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Style Guide for Online Writing

 

How has technology impacted writing articles online? The answer to this question is readily available anytime you read popular articles in blogs, web pages, and other online sources. They are short articles, with short paragraphs, contain bullets, and have links.

 

With Online Writing Be Up Front

 

You need to set the hook right away by telling the reader what the article is about. No dropping crumbs along the way to the end. Online readers will read more to find the details if they like the up front material.

 

Short Articles

 

Anything beyond 500 - 550 words will probably lose the interest of the reader, unless it is jam packed with content and they are interested. Today’s online readers have online short attentions spans, they are looking for quick content packed sound bites of information.

 

Short Paragraphs When Writing Stories Online

 

When an online reader opens an article and sees long paragraphs, they will typically click off and go somewhere else. Long winded paragraphs are for physical books, were you want to spend time developing a story or explaining things in great detail. If you want to provide more details send them to another website or online source, if they are interested they will follow.

 

Use Bullets

 

The use of bullets highlights the important details or information in the article, such as:

 

• Key points or phrases

• Analytical data

• Important talking points

 

Use Links

 

Links are your friends, because they will provide supporting information about your article topic or guide readers where you want them to go to next, such as my Freelance Writing Blog. Notice how I did not write the URL, I wrote a 3 word anchor text which contains the link. Anchor text phrases should never be more than three words to avoid confusion.

 

by David R. Wetzel

 

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Seven Principal Guidelines for Online Writing

 

I was working with someone the other day and they were asking advice on to successfully write online articles and web content.  After explaining what I knew, I decided to write this summary of the six principal areas which need to be focused when writing, these are:

 

1.  Principal Guideline of Writing – learn to write and write well.

 

2.  Setting the Hook – the first paragraph sets the hook by letting the reader know what is in the article, the remaining article sections supports the first paragraph.

 

3.  Sections – the use of bold face subtitles defines the section for the writer and reader.

 

4.  The Outline – highlights the main parts of a section to make it easy to fill in the blanks.

 

5.  Specifics – used in place of abstract generalities and occupational buzz phrases and words.

 

6.  Links – provide these to bring in additional arguments or support for the written work. These should not be used as fillers; they must provide substance to the article.

 

7.  Clear Summaries – conclusions which bring the whole written work together at the end to remind the reader what he/she read.

 

Although, excellent writing requires a good bit more than covered above, a writer who follows this advice will be well on the road to a lifetime of effective writing success. Writers who communicate their thoughts well, are those who succeed over the long run.

 

by David R. Wetzel

 

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