Simple Steps to Write Article
Most people think that article writing is a piece of cake. They believe that all they need to do is type something on the keyboard and submit it. But, that's not the case. Writing a good article requires careful planning and research. It also needs to be well-researched and well-written. So, if you want to become a professional writer, then you should know "What are the steps to write an article?"
Articles are the backbone of any online business. If you want to be successful online, then you need to have a great content marketing strategy. The best way to do this is to write articles that attract and engage your readers.
Also Read: Is Grammarly Premium Worth it For Students
Steps for Article Writing Format
Follow the following simple steps to write an article.
1. Choose Topic and Objectives
If you want to write a successful article, you need to start with a clear idea of presenting it. The first thing is to select the main topic and define your objectives. What are you going to write about? Who will read it? Is the article intended for publication in a particular newspaper or magazine? Will there be an opportunity for comments and discussion? If so, how will these be presented?
Example:
If you are writing an article on the latest developments in space exploration technology, all space enthusiasts are interested. Your objective could be to inform your audience of the latest events in this field, or perhaps you would like to bring suggestions for further developments in this area.
2. Know Your Audience
Before you begin writing, take a moment to look at your target audience. Who is going to read the article? Who is going to be interested in the content, and what do you want them to know? Be sure to consider who you are writing for when creating your title, topic, and subtopics. When you have an idea of who will be reading your work, it will be easier to focus on writing for that specific reader. Once you've established a target audience, it's time to start writing your article.
3. Research and Gather Resources
The first step when writing an article is to gather your information and resources. You'll need to do plenty of research into the topic at hand, and you'll also want to have a good grasp of the subject to convey your knowledge clearly and concisely. Some writers prefer to do this step as they write, while others prefer to do it beforehand. Either way is acceptable; you should do whatever works best for you.
4. Create Outline of Your Article
The first step in writing an article is to create your topic outline and rough draft. The subject of your paper should be the primary focus of your topic outline and rough draft. Create a list of the significant points you want to make about the subject to appear in your finished article. If you have a lot of information on your topic, you may want to divide it into sections or categories with subtopics for each section. Next, write a rough draft of your article.
The rough draft should be about 30% complete before the first draft is written. The rough draft can include information from your research, but it shouldn't be written formally. It is meant to be messy and used as a place to store ideas and thoughts about what you will be writing.
5. Editing Your Draft Article
Editing is the most crucial step in writing an article. If you don't edit your article, it will probably be full of grammar and spelling mistakes. At first, you need to read your draft three times. The first time is to get an overall idea of the article, the second time is to find out what you want to say, and the third time is to find out how many grammar mistakes you have made. After editing, I suggest you reread your draft three times to make sure it is ready for proofreading.
6. Proofreading Article
It is an essential step, as it will make or break your article. It's to make sure that your article is free from misspellings and grammatical errors. Read your article out loud, and if you stumble on a word, likely, someone else will too. In addition, you should also read your article backward, starting from the last sentence. It will help you catch any missing words or errors in sentence structure. If you want people to read your article, you must present that information organized and easy to follow.
It would help if you proofread it; the reason why is because there could be many spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that could ruin your credibility. When you proofread, you have to make sure that every sentence makes sense. You should check to see if any phrases repeat themselves or misspelled words. It will make your content look sloppy and unprofessional.
You can use Grammarly for proofreading if you have less time.
7. Use Visuals and Infographics
Add more visuals to your content. It is one of the best ways to attract attention. Visuals help users make sense of data and enable them to understand your message in a snap. One can understand even the most complex ideas at a glance with an image or chart. Research shows that adding photos and other media to your content can improve readers' comprehension by up to 80%. Pictures, infographics, and videos are great ways to break up large blocks of text and make your writing more exciting and easier to read.
Also Read: How to Write an Article for a Newspaper?
References
CHRISTINAKATZ. 2011. Write a How-to Article in 6
Easy Steps. September 06. Accessed August 17, 2021.
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-nonfiction/write-a-how-to-article-in-6-easy-steps.
Peischel, Janet. 2021. How to Write Articles.
August 02. Accessed August 17, 2021. https://www.wikihow.com/Write-Articles.