This is a guest post by Simon Rogers, a teenager from the UK who runs Teenius.com. You can sign up to his RSS feed or follow him on Twitter!
One thing that I can never stress enough to bloggers is the importance of quality articles. The articles are what makes your blog; yes, the design and community is important, but without articles there is no blog. Content is the backbone of your blog, so it’s crucial you get it right, but how can you do that?
Well, this guest post is a small guide which will cover the steps to writing a great article. So, let’s get on with it.
The Title
Something that is often overlooked by bloggers is the importance of making great titles on their blog. The title you pick for your post is the first thing people will see when they look at the article. You should try and make the title as exciting as possible, while still making it relevant to the article. Simply putting ‘Get More Subscribers’ isn’t very interesting, but putting ‘How I got one thousand subscribers in a week’ is bound to get lots of readers!
The Introduction
The introduction is arguably the most important part of the article: it gives readers an idea of what the article is going to be about, and will let them decide whether to carry on reading or not. I see that one thing more and more bloggers are doing in their introduction is to put a story in, letting the readers know why they’re writing the post. That said, it’s not always possible to do this as there isn’t a story attached to every article, but I always try and give a brief introduction to the topic and explain the importance of what I’m about to write. Look at the introduction to this article, for example, I spoke about why quality articles are so important, and then went on to say that if you read on, you can get tips for writing a great article.
The Main Body
This is the bit where all your information will be displayed. It’s odd, because although this is the most prominent part of the article, it isn’t the most important. That said, you should always try and keep it quality, as you need to keep the readers engaged in your article. I recommend breaking it up with different parts. For example, in this article I have done the main body in four parts, by writing the different parts of an article. This makes the article seem easier to read, as just having a big block of text isn’t very attractive.
The Conclusion
The last part of your article is the bit where you need to interact with the readers. Ideally, you want them to leave a comment or go and read other articles, so connecting with them in this part is crucial. On my blog, I often invite readers to leave a comment by asking questions. Also, you should try and summarize what the article is about.
That’s it from me!
I hope that this article has shown you how to write an awesome article that will engage your readers, all the way from picking a great title to writing the last word and engaging the lovely people who just sat and read it.
What did you think of this article?
What system do you use to make sure you write great article?
Is there anything you’d like to add to this article?
I’d love to hear your views, so please feel free to leave a comment, and also remember to check out my blog www.teenius.com.
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Comment by techprism · November 18, 2009 @ 1:40 pm
Simple & powerful.
Yes, thats really needed to screw up those elements that are actually deprived ARTICLES to reach QUALITY.
I always say that blog quality comes from the quality of the content & information richness but how article is organized adds beauty to the post.
techprism´s last blog ..Inforids Tech Support Forums Launched!
Comment by techprism · November 18, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
And when it comes to writing blog articles, The 10 most important things bloggers need to know before writing a blog article http://inforids.com/the-10-most-important-things-bloggers-need-to-know-before-writing-a-blog-article/ , needs to be kept in mind.
techprism´s last blog ..Inforids Tech Support Forums Launched!
Comment by ellenyna · November 18, 2009 @ 2:33 pm
cool
Comment by Phaoloo · November 18, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
yep, agree that title should be the first point in this list. It is the first thing that catches readers from social media sites, search engine result pages, tweets and facebook updates. I usually take most of time writing title, it includes keyword research, compare titles in my mind and imagining what readers think about it at the first glance.
Phaoloo´s last blog ..12 Best Tools To Find And Manage Proxy Servers
Comment by izzat aziz · November 18, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
even me i think i need to improve more in writing title.. because i spend more time finding points rather than thinking what most suitable title..
Comment by izzat aziz · November 18, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
thank for the comment and link, that is great post
Comment by Simon | Teenius · November 18, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
The structure of the post is important, yes, but what’s actually written is still more important. I mean, even if you structure it well but you have poor content, people will look and then find it rubbish.
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Tips For Making Changes On Your Blog
Comment by Simon | Teenius · November 18, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
Cool post, I just left a comment on it!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Tips For Making Changes On Your Blog
Comment by Simon | Teenius · November 18, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
Yeah, I think a lot of people underestimate the power of the title. Sometimes it’s really hard to create an amazing title, but every now and again you should do an amazing title on your blog that gets traffic!
Comment by Tinh · November 18, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
Nice post, thanks for sharing
Tinh´s last blog ..WordPress 2.9 Beta 1 is Available for Download
Comment by Arafat Hossain Piyada · November 18, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
The title is no doubt most powerful thing when you write your article however the title should show your professionalism. Think you have only 200 reader on your feed count and writing an article to get 1000 reader in one day is not a good way to get loyal reader. You should maintain a quality and trustfulness while writing a content to make your reader come back. The structure is always important because we don’t like messy thing but quality is much more priceless object in your article.
Arafat Hossain Piyada´s last blog ..Completing My 1 Year in Blogging Today, What I Gain? What I Lost?
Comment by nazra · November 18, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
simple but full of information. really great
nazra´s last blog ..Syukur ft. Alhamdulillah
Comment by VIVEK · November 18, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
Nice Post. I will ensure my titles are interesting next time I write!
Comment by Tinh · November 18, 2009 @ 7:08 pm
Hi Izzat, thanks for reminding me about comment errors, luckily as I could fix it before launching my first contest. You can join if you want and all welcome!
Tinh´s last blog ..Christmas Contest: 5 One Theme V2.0 Giveaways with License for Life
Comment by izzat aziz · November 18, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
i think it become more inateresting to think about what is more important content or structure of the post itself.. but like comment vs traffic is not something easy to decide which one that important most.. i guess both are very important.
one thing about writing title is be real, title should always been check with reality check.
Comment by zuls · November 18, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
I really like the title part.. is there any semantic tools to evaluate whether our tittle are good or not?
zuls´s last blog ..Follower atau Duit? Buat Duit Twitter
Comment by izzat aziz · November 18, 2009 @ 8:47 pm
the easy way try to place it in newsfeed or something for example innit, it the title received lot of nang so it good title i guess
Comment by Edward Palomo · November 18, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
very well said. it is crucial that the introduction is engaging thus, making the reader finish your post. though i’m not that good at blogging, still i do my best to engage my readers into knowing my life as a student through my blog.
Comment by samanosuke_04 · November 18, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
making good title is like wearing a sexy clothes…
samanosuke_04´s last blog ..Lelaki dan Pencuci Muka…
Comment by izzat aziz · November 18, 2009 @ 11:48 pm
you doing great.. there is no much better feeling than knowing that reader enjoy our post
Comment by fitzgerald kosowski · November 19, 2009 @ 1:22 am
for me, i would prefer quality rather than quantity. although i always wrote short article, i will make sure it will remember by everyone whose read it.
fitzgerald kosowski´s last blog ..Hooliganism, Droid & Hannah Tan’s hotness
Comment by Hicham Maged · November 19, 2009 @ 2:18 am
I do believe that Content is the king so my system is simply to write with confidence and in case there is an information to place, I should be sure from it;s source and credit it, same as for quoting other people, bloggers, etc.
P.S. Izzat, I am glad that you’ve Simon Rogers as your guest blogger.
Hicham Maged´s last blog ..Egypt under Cambyses II
Comment by Phaoloo · November 19, 2009 @ 9:35 am
Spend more time on Twitter, front page of Digg, Mixx, Reddit and others, we can learn how they write eye-catch titles.
Phaoloo´s last blog ..Top 19 Tools To Hide Folders On Windows
Comment by Theme Premium · November 19, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
Some nice tips here Simon though I guess you missed only one imp post.. Killer image which you used here ..
Comment by Bill · November 19, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
cool…writing can be though right??? and this article will help
Bill´s last blog ..Easy Way Creating Your Own HOT Online Store
Comment by Sire · November 19, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
When writing specific articles it is always important to construct is so that the readers understand. You must write to their level. Some people are so expertise and knowledgeable about their topic that they they go off the top end using jargon that most people would not understand, thereby losing the readers interest.
I’ve had a lot of teachers do the same thing. My best teachers have always been the ones that taught to my level. After all, you can’t learn what you don’t understand.
Sire´s last blog ..The Myth That DoFollow Leaches Your PR
Comment by Rajesh Kanuri · November 19, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
Your articles were awesome and tempting me to subscribe to your blog,, Thanks for the info
Rajesh Kanuri´s last blog ..How To Install WordPress Blog Using Simple Scripts One Click Installer in HostMonster
Comment by izzat aziz · November 19, 2009 @ 7:31 pm
thank to Simon Rogers
Comment by izzat aziz · November 19, 2009 @ 7:32 pm
Even you’re have very good English, don’t use complicated sentence just to convey simple message.. not just give difficulty to your reader to understand, it also waste of time
agree with you.
Comment by izzat aziz · November 19, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
i’m glad more than you do, it a great thing ever happen to my blog
Comment by Uttoran Sen · November 20, 2009 @ 12:35 am
hi Simon, that’s a very good post, content is king and the very basic reason for a success of a blog depends on the quality of its articles,
Uttoran Sen´s last blog ..How to Fix Windows XP
Comment by ain_chokio · November 20, 2009 @ 3:54 am
u never run out of ideas eh??huuuu..jeles2…nice tips dude..n yes..title plays d most important role…one wud not read ur entry if ur title sounds lame..=)
ain_chokio´s last blog ...:bang..sy nak dok uma jela pas kawen:.
Comment by Ben Lang · November 20, 2009 @ 7:05 am
Nice guest post Simon. Great job!
Comment by Dennis Edell · November 21, 2009 @ 12:52 am
Nice article Simon
. I have some tips regarding Title and Conclusion if I may…..
Title – tip 1 – Numbers should always replace words whenever applicable to catch the eye better….. 4 steps to great articles – How I got 1000 subscribers in a week, or even a combination where it fits – How I got one thousand subscribers (1000) in a week; see?
Title – tip 2 – Write the title in question form whenever applicable.
Tip #3 – Start with tip 2
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..IS An Advertising Page Really A Good Idea? An Interesting Opposing View…
Comment by Dennis Edell · November 21, 2009 @ 12:57 am
Oops, hit submit by mistake…
Tip #3 – Start with tip 2 and follow up on it with Simon’s advice on asking (what is now the same) question at the end.
Tip #1 is given by all bloggers, it just makes sense when writing “list” type posts.
Tips 2 & 3 are from my personal experience in gaining MASSIVE comments and reader participation/interaction on many articles.
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..IS An Advertising Page Really A Good Idea? An Interesting Opposing View…