Even if you're a professional writer, you can't think of anything to write about when you want to write an ezine article.
I've found a solution to that problem that will get you writing quickly so you can get your ezine article published and start getting the new subscribers you've been hoping for. Here's what to do if you can't think of anything:
- Write down your steps to take first.
For now, forget about the catchy headline and the interesting first paragraph. It doesn't help to trick a reader into reading an article that doesn't really help them. So start in the action steps, where you build your credibility. Of course, you want to figure out who your audience is and then tell them how to make their lives easier. For example, plumbers will always have to fix pipes because that's what they do. If you have a newsletter for people in the plumbing business, write about a new way to seal pipes or get them ready for the winter, etc.
- Put the best stuff at the end.
Every one of your articles should have a section called "takeaway" or "take-home." It's your last chance to show the crowd that you know your stuff. Try to put that important piece of information in the last paragraph of your article. It should be something the reader can do right away after finishing your article. If you are writing to accounts payable clerks, you would tell them how to make sure that all purchase orders are approved by each department before they are sent in. The A/P clerks would love that. It's their biggest complaint. At the end of your article, give your readers something they can do right away. They'll remember your name and follow your every word for the rest of their lives.
- Get excited about how it will help you.
After you've built up your article's credibility, you need to hook the reader and get them excited about all the great information you have to share. By the way, if you write the action steps and take-home first, this part will be easier because you'll be so excited about the information that you'll be able to see how it will help you. And that's what it's all about when you write lead paragraphs and headlines: giving your readers what they want.
Your last piece of advice
When writing for an ezine audience, you should always include a "About the Author" blurb (which some people call a "sig file," short for "signature file") and a plug for anything new you're interested in. To do this, decide what you want the reader to do when he or she is done reading. Do you want to have them sign up for your ezine? Your new book for sale? Or just visit or site? Before you write your "About the Author" section, you should figure out what you'll get out of it. You can write this whenever you want because it's not part of the article. You can also use the same "About the Author" blurb for more than one article. In fact, you could write one right now if you wanted to. Check out the one I'm using at the end of this article.
(c) 2003-2005 Lisa Sparks
