6 Hot Tips to Get Your Articles Read

If you use articles as a means of promoting your online business or website, you know that getting them read by article directory visitors is a key to getting them to click through to your website.

Here are 6 ways you can help to ensure your article is read.

1) Use short paragraphs.

When the paragraphs are very long, the words get jumbled in the mind of the reader just looking at it. It can get quite confusing and hard work to read. Sometimes, the reader will just quickly disregard the paragraph and move on to much easier reading articles that are good to look at as well as read. Paragraphs can be a single sentence, sometimes even a single word! Plus, don't forget that many of us skim read, and shorter paragraphs allow readers to get the jist of the article content quickly.

2) Make use of numbers or bullets.

As each point is stressed out, numbers or bullets can quickly make the point easy to remember and digest. Format your bullets and numbers with indentations so that your article doesn't look like a single block of square paragraphs. With long lists, try bolding alternating bullet points. This too allows the reader to easily distinguish each item while scanning the article.

3) Use Sub-headings to further divide your article.

Subheadings are another visual key that article readers can use when scanning the article. It's a further indication of the topics the article covers. Use bold, or heading tags to distinguish the sub-headings from the content.Using your keywords or phrases along with the bolded heading can, in some cases, help with search engine rankings.

4) Keep your readers interested from the start to the finish.

By making the article flow from one paragraph to the next, and writing in a conversational style, you draw the reader from beginning to end.Conversational style may not be appropriate for all articles -- particularly technical or formal business articles, but in most situations, it is the most engaging style for people to read.

5) Make them want more.

Since the ultimate purpose in most cases is to draw readers to the website you're promoting, don't give it all away in the article. While it should be information-rich, keep some key information back -- you can then use that info as a teaser in your resource box.

6) Provide a good attention-grabbing title or header.

If your title can entice a person's curiosity you're already halfway in getting a person to read your article. Use statements and questions that utilize keywords that people are looking for. Provide titles or headers that describe your articles content but should also be short and concise.

Thanks to Jean at DupeCop.net for this snappy reminder of what strategies to use to draw in and hold readers' interest.