7 Formulas for Articles That GET READ!

Many of us have been asked to write an article at one time or another. Maybe it's a contribution to the company newsletter. Or a promotional article to gain publicity for ourselves or our companies. Some of us write articles regularly for clients.

No matter why you're writing an article, it's your responsibility to make it be interesting - otherwise no one will read it. (Except you.)

So how can you make your article interesting and engage your reader? It's all about the ANGLE. First pick your topic. For example, let's say your topic is something boring ... "car wax." Now, here's where many people start writing.

Stop! You need an angle! What aspect of car wax do you want to write about? Is there anything new or sexy in the world of car wax that people are interested in? Some ideas: how the new generation of car waxes helps protect your paint job for twice as long, OR, an overview of the best five brands of car wax on the market, OR what the best type of wax is for your particular car. Get it? These are all angles. (By the way, I've never even waxed my car, so please take these ideas with a grain of salt!)

Ready to brainstorm your angles? Here are seven article "formulas" to get you started and get your juices flowing! Some elements of each may overlap with each other, but each formula is truly a distinct animal.

1. The How-To

People love how-to articles! They lead the reader step-by-step through how to reach an objective. They also sometimes offer resources the reader can contact for more information.

What expertise do *you* have to share? Turn that subject into an interesting how-to for readers. Examples: "How to Make Your Employees Stick Around Forever," "How to Find the Best Dress for Your Figure," and "How to Promote Your Business for Free."

2. The List

This is one of the most basic formulas and the easiest to write. Give a short one or two paragraph intro, then launch right into your list. Keep each item to a few sentences max. People love numbers, so number your list and give your total number in the title! Examples: "31 Ways to Organize Your Office," "15 Tips for Pain-Free Feet," "Five Reasons Management Won't Be the Same in 2001"

3. The "Straw Man"

Here you set up a premise and knock it down, showing the benefits of your alternative view or approach. This is ideal to use when you're discussing the drawbacks of a new practice or method that's controversial right now. Here's a great example we often see on the covers of health magazines: "Are High Protein Diets the Key to Fast Weight Loss?" You get all excited, thinking you've discovered an amazing dieting revelation. But the article reveals, point by point, that high protein diets are unsafe for the long term, and that of course the only reliable way to lose weight is through diet and exercise. Oh well! Back to the treadmill....

4. The Mini Case Study

Raise a provocative question and then answer it with three or four real-life examples. Example: For an article titled, "Should You Quit Your Job and Go Freelance?" you could begin with a few stats on how today's workforce is leaving the corporate world in search of solo bliss. Then you could feature a few real cases, each with different outcomes to show all sides of the issue.

5. The Interview

Choose a credible expert to interview for your article. For example, if your topic is the latest trends in banking, you could interview a top banking industry analyst. Present it in either a traditional article format or do a Q&A format.

6. The Trend

Trends aren't just for fashion! Whenever a trend sweeps a certain profession, you'll suddenly see dozens of articles covering the topic. From the latest hairstyle to the latest tax shelter, people want to know all about these trends - their origins, benefits, and drawbacks.

7. The Study Finding

These articles report the results of a study or survey. If you do a bit of research, you can probably dig up a recent study on which you can base your article. Examples: "Blue Chip Companies Cutting Marketing Budgets Across the Board," "Armadillos Now Deemed America's Favorite Pet," and "More 20-Somethings Finding Love Online."

(c) 2002 - 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/

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Google News Updated : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:55:47 GMT Export Tax That Angers Farmers Advances in Argentina - New York Times The Money Times Export Tax That Angers Farmers Advances in Argentina New York Times - 3 hours ago By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO RIO DE JANEIRO - After a marathon session that lasted through the night, Argentina’s lower house of Congress on Saturday narrowly approved agricultural export tax increases that the government imposed four months ago. Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3) Bloomberg Argentina lawmakers approve farm export tax hike guardian.co.uk BBC News - Reuters - AFP - Voice of America all 152 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:36:35 GMT Renault chief expects car industry consolidation - International Herald Tribune The Money Times Renault chief expects car industry consolidation International Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France: A slump in the global automotive sector could give impetus to plans for consolidation within the industry, according to the head of the French carmaker Renault. Renault CEO sees 'difficult' return from summer holidays for ... Forbes Renault's Ghosn Sees Carmaker Consolidation as Stocks Decline Bloomberg Wall Street Journal - AHN - Reuters - United Press International all 38 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:00:44 GMT Google trying to take privacy seriously - ZDNet BBC News Google trying to take privacy seriously ZDNet - 19 hours ago This week was a very interesting week as far as Google and privacy goes. First, a burglary (the same on that affected CNET earlier last month) was confirmed to have affected all Google employees hired before December 31, 2005. Court order on YouTube user data fans privacy fears Reuters • YouTube Ordered To Release User Data Washington Post New York Times - BloggingStocks - Ars Technica - Wall Street Journal all 928 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:49:42 GMT AT&T's Odd iPhone Offer - TechNewsWorld Canada.com AT&T's Odd iPhone Offer TechNewsWorld - 7 hours ago By Eric Benderoff Some of the details surrounding AT&T's iPhone prices make little sense, writes Eric Benderoff. The company will sell a 3G iPhone with no contract for a $400 premium. iPhone 3G line forms in NYC for a green cause Ars Technica Where the iPhone Failed BusinessWeek CRN - Slashdot - Washington Post - CNNMoney.com all 566 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:04:21 GMT Republican Party ad assails Obama on energy - The Associated Press BBC News Republican Party ad assails Obama on energy The Associated Press - 1 hour ago TITLE: "Balance." LENGTH: 30 seconds. AIRING: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. SCRIPT: Announcer: "Record gas prices. For Republicans, the Senate outlook is bad Los Angeles Times How Bush Ratings Complicate Wall Street Journal Washington Post - International Herald Tribune - Newsweek - Fort Worth Star Telegram all 386 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:00:58 GMT Muscle strain to sideline Gay for two weeks - Washington Post Aljazeera.net Muscle strain to sideline Gay for two weeks Washington Post - 2 hours ago EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - World 200 meters champion Tyson Gay has a mild muscle strain in his left leg and will be unable to train at full strength for up to two weeks, his management company said on Sunday. Gay diagnosed with mild leg strain The Associated Press Defending World Champion Is Injured During Trials New York Times Boston Globe - Los Angeles Times - KMEG 14 - CNN all 732 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:46:37 GMT Alex Rodriguez’s Wife Left Him Over Alleged Affair with Madonna - People Magazine Alex Rodriguez’s Wife Left Him Over Alleged Affair with Madonna People Magazine - 1 hour ago After putting up with years of flirtations with other women, Alex Rodriguez's wife Cynthia finally left the Yankee star over his rumored affair with Madonna and his newfound interest in Kabbalah, according to sources close to the situation. Madonna's other Guy is link between A-Rod, Lenny Kravitz New York Daily News Trainer: A-Rod 'brainwashed' by Madonna United Press International FOXSports.com - eFluxMedia - Baltimore Sun - E! Online all 1,531 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:45:54 GMT Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages Increase Website Traffic

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