How to write good articles ​

1. Tips for Writing Great Headlines ​

Headlines should promise a payoff ​

• At glance, your headline should highlight why someone should spend their valuable time reading. In short, what do readers get out of your post? E.g.
  • Reclaim Your Time with These 12 Time Management Tips
  • Write That Down – Take the Best Meeting Minutes with This Template
  • Launch Your New Product in No Time with Agile Project Management

Ask a question ​

• We always search with question in mind so why not have same in headline?

• Below is some question headline prefixes:

  • How Can I...
  • How Often Should...
  • When Does...
  • Where Does...
  • Why Do...
  • How to...

• Below are example of some technical blogs:

  • How Can I Improve My Website’s Performance?
  • How Often Should I Update My Blog?
  • When Does Google Update Its Search Algorithm?
  • Where Does WordPress Store Images?
  • Why Do I Need a CDN?
  • How to Optimize Your Website for Mobile

Use I, You, We, Me, My in Headlines ​

• Using personal pronouns in headlines can make them more relatable and engaging. E.g.
  • I Tried the Pomodoro Technique for a Week. Here’s What Happened
  • You Can Improve Your Writing Skills in Just 5 Minutes a Day
  • We Tested 5 Popular Email Marketing Tools. Here’s What We Found
  • Me vs. Myself: How to Know When to Use Each Pronoun
  • My Favorite Productivity Hacks for Remote Work

Use Numbers ​

• It's physiologically proven that numbers in headlines attract more clicks. E.g.
  • 10 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills
  • 5 Tips for Better Time Management
  • 3 Simple Steps to a More Productive Morning
  • 7 Tools Every Blogger Needs to Know About
  • 12 Ways to Get More Done in Less Time

Use Power Words ​

• Power words standout and attract more clicks. Below are few power words:
  • Don't/Can't
    • 10 Things You Can't Miss at the Conference
    • 5 Reasons You Don't Want to Miss This Webinar
    • 3 Things You Can't Forget to Pack for Your Next Trip
  • Need
    • 7 Things You Need to Know Before You Start a Blog
    • 5 Tools Every Marketer Needs to Know About
    • 3 Reasons You Need to Start Using a Password Manager
  • Save
    • Save Time and Money with These 5 Productivity Tools
    • Save Your Sanity with These 3 Email Management Tips
    • Save Your Skin with These 7 Sunscreen Tips
  • Prevent/Prepare
    • 10 Ways to Prevent Burnout
    • 5 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Job Interview
    • 3 Things You Need to Prepare for Your Next Presentation
  • Why You
    • Why You Need to Start Using a Password Manager
    • Why You Should Care About Your Website’s Performance
    • Why You Can’t Afford to Miss This Webinar
  • Important
    • 7 Important Things to Know Before You Start a Blog
    • 5 Important Tips for Better Time Management
    • 3 Important Steps to a More Productive Morning
  • Best/Worst
    • The Best Tools for Managing Your Social Media Accounts
    • The Worst Mistakes You Can Make in Your Email Marketing
    • The Best Way to Get More Done in Less Time

Write 5 Headlines and Choose the Best ​

• Write 5 headlines using different techniques and choose the best one.
• Here's 5 different headlines for a blog post about time management, Decide which one you think is the most compelling:
  • 10 Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals
  • How to Get More Done in Less Time
  • 10 Ways to Reclaim Your Time
  • The Best Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals
  • Why You Need to Start Using These Time Management Tips

Don't use same headline technique every time ​

• This is common sense
• If you use same technique every time, your headlines will start to sound the same and readers will get bored.

2. Good Cover Image ​

• Cover image is first thing that reader sees

3. Brief Introduction ​

• Think it like a Table of Content for your article
• It should be brief and to the point
• It can include below:
  • What is the article about?
  • Why should reader read this article?
  • What will reader learn from this article?
  • What inspire you to write this article?
• Ideal length is 3-5 sentences

4. How to write great body content ​

• Use short paragraphs
  • Short paragraphs are easier to read on screen
  • It's easier to read and understand
  • It's easier to scan
• Use images where required
  • Images make your content more engaging
  • Images help to illustrate your points
• Use bullet points where required
  • Bullet points make your content easier to read
  • Bullet points help to break up your content
  • Bullet points help to highlight key points
• Don't explain different points/topic instead share link to dedicated resource
  • It will help to keep your article short and to the point
  • It will help to keep your article focused
• If it's technical blog consider below points:
  • Use code snippets
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Show screenshots
  • Use diagrams
  • Use tables
  • Show examples
  • Share links to documentation

5. Write conclusion if required ​

• Conclusion is not always required
• If you have a lot of information in your article, a conclusion can help to summarize the key points
• When writing a conclusion, you should:
  • Summarize the key points
  • Restate the main argument
  • End with a call to action
• Ideal length is 3-5 sentences
• Following types of articles require conclusion:
  • Reviews
  • Comparison articles

6. Read your article once before publishing ​

• This will help you to find any grammatical mistakes
• Allows you to check if article is well structured