Okay, I promise we’re not suggesting you read your articles aloud to look silly. And yes, we know that your audience is unlikely to read your articles out loud.
So why should you before publishing them?
Whilst it may seem an odd suggestion, we do have a good reason for it.
You see, when your blog visitor reads text, they’ll read it aloud – albeit in their head. Sounds a little contradictory I know, but you’re probably doing it yourself right now – speaking these words in your head as you read.
And this ‘reading along’ helps with the flow.
Have you ever read a book or an article without realising you were getting to the end, until you were actually there? That’s the sign of a great piece of writing. The words pulling you along, making reading a pleasure.
If this doesn’t happen, you’re not fully absorbed in it. And for that reason, may not bother reading it through to the end.
And I imagine, you don’t want this latter scenario to be what your readers think about your articles, do you?
Polished or half-finished?
So read your article aloud before you hit the publish button.
Did it flow, or did you trip over sections? If you did, that’s a sure sign that it’s in need of some polishing up.
You want to immerse the reader in whatever it is you’re writing about.
Perhaps you’re telling them about the latest event somewhere close to your holiday let. Perhaps you’ve installed a new bathroom in your property and want to let people know the benefits this offers them.
Whatever the topic of your article is, you need to make sure it always has structure and flow.
So by taking the time to read everything aloud before you publish it, you’ll more easily spot what’s working well and what isn’t.
Editing and finessing
If you have spotted something that doesn’t flow quite so well or could be a bit confusing to the reader, take some time to finesse it.
It could be something as simple as changing a word or two, or it could be the entire sentence or paragraph that needs reworking.
Just remember it’s all about the flow.
And if that re-work means you’re a day or two late publishing your article, so be it.
It will be much more beneficial to you and your holiday let business to have quality pieces being broadcast, than articles that are just so-so.
And one final tip when writing your articles … try and leave your school lessons behind.
You should, of course, have good spelling and grammar, but don’t let it stifle your creativity. I remember being told never to start a sentence with the word ‘and’ or ‘but’.
But sometimes, the words flow far better if you break that particular rule.
Mainly because one of the biggest rules when writing blog articles is to keep the sentences succinct. People don’t have all day to laze around reading your blog, they’re incredibly busy – so say what you want to say, as clearly yet concisely as possible, et voila!
So read each article aloud before publishing, putting yourself in the mind of your reader, does it flow?
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