Last Updated on February 23, 2024
Publishing an article can be both daunting and rewarding. Because your article is important to you consider taking a few steps before you publish. These extra steps will allow you to avoid some common mistakes and ensure your article is successful.
Identify your audience.
One of the first things you need to ask is who your target audience is. Who will be reading your article? Your article should be written to speak to those individuals.
Is your content original?
Be sure your article is written by you and not copied from another site or source. This not only will not gain you readers, it can also get you in trouble for plagiarizing someone’s work. You will not earn credibility by copying someone else’s work.
How many topics are in your article?
Ask yourself if your article cover just one topic. Your article should cover one idea or topic. Having multiple topics in an article can make the article confusing and hard to follow. If you do have different topics in one article, try focusing on one at a time.
Does your title capture attention?
Take care to write a catchy title for your article or post. Your title should be unique and capture the reader’s attention. Remember this is the first thing your reader will see, be sure it is relevant to the post
How long is your article?
Know where you are posting and the requirements for that particular site. If you are posting to your own blog, be sure the article has some substance and conveys your message.
Linking to other information?
If you wish to link to other sites or articles try using keywords that are relevant to the site or article you are linking to. Be sure you understand the policies of the site you are posting to so you are not flagged for spamming. Some sites only allow you to link in your biography or signature section. Know the site policy before publishing your article.
Do you have any visual aids?
Add pictures or videos. When posting pictures of videos make sure they are not copyrighted. There are number of sites that offer royalty free images and some images for free. Read their policies on using their photos so you are in compliance with their policies.
What tags should I use?
Add tags to your article. This helps the search engines find your content and makes it search-able in the search engines. Tags help the search engines create an index and will help readers find your article easier.
Take time to walk away.
Before you publish your article you want to make sure it is well written. After you are finished writing your article, save it and close it. Go back to it a few minutes later. You will find errors you missed originally.
How does your article sound when read out loud?
Once you have finished writing your article try reading it out loud. This may sound silly and make you a bit uncomfortable, but doing this helps you identify things that aren’t working. If you can’t speak it out loud without it sounding strange, then you need to consider editing that section.
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