If you observe any well-written article, you’ll notice it always has the same structure, an intro, body and conclusion. What makes a good article? Sure you need a topic about which you have some expertise. You also need solid research and evidence to back up your opinion. But very importantly, you need to write it in a way that is easy to understand.
Many people think that using big words and beautiful sentences can make a piece of writing appear more professional. However, that’s far from the truth. We’re living in a world today where information is overflowing and everyone hates anything that wastes their time, saying the same boring thing in a way that never gets to the point.
A good article should use simple and easy-to-understand words and short sentences. And a good article should say them in a way that flows perfectly well, from one point seamlessly leading to the next. Let’s look at article writing format:
Article Writing Format: How to Structure
The article writing format divides a piece of writing into 3 sections:
- Intro: Introduce a topic
- Body: Make your case, state your opinions or list your main points
- Conclusion: Summarize your article & end it
Here is the basic idea – you may have to improvise on these points based on your topic or our discussion.
1. Introduction
Introduction is what helps you get acquainted with the audience and lets them know what you’re going to be talking about. Intro should make up about 10-20% of your article.
What to write in an article introduction? Start with small talk or slowly introduce your topic. Then talk about why you’re writing this, or why you chose this topic. Then talk about why this topic is important to the reader or why they need to know about it. Talk about your research methodology and then, finally, introduce the next section.
2. Body
The body is the main section of the article where you state the facts to drive an opinion or mention the actual content of the article. The body could be a list or could be divided into sections with helpful sub-titles.
3. Conclusion
Talk about the main takeaway from your article, or a summary. You can also ask the reader about their opinion or experiences on something. And then ask them to leave comments below or you can also leave your Twitter or other relevant social media ID to open up a conversation or invite comments.
How to Make the Most of Article Writing Format
- Showcase your expertise: Feel free to mention a line of personal preference or experience if it helps make your point.
- Make it unique: Avoid the cliches and basic info people already know. Avoid abstract subjects and obvious tips.
- Make it well-researched: Link to credible resources where necessary.
- Make it rich: Talk about different aspects of your topics as discussed in your feedback.
- Understand your audience: You need to make sure your article is written according to the TG (Target group).
- Required tone: This depends on the publication you’re writing for. Keep it friendly, keep it informative.