Knowing how to write a short article that captivates and informs can be a catalyst for your content strategy.
Imagine a brief but powerful piece that grabs your reader’s attention from the first sentence and keeps them engaged until the very end. If you’re looking to achieve this level of impact, mastering the art of writing concise yet compelling articles is essential.
In this post, we’ll uncover key techniques to help you create short articles that pack a punch.
From honing your message to using powerful hooks and engaging storytelling, we’ll provide 7 actionable tips to ensure your content is both efficient and effective.
1. Start with a strong hook
You only have a few sentences to grab the reader’s attention, so make them count. Start with something interesting, shocking, or thought-provoking. Whatever you do, don’t start with a dictionary definition or a long-winded explanation of what you will be talking about. Get straight to the point.
2. Keep it focused
A short article is not the place for meandering tangents or lengthy digressions. Once you’ve grabbed the reader’s attention, it’s time to deliver on that promise by staying focused on the main topic. Every sentence should contribute to the article’s overall message; if it doesn’t, cut it out.
3. Write in active voice
Passive voice is ponderous and can make even the simplest sentence sound convoluted. When revising your article, keep an eye out for any instances of passive voice and rework them into active voice. Not only will this make your writing more concise, but it will also make it more engaging for the reader.
4. Use strong verbs
Weak verbs like “to be” and “to have” are filler words that don’t add value to your sentence. Instead of saying, “The results show that,” try “The results indicate.” Not only will this shorten your sentence, but it will also make it more powerful.
5. Be concise
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating: when writing a short article, every word counts.
This means that you need to be ruthless in your editing, cutting out anything that doesn’t contribute directly to the overall message of your article.
If you’re struggling with being too wordy, try reading your article aloud; if you find yourself running out of breath before reaching the end of a sentence, it’s probably too long and needs to be shortened.
6. Choose simple words and phrases
In general, shorter words are better than longer ones, and common phrases are better than obscure jargon. Use language everyone can understand; otherwise, you risk losing your reader’s attention entirely.
7. Edit, edit, edit
Once you’ve written your first draft, put it away for a little while and then come back to it with fresh eyes.
Are there any sentences that could be shorter? Any areas where you could be more concise? Are there any places where you could cut out unnecessary words? Is there unintentional bias?
The more times you revise, the better your final product will be.
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