

Now that we know what the elements are, let’s talk a bit about each so that you can understand what they actually embody, as well as how to implement them in your writing.

Consistency of Voice: The voice of a written piece is distinct from the tone or the style of the writing. In this case, it refers to whom the article is written. For example, a first person voice would be written as “I believe that you understand,” while an example of second person would be “You can find more information by going to…” Third person voice is used mostly in professionally written pieces designed for specific industries and would appear “If the consumer desires to change the available options…” Maintaining a consistent voice of the piece is vital. For instance, switching from second to third person and back is a quick way to lose your audience.

Consistent Style and Tone: The style and tone of an article directly affect how readable the writing is, as well as its applicability to specific uses. For instance, conversational writing is very laid back, while professional style offers industry specific phrasing and terminology. Professional style pieces are also usually somewhat rigid in structure, though not always. There are three main styles in use: conversational, personal and professional. Each has unique benefits to specific applications and should be consistent throughout the entire article.

Grammatically Correct: Correct grammar is essential to the impact of your writing. Incorrect grammar will instantly reduce the efficacy of your writing. For instance, using “grammer” in place of “grammar” may seem like a trivial mistake, but your readers will catch it. Remember, no spell checking program or grammar-editing program will catch everything. Invest in a grammar guide if you do not have the skills required.

On Topic: This is especially applicable to web writing. If you change topics in the middle of an article or use a subject in an area that it is not applicable, you will lose your readers. This is actually relatively easy to avoid, especially if you do your research on the subject. Simply carry the same subject through the entire article.

Concise: Online readers have a very short attention span. You must make your point immediately. Usually, the meat of the matter should come in the first paragraph, or the very beginning of the second paragraph. This also implies a lack of “fluff” within the article. Use direct phrasing and make your point. This does not mean that you should cut out all explanation and simply state facts, but you should aim for an even balance. Ideally, your article should be interesting, informative and engaging.

Write For Your Audience: Few things will make readers stop reading than feeling like an article does not apply to them. The best example of this would be a highly technical article about industry processes submitted to a general interest format. Most consumers do not have the time or interest to read this type of subject matter. However, industry professionals would find it interesting. Keep your intended audience in mind when writing and gear the piece toward them.

Expert Tone: If you write as an expert, you can gain a reputation for being one, even if you don’t know a single thing about the topic. There are thousands of places to get accurate, on-topic information. Using these sources to flesh out your writing will result in that expert tone that you need. Consumers are much more willing to accept facts from an expert than they are from an amateur.

Direct and Authoritative: If your article rambles or has an indirect tone, it can adversely affect the quality of your writing. Use direct sentences, as opposed to indirect. In fiction, writers are encouraged to always show action in their writing. This applies to article writing as well. Direct writing, where there is an identifiable subject and verb, rather than an inferred subject, will help your writing have more impact. Write with authority, as an expert would. Statements made with an active voice instead of a passive voice convey authority.

Industry Correct Phrasing: Writing industry-specific pieces requires industry-specific phrasing and terminology.  Keep your writing clean and professional, using jargon that industry experts understand and expect to see in such a piece.

Appropriate Use of Humor: Humor is a wonderful thing; if you can include it in your writing, then you are doing better than many professional writers. That said, humor is not always needed, or even wanted. This can be a touchy area. When in doubt, leave the humor out and try for purely informational content.

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