It’s a prickly situation.
You want to write. You want to put something there. But you really don’t know what.
It could be for your blog, or you’ve got content to write for the social media plan, and you’ve just gone…blank.
So let me first show you, the perfect components of a great article, then exactly how to put your ideas down on paper (or a Google Doc).
Written by Claudia Lee | Founder of Nexus Gecko
So…How Do I Write An Article?
The key thing to understand when writing…is ‘What question are you answering?’
When we read, like you are doing now, we learn some information, then build micro conclusions in our heads.
My job as the writer, is to answer these, as we go through so, the first question ‘How do I even write an article?’ So let me answer it.
Build A Clear Plan: The 3 Key Areas
What is the main question they want answered? i.e. How do I write an article?
Find 10 other closely related questions, and answer them too. i.e. How long should it be? Should I include images? Should I write formally or informally? What’s best, to publish on your own site, or a media platform? How often should I post articles?
Add authority. Show why you know, the answers and what you do. Show your expertise, and your stance, on the topic itself. Information is never shared, without personal context. Be sure to include it.
Why It’s Always Changing? (And why that’s ok)
Marketing is changing every month. And, your style or flow, will change too.
Your audience will want to know different things. You may find a natural shift in what is trending, and what isn’t.
The truth is, it’s a lot of trial and error. And those effects compound.
Writing content is not like writing a book. You have to put out work, see how it gets a response, and then learn and adapt.
You cannot expect it to land at first. Especially when you take into account, SEO. Your site to rank on search engines like Google, needs a large amount of content.
“Having at least 24 blog posts can increase traffic by 30%, and more than 50 posts can lead to a 77% increase in traffic…” — compose.ly
Understanding Balance
The other thing, is a perfect balance, between the number of words, and the conciseness of the information.
Longer articles rank better. Why? Well, the more words there are, or the more ‘bulk’ the easier it is, for search engines to find it.
“Longer posts tend to rank better, with 1,600 words or around 7 minutes of reading time being most effective…” — compose.ly
But also, long articles can be a darn pain in the bottom, to write.
How To ‘Show’ What You Can Do.
You can also completely lose a reader if you babble on too much.
So here’s how you crack this code… Break it up with other ways of expressing information.
Images
Not only does this allow you to add alt-text, something that massively boosts your ‘findability’, but it also allows others to see what you’re discussing. You’ll see our artwork in our articles at Nexus Gecko. This is not only to build familiarity but also to create something far more memorable.
Video
Video, especially with music, is amazing for retention, and memorability. As an animal, we are wired to respond to visual stimuli, not just words…
Characters
Break it up by adding some humour. Show reactions. Thinks gifs, emojis, and even perhaps a company mascot. Something that acts as a pattern interrupt.
Polls & Questions
Look for people to be able to give feedback and opinions, or find an area for people to interact. The more someone interacts the more they care. Think of it as students in a classroom. The more they can get ‘hands-on’, the more they remember.
Infographics
Having charts, graphs and other ways of showing information is a hell of a lot better than ‘telling’ information. It’s not easy with everything, but building infographics in apps like Photoshop and Canva, really are a game changer.
Perspectives & Presentation
Tackle your audience's questions, with more than one perspective. Question the ‘What’ and ‘How’. But also the ‘Why’.
Yeah, it’s great to show ‘How to write the perfect article,’ but highlighting the long-term growth, better site ranking, and client/customer acquisition, is also so prevalent to discuss.
You take them where they want to go before they even know it.
Think of your question words that you learn from day 1 of Kindergarten. And find as many questions as you can, relevant to your article you can answer.
For Example…
Say the title of your article is: How do I grow an Instagram account in 2024?
You would also tackle, these questions too:
What is Instagram? What is the real reason for the platform?
What kind of content is most desired?
Why would I want a large Instagram account?
How do I grow the account?
How do I compete with others in the same space?
Who should I be trying to get to follow me, customers or audience?
Who is a great person to learn from?
Where do I start?
Where do I make my content?
Where do I upload content, for the best quality?
When is the best time to post?
When do I know, ‘I’ve made it’?
Which is the best other platform to grow to?
Which is better, images or video?
Then Just Keep Going…
The aim of content, like I said, is bulk.
Doesn’t mean, quantity over quality. But quality, in quantity. It takes time, so be prepared to be working on this for a while.
I started studying copywriting myself about 4 years ago, before building Nexus Gecko. Be patient with yourself, and be consistent. If you can make yourself even just spend 1–2 hours per week, writing an article. That’s 52 articles a year.
And remember what I quoted up here about SEO…
“Having at least 24 blog posts can increase traffic by 30%, and more than 50 posts can lead to a 77% increase in traffic…” — compose.ly
A small start is better than no start.
If you are a business either in the B2B or B2C space, and you want a perfect content system in place in just 30 days… just click here and reach out to us, to see if we’re a good fit for each other.
Happy writing!
