The need for article writers has exploded in recent years. With over 600 million blogs in existence, there’s a never-ending need for fresh content to keep these blogs up to date.

Yet the blogosphere is just part of the content world. There’s also an ongoing need for huge numbers of articles to be published:

- In magazines and newspapers

- In private members’ areas

- Across social media platforms

...and more. In short, the market for articles is staggeringly large.

Although payment for articles varies enormously, there is the potential to make very good money. You can easily get paid $300-$500 for a 1000-word article, while top writers make at least $1000 per article. 

So even as an average writer, you could make $1000 for a 2000-word article that takes a day or so to write. That gives you the potential to make $5000 a week, or up to $250,000 a year!

You can boost your rates even further by specializing in a particular niche, such as finance or technology. Quite simply, the sky’s the limit. 

There are dozens of freelance marketplaces where you can win writing projects. The biggest and best places to start are:

Upwork

Freelancer

Fiverr

Textbroker

Writer Access

You can sign up for all of these platforms for free. Once you’ve registered, you’re all set to start finding work. Here are some tips to give you the best chance of winning lucrative projects:

1. Complete your profile: no one will take much notice of a writer who can’t be bothered to fill out a few fields of information. Flesh out your profile with all the info a hiring manager needs to qualify you for the job. 

2. Upload samples: potential clients will also want to see examples of your work. If you don’t have any good samples to show, write some!

3. Be professional: respond promptly to inquiries, be polite, and aim to over-deliver. This will set you apart from 98% of freelance writers and put you on course for success.

To truly succeed as an article writer, you need to write content that clients love. That way, they will keep coming back for more and refer you to other clients. So here’s how to write articles that stand out from the crowd, impress clients, and put the big bucks in your bank balance. 

Create a catchy title

The title is the first thing your reader will see, and it’s the first chance you have to convince them to continue reading. You don’t need to resort to clickbait-style titles to get readers interested. There are many different strategies for formulating good titles. Here are a few suggestions to help you craft one that is perfectly eye-catching:

- Promise a solution: What problem will you solve for the reader? Draw them in with a promise of answers. For example, start with phrases like “how to” and “tips for.”

- Be succinct: Blog posts with 6 to 13 word titles get the most traffic, so make sure your titles aren’t too wordy.

- Ask a question: Write your title in the form of a question to which you know the answer will be “yes.”

Write a strong hook

You only have a few sentences to draw people in. Let your reader know this will be an article worth taking the time to finish. 

The first sentence is the most important of the entire article, so you should craft this carefully. You want to hook your reader in and not let go. Here are a few tips:

- Pose a question: What’s the driving question behind your article? Start there and make your reader want to stay for the answer.

- Present a surprising fact: Right out of the gate, the reader knows they will learn something new in this article.

- Start with a controversial statement: Get the reader invested immediately.

Write succinctly

Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. You don’t want your reader to open the link, see a block of text and think. “I don’t have time for this.” Remember, shorter sentences pull the reader along and encourage a quick reading pace. 

Here are some suggestions for how to trim your sentences:

- Avoid using excessive words: Don’t get too caught up in creating extravagant prose. Make sure your writing isn’t getting in the way of the message.

- Check your adverbs: If you find adverbs paired with weaker words, use a stronger word instead. Is something “very important” or “critical”? Cutting out adverbs saves words and makes your writing stronger.

- Watch out for redundancy: Adverbs are often at fault here too. Say “harmless,” not “completely harmless,” and “blank,” not “totally blank”.

Edit your work

Don’t be afraid to edit. You may feel that every word you write is crucial, making it painful to cut things out. However, editing is just as important as the actual writing.

When you’ve finished your first draft, go back over it with a critical eye, deleting anything unnecessary or repetitive. If a sentence doesn’t strengthen your argument, give it the ax! After editing, reread your piece to ensure that every sentence reads naturally.

Pay attention to visuals

It would be nice to think that only the quality of your writing matters, but the truth is that looks matter too. Learning a few tricks allows you to use this to your advantage.

Remember to vary your:

Sentence length

Paragraph length

Text size

Text type

This variation guides the reader to the most important parts of your article. Images can also break up the text, and they are another way to draw in the reader. A catchy title draws clicks, but an enticing image piques readers’ interest enough to continue reading. Remember, it’s important to consider which images will work best for your article and how to access them.

You should also:

Keep paragraphs short

Use bullet points to break up blocks of text

Use bold to highlight key points

Use the appropriate format

Not all articles are created the same. You must be aware of different types and consider which format is the best fit for what you’re writing. Will your topic work best as a numbered listicle? Keep in mind that titles with numbers generate the most clicks.

Formatting your article as a ‘how-to’ is also a good way to generate clicks. Consider your topic and what will work best.

Use keywords strategically

Keywords are an important part of search engine optimization (SEO). However, keep in mind that Google penalizes sites for stuffing in keywords. We are still aiming for quality content and the appropriate use of keywords. Include the primary keyword in the title of your blog post. Secondary keywords should be featured in the subheadings and the body of the text.

Writing articles can be fun—and can certainly be lucrative. So polish up your skills and get ready to cash in on the vast content creation opportunity.  

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