Notice I didn’t say “how to write” a list building article in the title. To craft an article that’s going to do what you want it to do on the internet, I believe it’s a combination of science and art, or of skill and art. Some of this is skill and some of this is art, so that’s why the word “craft.”

Here’s how you craft an article that will help you build your list and get people clicking through because they want more of what they just got and they want it from you.

Start with a powerful tip

When you begin the article with a powerful tip, you have engaged the reader right away. Now think about it. It doesn’t take that long to read 300-500 words, which is the typical article, but we’re all very, very busy.

If an article isn’t doing something for me right away, I’m usually gone. So if you offer them a good tip from the beginning, you’ve got them hooked from the beginning and they’re flowing through the article.

They’ve gotten that good tip in the first couple of paragraphs, so at the psychological level they’re thinking, “Okay, I’ve got one. Where’s the next one? I want more. Come on, show it to me.”

End with your most Continue Reading »