Insurance Journal Forums

I rail here about writing articles and providing value. Here are some ideas from my upcoming book on marketing...

Six Steps to Article Writing

Writing articles may seem intimidating. It shouldn’t be.

Step 1 – Pick A Subject – Focus on the value you will provide the reader. Match the subject to the audience and publication.

Step 2 – Select 3 or 4 Major Points – What is the meat of the article?

Step 3 – Write 3 Paragraphs On Each Major Point – Using your word processor, throw down thoughts and ideas. Don’t worry about style or form. Get the info on the page.

Step 4 – Walk Away – Take a break. Go onto something else.

Step 5 – Come Back and Re-Write – Take a day or two. Tune up what you put down before. Clarify your thinking. Add more meat. Simplify the language. Slash extraneous stuff.

Step 6 – Repeat Steps 4 and 5 Until You're Done.

Don't make this harder than it is. If you have trouble with grammar, find a proofreader or editor (Email me and I can recommend someone for you. She charges $20 an hour and is worth every penny.)

Here is another great way to start...

The Five Things You Need To Know About (insert topic here)

SEO-wise, you will need to add header tags, appropriate keyword density, alt tags, keyword rich title once you published this article online. By this technique, known as on-page optimization, your chances of getting high search rankings is quite possible.

Writing an article is easy. Simply follow the writing techniques you learned in school. An article need not be too complicated, the easy to understand words is always better. Don't forget to make your title as catchy as possible.

Here are some good reads about article marketing:
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/article-mark ... ard-friday
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/whiteboard-f ... on-for-seo