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Listed below are 7 common article writing mistakes that newbies often make and ones you should try and avoid.
1. Poor quality
You may well be asking what exactly is a poor quality article and there is no clear cut answer. There are certain things that would contribute to poor quality such as poor grammar, poor spelling and poor punctuation but they’re not the only things. Articles that are lazy because there’s very little information or there’s inaccurate and misleading data can also be classified as poor quality. As you become an experienced writer you’ll become aware of the differences in poor and top quality writing.
2. Poor grammar
You may not be an expert at English grammar and despite what some people will tell you, it doesn’t matter if you make the odd mistake. But if you make so many errors that it interferes with what you’re trying to convey and it interrupts the readers understanding you have a major problem.
If you’re aware that grammar is a problem for you ask someone else with the appropriate knowledge to check your work.
3. Typing errors
Of course you want your writing to be the best it can and free from any typographical errors. However, it’s very easy when your editing your work to read over mistakes. If possible get someone else to proofread your work. Don’t just rely on a spell checker to highlight any errors.
If you haven’t got anyone who can look at your writing, put it aside for a couple of hours when you’ve finished editing and then read it one more time before you publish. Looking at it with a fresh eye may help you to see errors that you previously missed. Don’t use this time to start doing a major rewrite.
4. ‘No solutions’
When you’re writing an article or blog post you want to give your readers information that shows the benefits of a product or service, identifies a need and/or provides a solution to a problem for them. Keep this is mind when you’re writing. Don’t fall into the trap of just telling your readers a few facts. They need to understand what the services or products will mean for them.
5. Lack of visuals
Too many beginners forget to add visuals to support their content. Use a variety of visuals videos, images, photos or diagrams ( although not all in the one post!) Make sure they are relevant and not just there for the sake of putting something in.
6. Over long articles
There are no rules about how long an article should be, but a common mistake is to try and cram too much information in a single post. The majority of people want to be able to access information quickly and according to Kissmetrics only 16% of people actually read the entire content of a blog post. Examine what you’ve written and see whether it would make multiple posts. Some people suggest that the maximum length should be 700 words. This article is just under that amount.
7. Articles that are just sales pitches
Articles should be informative and provide readers with quality content that adds to their experience. Writing a sloppy article that is really only a sales pitch won’t cut it. Don’t fall into this trap. Readers are not foolish and are less likely to finish reading the article or click on links if they feel they’re being conned in some way.
Summary
I cannot emphasise enough that writing quality content is a skill. Accept that you will make mistakes and learn from them. The more you write the more assured your writing will become. Have fun with it.