Successful Online Writing Tips

I follow three simple rules when I write for the Internet:

Rule #1: Striving for Quality. Writing quality content is probably the most important thing. This includes formatting, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Sloppy writing is an instant turn-off, even if you have something valuable to say. Have you ever come across an article that annoyed you with frequent typos, uncapitalized "i's", and no spaces after a comma or period? I have, and my first impulse is to click away from it.

Rule # 2: Writing about what I know. Nobody wants to waste their time on a self-professed "expert" who is not well versed in the subject. If I see that I do not know enough on a given topic, I do extensive research. If I still feel that I am not ready to write about it, I will not write. Yes, finance and insurance related topics may be more profitable, but if I am not very familiar with them, I cannot and should not be giving advice. The only type of articles I could do on these subjects would be testimonials sharing my personal experience.

Rule #3: Being precise and to the point; no useless blabbering. Most people do not have a very long attention span. If you have lost them - click, and they are gone.

These three major rules apply to all online writing. Besides them, there are some other points to keep in mind as well. One of them is that my writing style and approach depends on what kind of a website I am writing for. A blog entry is different from an article, and an article is different from a review. Even within such a specific category as reviews, there can be a wide variety of requirements. To narrow it down even more, let us take book reviews. I have written for websites that want you to re-tell the plot, and I have written for websites that asked to focus on analysis, personal impression and opinion without spoiling the book by revealing its plot twists.

For this reason, it is always a good idea to study other materials on the website you want to write for. Most of them have detailed writing guidelines, and of course you should read those first, but guidelines alone may be insufficient - a little vague or too dry. Published articles, on the other hand, will give you the taste of what exactly this particular website prefers.