| Your audience is hungry for information. But they want | | | | and short advice on how to accomplish the tip. So, list |
| it in the right format. The format must be easy to read, | | | | out your tips and write a short paragraph of advice to |
| easy to digest and easy to apply. If you deliver your | | | | explain the tip. |
| articles the way your audience likes it, they will reward | | | | Every one loves bite-sized, useful information. Why not |
| you by reading every article you publish. | | | | join the Information Revolution, by writing short articles |
| They will even visit your website, sign-up for your | | | | to promote your ezine, website, product or service. |
| ezine and eventually visit your product page just to | | | | Your readers will enjoy receiving your expertise. They |
| receive more of your helpful information. | | | | will make sure your articles go the extra mile by telling |
| By writing short articles you can capture attention, gain | | | | all their friends about your informative, helpful service. |
| more traffic, create more sales and most importantly, | | | | 5. Top Ten List. |
| be helpful to people when they need it. Here are | | | | A variation of the tips format is the top tips list. Your |
| seven quick tips to help you format your articles and | | | | top tips list may consist of the Top Five, Top Ten, Top |
| make them go the extra mile: | | | | Seven or practically any number of ten or less. I have |
| 1. Question/Answer. | | | | even written the single most important tip to help my |
| This is a popular format for everyone wants their | | | | audience focus. Sometimes, that one gets more |
| questions answered in a 123 fashion. If only all | | | | attention than the other numbers, because it answers |
| questions could be answered in a numbered method. | | | | a desire in all of us that want it as easy as possible. It's |
| Discover your audience's burning questions that you | | | | great if I can achieve it in a single step or even the 2 |
| have the answers for. List the questions; write a short | | | | most important ways sound better than three or |
| paragraph that answers each question. Write a short | | | | seven. |
| introduction and even shorter summary. There you | | | | 6. How To. |
| have it. An easy to read and easy to digest short | | | | Just as we all want to achieve anything in the easiest |
| article answering your audience's most pressing | | | | way possible, we also like to be shown how to do |
| questions. | | | | anything and everything. My clients have often said to |
| 2. Problem/Solution. | | | | me, "Just give me 5 easy steps or 3 easy steps and I |
| I absolutely love this format. I myself have gotten tons | | | | know I can do it." I'm the same way, aren't you? |
| of problems solved with this format, after reading | | | | Format your article to teach something and offer easy |
| someone's problem/solution article. Therefore, many of | | | | steps to accomplish it. Again, list them and write a |
| my business problems that I solve become guess | | | | short paragraph explaining each step. |
| what kind of article? Yes. You are right; they become | | | | 7. Ways/Secrets/Habits. |
| problem/solution articles. Simply describe the problem in | | | | Another variation of the How-to article can be written |
| one short paragraph and offer the solution in a one | | | | in ways, secrets, habits, or things. I have even |
| sentence paragraph below it. Or vice versa, describe | | | | formatted one of my articles into weapons called "7 |
| the problem in a one sentence paragraph and give the | | | | Weapons to Conquer the Giant Procrastination." The |
| solution in the longer paragraph. | | | | weapons became how-to tools to overcome |
| 3. Myth/Truth. | | | | procrastination keeping you from writing your best |
| The myth/truth format is another format that I use | | | | book now. |
| often in my writing. I guess because there are plenty | | | | 8. Reasons. |
| of myths to destroy in any field. No, really I don't see it | | | | Most people can understand any given topic better if |
| used as much as the other formats. So it becomes | | | | they can know the whys or reasons that support it. |
| one of my attempts to be different. Also, you can | | | | Websites are becoming more and more popular |
| easily convert other formats of yours or your favorite | | | | across the globe. As a website developer, I wanted to |
| writer. For example, if you are inspired by another | | | | help my clients understand strong reasons for them to |
| writer's topic instead of plagiarizing their work simply | | | | get a website now. Yes. The article became, "10 |
| turn their list of mistakes into secrets or solutions. | | | | Reasons You Need a Website." Think of something |
| Simply present the facts in your own voice and | | | | you want to convince your clients of and write an |
| viewpoint. | | | | article doing so. For a software developer wanting to |
| 4. Tips/Advice. | | | | sell more of his ebook creation software, his article |
| I think you know by now. I love writing short articles | | | | became "18 Reasons to Write an eBook and Give it |
| that help people. I mention that because I felt myself | | | | Away Free." |
| wanting to write, the same words at the beginning of | | | | Are you ready to discover how I get hundreds of |
| this tip. You know, "I love the tip format." This article is | | | | articles published each year to promote my books and |
| a great example of the tips format. I listed eight tips | | | | business to success? |