Writing for the internet requires that you create a large number of articles in order to get yourself noticed. You may think, "who has the time?" Well, you do if you follow a few of the simple rules I have outlined here.
1. Divide and conquer. Chances are you have a few excellent articles in your portfolio which, by themselves, are worthy reads. Still, take a second look at these articles as they may have much more "to speak" to readers than what you currently have to say.
Exactly what am saying to you? Here is an example: One of my favorite and most read articles discusses the premium topic of business aviation. The article describes five leading private jet aircraft and compares and contrasts these particular makes and models. My readers say that the article is very informative and engaging, but I know that there are another five articles contained within that one article. How so? Each aircraft can and should be a story in and of itself.
I plan on taking the original article and dividing out the various aircraft and writing stories on each one. Where I previously had one solid article, of just over 1200 words, I will have an additional five articles of approximately 500-600 words each. Basically, I am "fleshing out" some of the verbiage previously written by expounding on several key points. In essence, the one article will be divided up to become six articles in total.
2. Point/Counterpoint. In the earlier days of the news show, 60 Minutes, the show featured a segment called Point/Counterpoint whereby two members of the staff argued back and forth about a certain topic. Each person took the view diametrically opposed to the other's viewpoint and the fireworks began.
I am not suggesting you have an argument with yourself, but I would guess that you have already written a highly slanted opinion piece in the past. If so, why not counterpoint your previous point? Gasp! Isn't that odd? No, as it shows that you can objectively look at two sides of an issue, even if you don't agree with one side. Debaters do this all the time as they learn what their opponents view is and immerse themselves accordingly. The benefit to you is that your initial article serves as a terrific springboard for the second article.
3. One in a series. Newspapers often spread top stories out over 3 or 4 days. Usually beginning with the Sunday paper and running through the following Tuesday or Wednesday a feature story grabs readers attention one day and brings them back the ensuing days. Call this for what it is -- a smart marketing ploy -- as it is a way for newspapers to boost their circulation.
How can you apply this formula to writing articles? Well, much like the newspapers do you can do the same: the four days of feature stories is, in fact, one story. Because of article length and the desire to bring readers back, the editors take the one story and divide it up. The reporters create the single big story, the editors turn it into four, and the publishers love it as they can hit up the advertisers for more money.
Guess what? If you apply this same methodology to your one colossal article -- which few people will take the time to read because of its length -- you will now possess four manageable articles that stand a better chance of capturing readership.
In summation, by incorporating these rules into your article development plan, you will soon be writing more articles than you had written previously. More articles equals more attention for what you do which should mean more demand for your services and, hopefully, more money in your pocket. This is simply Article Math at its finest.
Copyright 2005 -- Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.
