How To Easily Write A Multipurpose Article In Just One Hour

If you don’t consider yourself a writer then sitting down to write an article may seem like a very daunting task. However, there are several methods you can use when writing and if you have all the tools that you need in place you will soon find that it becomes quicker and easier each time. Here I’m going to share with you what works for me and it’s quite simple.

A few must-haves to have in place before you start to write are:

An article ideas file. Any time you think of something you can write about, jot it down. Make sure you always have a pen and notepad on you because inspiration can hit at any time and once that moment has passed it’s difficult or impossible to get it back.

Research notes. Gather all the supporting info you need. You may have already jotted down some notes when the idea struck. Great!

A format to follow. There are any number of templates that can be used to create an article but the first thing you’ll need to have is a simple structure to piece your ideas together. Here’s one:

*Title – Write an attention getting title.

*Introduction – Write a strong introduction paragraph that describes your topic.

*Body – List at least 3 examples that support your main point including facts and opinions, about 4-5 lines each.

*Conclusion – A brief summary of your article restating your main point with a call to action for the reader.

Now let’s get started:

1. Set an alarm clock or timer for one hour.

2. Grab an article title or article idea from your ideas file. Just choosing what you’re going to write about can be time consuming so having an ideas file to pick your topic from is a great time saver.

3. You may need to do some research to gather more info. Spend about 15 minutes researching your topic and making notes.

4. Start writing. Spend about 5 minutes structuring each piece – Title, Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Lists work great for the body of the article. Numbered lists or bulleted lists are easy to construct for the writer and appeal to readers as they are easy to read or quickly scan and understand. I often leave my title for last when the article is complete. There might be a catchy phrase within the article that can serve as your attention getting title.

5. Aim for 500 words. If working with Microsoft Word you can check your word count by clicking on ‘Review’ and ‘Word Count’ (or something similar, depending on what version you are working with). Add or subtract content as needed.

Follow this process and within an hour you will have a completed piece. Review your article the next day and look at it with fresh eyes. Another 15 minutes to refine your article, correct, edit and a final proofread and you are ready to use and reuse your article in your newsletter, on your blog and in the article directories. These are only a few of the ways your article can be repurposed. Just think, if you set aside an hour a week to write you will have around 50 articles in one year and enough content to put together a free report, an ebook, or an ecourse to sell. What are you waiting for?

Your Easy To Follow Getting Started Article Marketing Checklist

Article marketing is a long term marketing strategy that helps position you as an expert in your niche and generate more traffic to your website. There are a number of guidelines to follow when writing and submitting articles, and although it is not difficult, it is a multi-step process and having a checklist in place is a helpful tool.

Here is your ‘getting started’ checklist to help you prepare to market your articles:

[ ] Create your author resource box of about 50 words in length. This is what will appear at the end of your articles stating who you are, what you do, the service or product and benefits you provide and a call to action inviting the reader to your website to sign up for your free report, newsletter or other offering. The resource box should be written in third person.

[ ] Create your author bio of up to about 150 words in length. Some of the article directories require a bio in addition to a resource box. Your bio will be based on your skills, experience and achievements and should also be written in third person.

[ ] Choose an author image that you will upload when creating your profiles. Most article directories will ask for one. Your photo will help people connect with you and should be professional looking.

[ ] Create a list of directories you are going to submit to. Start small with about 3 directories. Try www.ezinearticles.com, www.articledashboard.com and www.goarticles.com to start. You can add more later. Just Google “article submission directory” to find more sites.

[ ] Sign up for accounts with these directories and record the Name of the directory, Login URL, User Name, Password and any specific guidelines. For example one site only allows articles with a minimum of 500 words.

[ ] Create an Article Marketing Tracking document in the form of a spreadsheet to track the above directory information, articles submitted and dates submitted.

[ ] Create an Article Template for your writing. Article directories work best with text based articles. Just use plain text, no formatting, no tables etc. by creating and saving your articles in Notepad or another text based editor. Within each file include the Title, Category, Word Count, Key Words and Summary. You will need to enter this information with each article submission.

[ ] Decide on topics based on your market & your expertise and create an ideas file.

[ ] Write your first 400 – 700 word article and start submitting!

Most of the above steps are to be set up once and left. When you have everything in place, make sure you write and submit your articles regularly. If you write an ezine or newsletter you can repurpose these works. Once your subscribers have received their copy, start submitting to the article directories. You can also rework chapters of a book or ebook you have written into shorter articles.

If the above sounds like a great marketing tactic but you lack the time, consider hiring a Virtual Assistant to set you up with the accounts, edit your writing and submit your articles. All you need to do is provide the content and watch your website’s placement in the search results increase.