Pay for Post

At best, your spelling mistakes scream out, “I’m too busy to spell check”, and at worst, “I’m incompetent and maybe my product or service is too.”

2. Disorganization

You’ve got 30 seconds to capture your reader’s interest, and then you have to keep it. If you confuse your reader, his mouse will do the walking. To make your article work, jot down your ideas, put the main idea and keywords in your subject, opening line, and first paragraph.

Then move carefully from one idea to the next, giving each idea its own short paragraph. Finish up with a quick summary, and a resource box that tells your reader where to find more information.

3. What’s the point?

Offer your readers too many choices and they may not do anything. Your article needs one, and only one, desired action. Do you want your reader to visit your website or sales page, download your free report, or opt in to your newsletter? Make sure you invite them to do exactly what you want them to do in your resource box.

4. Long paragraphs

Nothing loses me faster than trying to read long paragraphs on a computer screen. Instead, try for short paragraphs and bulleted lists.

5. Writing for as many people as possible

Try to write for everyone, and no one will want to read it. You have to write for specific, highly targeted readers who will find what they need, learn to trust you, and then remain faithful all the way through to your sales page. Write to please too many people and you will wear your readers out. They will get tired of listening to someone who doesn’t ever tell them what they need to hear.

6. Flame people

My mother taught me, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. It’s one thing to write about something you are passionate about, but it’s quite another thing altogether to always flame your competition. It’s like negative campaign ads, this kind of writing turns people off.

7. Oops

Making mistakes takes us back to #1. You can avoid looking stupid and incompetent if you check your links, grammar, punctuation, and references.

8. Off-target

Make sure that your article stays consistent with what you said you were going to write about in your first paragraph, and with what you are promoting in your resource box.

9. Vague Subject

Focus, focus, focus. Be very specific in your title and content, and be sure to name the most important info first. Think of your title as a very valuable but very small piece of real estate, and don’t waste it. This is what will get your article read. Make your summary original; don’t just copy/paste your first paragraph.