How To Fast Track Your Article Marketing Program: 5 Simple Article Formats

When first starting out as an article marketer, it's not hard to be overwhelmed with information and input. Do it this way, write about that and whatever you do, don't do the other. It may be a very confusing time as different sources tell you different things. The fact of the matter is that article marketing is an individual sport. No two golfers have the same swing and no two authors write the same way.

It's up to each writer to find a style, voice and method that suits their needs and personality. There are numerous formats articles may follow as well. None of them fits every situation yet all of them will work at some point in time. The types of article formats are often overlooked in discussions about writing articles but will be covered here.

These are some of the more common formats you will find:

1. Numbered or bulleted list format: This form is popular because it's both quick to write and easy to read. It allows the reader to perform a quick scan for the information scent that brought them to the article. Key items are listed with accompanying text to describe them to the reader. Use bullets or numbers for multiple lists in the same piece. Do not mix and match: if you start with bullets, all lists are bullet list. The article you are reading is in this format.

2. Question and answer format: Similar to the bulleted/numbered list, this format is easy to read and follow. Questions may be obtained from customer service tickets, blog or forum threads and comments or even questions emailed directly to you. Make a list of questions and simply provide the answers under each one. This type of article is also easy to write and frequently used.

3. Pros and cons format: Nothing in life is perfect and those things that claim to be are attempting deception. This type of article may be a good choice when comparing products or in offering frank information about a controversial topic. Readers want the truth, even if it is not what they hoped to hear. It also affords you the leeway to sneak in your more personal opinions.

4. Comparison format: This may be quite effective in certain situations but care must be taken to avoid a spammy appearance. Use at least three or more products or services to compare to help avoid this. Cite the perfect hair and flashy smiles but tell the reader about the warts and blemishes, too. The last thing you want to do is hype your product and trash the competitions; it's very unprofessional, makes the author look petty and may land you at the courthouse as well.

5. Emotional response format: This is one of the best formats to use and lends itself to many topics where sales are the targeted outcome. It is also one of the more difficult to master. You build an emotional reaction in the reader: make angry, scared, sad or anxious about a specific topic or situation. Work them up into a frenzy as they realize you are talking about exactly what they are facing. Then simply calm them with reassurance and tell them it's all going to be ok, you have the solution to fix things. Then proceed to lay out your plan: A, B, C, and so on.

An excellent way to get to get started in a specific area is to do what is referred to as a "brain dump." Sit down and begin writing everything you know about a given topic. It doesn't matter if it flows or not. It's fine if it's disjointed. Go as fast and hard as you can for 15 minutes or so and stop. It's not uncommon to have 2-3,000 words written at this point.

Take a break and come back later and divide it up into bite-size topical articles and re-write them individually using one of the formats mentioned above. When you are through, you will probably have 2-4 very targeted and excellent articles in your niche.

The more you write, the better you become as a writer. You will grow to the point where you intuitively know which style of article will make a particular article sing. Mix it up; offer your readers a variety of styles and formats. Most important of all, have fun.

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