A good article should give the reader some good information and leave them wanting to know more about the author, yet many articles I see are likely to leave you with exactly the opposite impression – ie. that the author didn’t know what they were talking about.
Here are four common article mistakes I see on a regular basis:
1. The information is incorrect or out of date
It is important that you do your research well and give information that makes you appear like an authority source on the subject. Take the time to get to know your subject well and read several sources of information before you even start writing your article. Never underestimate the knowledge of your reader – it is highly likely that they know more than you do!
2. Poor spelling and grammatical errors
I’m not saying that you have to be perfect, but your article does need to flow and demonstrate a reasonable grasp of the English language. I see many articles where the writing style is just so poor it is nearly impossible to tell what the person was actually trying to say.
3. Poor layout
People want to extract information from your article quickly, so make sure you keep your paragraphs short and to the point. Make use of bullet points to highlight the key issues and consider using sub headings to break things up.
4. Too much information
Many articles seem to ramble on and on while forgetting what the point of the article was in the first place. Try to stay on track and focus on one particular element of your subject in each article. Don’t try to cover 20 different elements in a 400 word article or allow your article to reach anywhere near 1000 words.
If you write articles on a regular basis to promote your products and services (and you absolutely should be), keep these in mind so you don’t make these same mistakes.
