Reasons You Should Write Articles for Bread ‘n Molasses:
- Increase traffic to your website
- Free Advertising and Promotion
- More effective marketing tool than paid advertising
- Reach large target audience (about 2500 Miramichiers and increasing every
day)
- Get more information out to potential clients than expensive print ads
- Increase your credibility
- Gain confidence and trust with future customers
- And all without spending a dime!
Why Aren’t you Writing Articles for Bread ‘n Molasses?
You’re probably thinking, “Who? Me? I’m not a writer.”
But if you can make a shopping list, you can write an article to be published on the Internet.
Anyone can write for the web, because the best articles on the Internet
don’t require any writing skills at all — they are just a list of tips.
These steps will help you write your first article and begin to reap the
rewards of publishing in Bread ‘n Molasses:
- Write what you know. This makes writing easier
and will show in your article. Most people have an area of expertise. Some people know how to make crafts while other people
know how to get the best buy on antiques. Maybe you’re passionate about gardening, marketing, parenting, insurance,
pets or something else. Figure out what you already know and tell other people how to do it too.
- Make a list. Write down all the points you want
to include. Don't worry about the order just let the ideas flow. Later you can go back and group items under headings and
sub-headings to organize your article.
- Your article must have an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
A good introduction grabs the reader’s attention right away. One way to do that is to make the first sentence a question.
A question demands an answer and most people will read on to find out the answer. If you are writing a "how-to" article, you
could begin by explaining the problems people usually have when doing the task and then provide the solution to their problems
in succeeding paragraphs. The conclusion is just a brief summary of what you have written, and an opportunity to emphasize
the main points.
- Revise your article - read through it a few times
to ensure the ideas build upon one another, support and expand upon your main topic. Use your spellchecker but don't rely
on it because it won’t pick up every error. When in doubt, consult a dictionary. Read it out loud and see how it sounds.
- Now, write your Resource Box. A Resource Box is 5-7 lines
at the bottom of your article that tells the reader who you are and what you offer. This is your opportunity to sell yourself
to readers, link to your website, include information like your email address, telephone number and fax. Articles get more
response than regular ads because if people like your article they will read your resource box to find out more information
about you. This will lead them to visit your web site, send you an email, give you a call or visit your business.
- Finally, submit your article to Bread ‘n Molasses
by emailing it to editor@breadnmolasses.com and get ready to process all the emails and phone calls.
Tips:
Keep it simple - don't use big words or technical jargon that people who
don’t know anything about your subject won't understand.
Write as if you're having a conversation with one person. Use the words
'You' and 'Your' throughout the article and ask questions to make your article more personal.
Try to include a small story that shows how you learned about the topic;
the frustrations you had, the lessons you learned, and the solutions you finally found. Readers will connect to your article
on a personal level if they are able to empathize with you.
Short sentences are easier to read and pack more power than long sentences.
People find it harder to read a computer screen than a printed page. Keeping
paragraphs short makes it easier on the eyes.
Save something for next time. You’ll be tempted to do it all at once,
but that is an impossible task for anyone — it can’t be done. So, take it easy, pick a very specific topic and
cover it well, rather than a broad topic covered not so well.
Finally, when you've finished your article, resist the temptation to send
it straight off. Let it be for a couple of days and then come back and read it again. You'll be amazed at the improvements
you can make.
And remember, there is no perfect article. Do the best you can and you'll
be pleasantly surprised by the results.
