How to Write a Great Article and Generate Hits

Four Easy Steps to Writing Outstanding Articles:

Be Concise and Clear

Remember - the average internet viewer doesn't want to look up words or figure out what you're trying to say in your writing. It is your job to make things clear for your reader. Writing huge, long paragraphs does not make someone want to start reading your article. It simply looks menacing. Paragraphs should definitely be no longer than nine lines long - any longer means a loss of interest by a viewer. Keep in mind these few tips when writing your next article for any website, whether it be Triond or any other publisher.

1. Using lists is a very effective way of keeping a readers attention. It allows them to easily see facts and it is by far the simplest way of presenting information.
2. Be concise! Describe your topic briefly and simply, and only include key details. You might have learned that you should elaborate on your writings greatly. This is not true for internet writing - you want the most information in the smallest amount of space possible.
3. Have a good hook. Your first sentence is the first impression of your piece of writing on a viewer. If it isn't catchy, interesting, or vital, then you've lost a viewer.

Include Pictures

You've all heard the saying: “a picture's worth a thousand words.” This is completely true and then some in internet writing. A picture instantly makes an article more attractive and adds a lot overall. You want to include a few pictures, but not too many. Make sure that you don't snuff out your content with one picture per word.

Choose Popular Topics

No matter how amazing or engaging your article is, if you write about how you ate a sandwich, it most likely won't attract many views. It is hard for many writers to figure out popular topics, but from personal experience and from research, I've found that the following are excellent topics (in order from most to least popular):

1. News: Current events and interesting tidbits attract many, many readers
2. Business: Financial matters and real estate are excellent topics
3. Health: Writing health and fitness tips draws multiple viewers
4. Humor: Satire, jokes, and funny facts are quite popular - especially for a Stumbleupon user

Put Yourself in the Reader's Position

This should be pretty obvious, but many don't think about it. Imagine you're the one that wants to find an article. What do you look for? If you use StumbleUpon, which categories do you often browse? What articles do you Digg? A little research on how good articles are written can be very beneficial in finding an effective writing style.

Submit to Bookmarking Sites

It amazes me that some people write articles and don't even bother to submit them to Digg, del.ici.ous, StumbleUpon and other various social bookmarking sites. These sites can generate enormous amounts of hits, and it is very hassle-free to submit your article. All you really need is a short description and a list of tags.

Steps to Writing a Great Article

1. Find a popular topic.
2. Do some research. If you find another article that is popular on that topic, see what made it popular.
3. Make your article as user-friendly as possible.
4. Publish your article.
5. Submit your article to Digg, StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking sites.
6. Wait for the hits to come rolling in.