People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you have to say much more easily if you tell them an anecdote that relates to your subject matter.
The danger in using this method is that you can lose your way. Interminable, zig-zagging stories are just as boring in print as they are in real life! Keep your story under control, and it will speak to your reader.
THE RECIPE
1. Choose your subject
2. Tell your story
3. Identify the problem
4. Offer a solution
5. Draw a conclusion or call to action
6. Give your article a catchy title
7. Decide on the length. (Most ezines like articles of around 500 - 800 words.)
THE FINISHED ARTICLE
Title: From Chaos To Contentment: The Pocket Organizer
Like most people, I'm fighting a constant battle to stay organized. I have a range of clients both online and offline and projects due at different times. I'm surrounded by to-do lists, stacks of print-outs, address books, phone lists and folders. Finding something quickly is more of a challenge every day.
I was beginning to despair of ever clearing the decks - or even seeing a glimpse of the deck! Then I stumbled across a solution. Browsing around an electronics store looking for a label-maker, I walked past a display of Palm products. The Palm Zire 71 caught my eye immediately (okay, I'm a sucker for a nice-looking piece of electronic gadgetry). There it was, in an attractive blue casing with a bright, colorful screen... begging me to play!
So I played.
After ten minutes I was hooked. Yeah, I know... all of you Palm devotees are yawning and muttering: "Where has she been the last few years?" - but hey, I had one of the early Palm Pilots. The screen was hard to read and the graffiti option didn't work too well. I went back to notebooks and a rolodex.
This one was totally different. It won me in no time at all. I wandered out of the store to "think about it" - and was back within fifteen minutes handing over my credit card.
How ever did I manage without it? Now I have - all in one pocket-size organizer - a date book that stretches *decades* forward and back from today's date, an address book with customizable lists, an expense record, a calculator, a memo pad, a note pad, a to-do list, a world clock... and this little beauty even has a built-in camera. (With an expansion card it could also be an MP3 player.) I've tossed six different items out of my handbag and replaced them with just the Palm. Bliss. (Oh, and did I mention I can sit it in the accompanying cradle and back up everything to my computer?)
Don't worry, this is not an advertisement for Palm products! I'm sure there are other organizers that do all this and more. (You can now get phones that do it all, come to think of it.) The point is, since I don't work in the corporate environment, I just hadn't realized what timesavers these all-in-one products can be. Now, wherever I go I have an incredible amount of information at my fingertips. I don't sort through various folders and files in search of contact information. Heck, I don't even have to carry family snaps around in my wallet - they're all stored in the Palm!
The lesson? There are several. One: personal organizers are not just for so-called "business professionals". They can streamline anyone's life. Two: If you're losing time (and patience) because you're not organized, take the time to sit down and see what can be done. Look for a method that is easy to use and combines a number of functions. Three: browsing through electronic gadgetry is not only fun - it pays off!
=== Analysis Of The Completed Article ===
The Subject: Personal organization
The Story: How a pocket-sized organizer changed my life
The Problem: Too many diverse and unwieldy systems to store information
The Solution: A pocket-sized electronic organizer
Call to Action: Analyze your needs - choose an easy, effective method to get organized
A Catchy Title: "From Chaos to Contentment: The Pocket Organizer". The alliteration of "Chaos" and "Contentment" sounds good; the first part of the title summarizes the rewards, and the inclusion of "The Pocket Organizer" signals the subject matter.
Word Length: The finished article is 511 words: a good length for most ezines (yours or someone else's). You need to be strict with yourself here. If your article is too long, CUT IT!
Copyright 2004 Margaret McAlister
About The Author
Marg McAlister's tips on writing are to the point and popular. To write great web copy, sales letters and articles, don't miss her ezine: the Web Writing Tipsheet! You'll find this and other top advice at www.writing-for-success-online.com
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare[Disclosure: I went into ezinearticles.com very innocently. I... Read More
Article Marketing Builds Momentum and TrafficWhen I started submitting articles... Read More
It has become common knowledge that the smartest and most... Read More
Every webmaster knows that to gain ranking positions in search... Read More
Many writers do not understand that the online writing business... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
In order to answer the question I've just asked in... Read More
This author started with a clean website and wrote 5... Read More
The first step to getting published is to find your... Read More
In order to sell your article must do three things:1.... Read More
I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More
Submitting well planned articles on-line will increase traffic and can... Read More
There is probably no easier way of earning extra money... Read More
If you haven't considered the power of articles as part... Read More
Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.Calling yourself... Read More
These 7 Important Elements are your Blueprint to Article Writing... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
One of the best ways to build credibility and promote... Read More
Part 1 of a 2-part series To read Part 2... Read More
Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you... Read More
Earlier, I published part 1 of this series, which contained... Read More
As you write the outline for your next article, there... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More
Why do so many internet marketers waste their time on... Read More
Once you learn the benefits of article writing, you may... Read More
Submitting articles once or twice a week can yield 15... Read More
You have probably heard that writing articles is one of... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best and most effective... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More
If your business has a website, you're probably searching for... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
Congratulations! You've written your first article (or possibly your 10th... Read More
Increase your ezine subscribers by submitting articles once or twice... Read More
Writing and leveraging articles is my most successful strategy for... Read More
I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about... Read More
It's stunning sometimes how far article marketing has come over... Read More
Okay, I admit it: I'm a keen people-watcher. (Most writers... Read More
How does a writing agency market itself effectively in a... Read More
A lot of great ideas happen when two or more... Read More
If you want to really make your article "SELL" then... Read More
If you're writer, I am sure sometimes you may have... Read More
Gathering information from interviews is really simple. You ask the... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
Writing articles for your site and for the use of... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
Article Writing |