Notionet

Good writing starts at the introduction of the story/article. The purpose of the introduction is to welcome the reader and set the mood. So, basing on the context here the introduction is not merely the first paragraph but starts with the theme of your blog. Then follows the title and finally the first few lines of your article.

What’s a good introduction?

A good introduction should calm the reader, make them comfortable and pull them into the story. It is like you are making the world around them disappear and sinking their minds into the story.

Take yourself as an example, when you meet someone you love or admire so much, what happens? First, it lights up your face then warms your heart. At that moment, your whole mind is focused on that person. All you want is to approach that person, embrace them and listen to everything they have to say.

Its the same feeling you need to create in your readers the first time they come into contact with your content. How do you do that? Don’t mind I will show you how. It starts with the theme

Theme

This is simply the overall look of your blog, not the theme of your story or article. That one will be expressed in the writing itself. Actually am referring to the usual combination of colors, fonts and layouts used in a blog/article.The look should match with the topic of discussion and the niche of your blog. For example, if you are covering tech, blue is a good choice of colour.

a) Selecting colours

Like we mentioned, colours depend on the niche of your blog but if you are looking for general colours to use in any writing, below are few that can do the trick

• Orange is a warm colour. It can help your readers get comfortable and connect with your writing. Its good to use for titles, headings and sidebar.
• Purple is sedative. It will calm down your readers so they can concentrate on the writing. Its also good for headings, titles and sidebars.
• Black is engaging. It can bring the reader’s sense of self into the story. Its best when applied to the body text and paragraphs. It is also good for titles and backgrounds.

 

b) Choosing the brightness

Another thing you need to put a lot of consideration is the level of brightness. You know the brightness of colors is a good indicator of their energy level. Right?

So, when you create your article with shouting colours is like you are putting your reader in a noisy room. like one with loud music. Ofcourse it will be hard for them to concentrate

Whichever colour you choose, make it a little bit dull. Its good for the readers.

c) Choosing a font

Some fonts are warm and gentle especially those that resemble a handwritten text. These kind of fonts are good for stories and topics that relate to love and lifestyle. Others are more formal and easier to read.

When it comes to selecting a font, you not only need one that relates to the theme of your story but also one that  is legible. There are popular fonts that go well with almost any kind of writing. Fonts like Robotto, Arial, Tahoma and Times.

Featured image

Images are good at creating concepts. A featured image is like a visual summary of what an article is all about. To create that perfect first impression, a good featured image is needed. Good means one that is artistic because it brings out what is in the article in the best way possible.

The title

A good title should make your readers curious. The kind of curiosity that make people want to go to space. Assuming the content is the destination planet, the title should act as the telescope. It should also capture the attention of its readers.

The first paragraph

Its the first few lines that tell your readers whether they are in the right place or not. If they feel lost, they might leave without getting to the second paragraph.

Imagine someone referred you to a biologist to research more on why ladybirds have such a strong immune system. And when you get to his place you find piles of old wrecked vehicles along the entrance. You are likely feel lost as the place looks more like a garage than a lab.

Anything that goes into the first paragraph should be reassuring to the reader that they will get the infor and experience they are looking for.

Content

All the introductory part was to make sure the reader gets to read your article. Its like the dating part of a relationship, you don’t want to lose your date before they know you. Now that the reader has fallen in love with your article, The content now is the courtship period. Its time to prove you are the mr/miss right.

What makes good content

Considering the content as the main reason for a reader to view a blog, it should be

• Informative. They need something to take home. An idea, a message, a conclusion, facts. Anything that will make the time they spend reading your article worthwhile.
• Suspensive. It should keep them reading to the last line. To do that, you will need to make it flow. I.e give it in bits.
• Captivating. It should capture and charm the reader like they are binge watching a movie. The point of captivation is to make the reader want more of your content. Its like the seasoning part of preparing a dish.
• Detailed. Back up your content with facts. Use graphical representations i.e graphs, charts and infographics if necessary. Make sure you point out all the points that can support your data.
• Well stated. The purpose of any language is to communicate. Good use of english will help the reader understand what you are saying. For example, the following two statements have the same meaning but the second is better.

1. I was very tired

2. My back was aching, my muscles almost cramped, I could barely hold my cup of coffee.

• Natural and ethical. Though you have a point to make in your writing, don’t forget you are writing to human beings. People who have a conscience. Because of that avoid sounding like a robot, add some charisma and on top of that avoid using insults and vulgar language.

Some readers are very sensitive. They can unfollow your blog if you use a lot of the “F” and “S” words. They can also disregard your content when they start getting the feeling it is not in line with their morals /religious believes.

• Professional. Don’t make it so much about you or the reader. The “I” and “You” are good when used in the first few paragraphs but when it comes to the main content, let your words revolve around the main point of discussion.

Also make sure to be transparent and apply all the legalities needed. Add disclaimers, disclosures, cookies consent and such to your blog. They are not only good for protecting your readers but also you as the author.

 

The conclusion

Your story or article may not have such a heading like conclusion but it needs one. Its the part where you are closing the final chapter of your story.

A good conclusion needs to be soothing and promising. Not heart breaking. Remember you charmed your readers by taking them to a fictional world where they believed every word they red. Its not professional to throw them back to reality by stating facts or by making negative statements.

You know, things like ” but research says” or if in your article you were reviewing a certain product like Nescafe, its a bad idea to later state coffee as your worst beverage.

We compared content with the courtship part of a relationship, now conclusion, is the part that leads to engagement. Here is where readers open up through their comments. You know, comments like ” I loved your story, thanks for sharing , and very informative.” Some like while others follow the blog.

 

That’s all for today. I skipped the usual stuff like grammar and proofreading. Thanks a lot for reading. I hope this post helped you and if you have anything to say, I will appreciate it if you leave it down in the comments.