Article Marketing: Twelve Tips for Writing Articles to Grow Your Business

Writing articles is one of the best ways to market your professional services. Listing your articles online at article directories and article banks will drive traffic back to your website.
Writing articles is one of the best ways to market your professional services. Listing your articles online at article directories and article banks will drive traffic back to your website.

Here are twelve simple tips to get your started writing articles:

1) Treat Article Writing as a Creative Process
I like to write my articles in a different space from where I do my day to day work. I have a separate desk that has objects that call forth my writing muse, such as photos, colored markers and other colorful objects, and lots of space. I put on music that will inspire me to tap into the deeper message of what I want to say.

2) List Five Topics You Are Passionate About
An exercise I give to many of my clients is to write a long list of topics they could speak on or write about. Most are pleasantly surprised to discover that there are many things they could write about even if they thought they had nothing to say.

3) Start an Idea File
Gather ideas on these topics from websites or other articles you read. Save them in a paper folder or a folder on your computer. When the time comes to write, pull out your idea file to get your creative ideas flowing.

4) Block out Time to Write
Time blocking is an effective way to accomplish any task. Make an appointment with yourself to write, and don't let anything interfere.

5) Just Start Writing
The hardest part of writing is getting started. Once you put that first word on the blank page, you're half way there.

6) Write Quickly
Write a rough first draft quickly. Don't edit or censor or format. Don't be concerned on the first try with correct spelling or grammar. Just get what you want to say down on paper. The editing can come later when it won't interfere with your creative process.

7) Think About the Questions Your Article Will Answer
Use your article to answer key questions that your clients are asking. Write out those questions, and provide them with solutions in your article.

8) Give Concise, Useful Information
How-to articles are very popular and useful. Give your article an angle based on what your best clients want to know.

9) Write for a Targeted Niche
Create a profile of your ideal audience. Writing experts suggest that you write to just one person who would represent a composite of several of your clients.

10) Find an Accountability Partner
Find a writing accountability partner or writing support group to keep your focused and on task. If you can't find a support group, start your own with other people you know who want to do more writing. You can review and give feedback on each other's work.

11) Create Titles that Grab Attention
Start with a draft title. Once the article is written, give the title a little more punch by adding a benefit driven statement in the headline using your keywords.

12) Create and Editorial Calendar and Timeline
Plan ahead of time the topics you will write about and when you'll write them. For example, if you plan to write one article a week, make a chart with the dates and the topics you will write about. This makes it much easier when the time comes to sit down and write.