Online Article Writing Basics

The Internet is about information. 

Even when people buy online, they seek information first.  With search engine and social media technology, finding and sharing information is a snap.

Commerical websites must acknowledge that the best way to develop a base of new customers is to provide upfront value with useful, free information.  At the same time, this content introduces products and services. 

An excellent way to structure written informational content is by creating a series of articles posted regularly as webpages or to a business blog.

The Online Playing Field

The Internet evens the informational playing field.  People no longer assume they have to get information from major media outlets--in fact in many cases they may have trust issues with "big media".

The individual expert has a real chance to get noticed online.  A professional voice that answers specific questions is a resource on the Internet, and the content they produce can draw search traffic and get cited in the form of natural backlinks.

This is great news for informational marketing in general and for marketers with research and writing skills specifically.  Still, online informational content requires some special considerations.

Web Articles

Here are some basics you need to consider when developing online article content:

Don't try to sell.   Online article content is not sales copy.  Refrain from putting in an immediate sales agenda and remember that web consumers want information first.  Provide value and don't be afraid to give away some secrets.  Like a whitepaper, you want to anticipate questions and provide answers.  Build trust first.

Keep it short.  Unlike the whitepaper, your online article content needs to be brief.  Most web articles aim for around 500 words.  People online don't have time or patience to read long articles; they want specifics.

Break-up paragraphs.  Long sections of text cause the eyes to glaze over when reading on a computer or smartphone screen.  Keep paragraphs very short for online articles.

Bullet and bold.  Make use of bullet points and bold type to draw attention to key points and make it easy for scan reading.

Be specific.  Write about one topic per article and be very focused.  This helps with SEO and is a good writing practice in general.  An online informational article should have stand-alone value. 

Avoid first-person.  Even if you are posting your content in a blog, avoid using first-person voice for informational article marketing.  The first person voice is not as authoritative and tends to restrict the perceived value of the information.  Speak to the issues of your site visitor instead of about yourself.   

Keep it simple.  You have a target audience, but online articles should provide introductory information.  Assume the web reader is not that familiar with the topic and needs baseline info.

Create a series of articles.  Each article should have stand-alone value and be specific, but if you have a large repertoire of useful content you will keep people on your site longer and encourage repeat visits.  Link content where the topics relate.  For SEO you need to add fresh content to your site on a regular basis. 

Map the buying process.  Once you have answered questions and provided value, give your site visitor information on how to engage with your company.  Lead them towards your conversion strategy. 

Well written informational articles have considerable marketing value online.  Put some resources into them for long-term return on investment.

If you don't have writing talent available, seek a professional freelance article writer to produce content for you.