article writing business

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

The Science of Strong Business Writing

• Bill Birchard

Lessons from neurobiology

Brain scans are showing us in new detail exactly what entices readers. Scientists can see a group of midbrain neurons—the “reward circuit”—light up as people respond to everything from a simple metaphor to an unexpected story twist. The big takeaway? Whether you’re crafting an email to a colleague or an important report for the board, you can write in a way that delights readers on a primal level, releasing pleasure chemicals in their brains.

Bill Birchard is an author and writing coach who’s worked with many successful businesspeople. He’s drawn on that experience and his review of the scientific literature to identify eight features of satisfying writing: simplicity, specificity, surprise, stirring language, seductiveness, smart ideas, social content, and storytelling. In this article, he shares tips for using those eight S’s to captivate readers and help your message stick.

Strong writing skills are essential for anyone in business. You need them to effectively communicate with colleagues, employees, and bosses and to sell any ideas, products, or services you’re offering.

• Bill Birchard is a business author and book-writing coach. His Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Reader’s Brain will be published by HarperCollins Leadership in April 2023. His previous books include Merchants of Virtue, Stairway to Earth, Nature’s Keepers, Counting What Counts, and others. For more writing tactics, see his website .  

Partner Center

Inspirationfeed

Inspiring and educating bright minds.

18 Best Article Writing Websites Every Content Marketer Should Know About

Last Updated on March 3, 2024

Table of Contents

The soaring demand for content marketing has triggered a corresponding increase in the number of online article writing services. A recent SemRush survey found that about 50% of marketers outsource content creation services.

But with hundreds of article writing companies around, it can be a bit challenging to immediately determine which platform suits your needs. And that’s where we come in.

We’ve gone ahead and prepared a rundown of the best companies to outsource article writing services. The list took into consideration the content quality provided by the websites, as well as other aspects like turnaround time , types of articles offered, and the pricing.

Here’s a definitive guide to the 18 best article writing websites that every content marketing team should know about.

• Year Founded: 2015
• Founder (s): Beerud Sheth, Srini Anumolu, Sanjay Noronha, Stratis Karamanlakis, and Odysseas Tsatalos
• Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States
• Client Fees: 5% service fee
• Official Website Link: https://www.upwork.com/

Upwork is undoubtedly one of the most preferable article writing services in the world, not only among freelance writers but also content marketing teams. The company was founded in 2015 following the merger of two preexisting freelance platforms – Elance (founded in 1998) and oDesk (founded in 2003). It has more than 12 million registered freelancers and around 5 million clients as of 2023.

A decent percentage of Upwork’s freelancers constitute content creators. That gives marketing teams access to a large pool of talent.

Upwork’s article writers are professionals in different content types. Whether you’re looking for blog articles, marketing copies, social media posts, video tutorials, or product descriptions, you’re sure to find it here.

The article writing company maintains a fairly transparent fee policy too. Clients pay a reasonable 5% service fee on each transaction.

2. Freelancer.com

• Year Founded: 2009
• Founder (s): Matt Barrie
• Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
• Client Fees: 3% or $3 introductory fee
• Official Website Link: https://www.freelancer.com/

Freelancer.com excels Upwork in the number of registered users. As of June 2022, the Australian-based freelance platform had over 59 million users.

Freelancer.com provides two different ways to source writing services from its website. You can either post a project or start a contest.

Projects are suitable for writing assignments with specific guidelines. They let you screen the bidders to select the most qualified based on their writing experience and client reviews. On the other hand, Contests work best for gigs with general requirements. They allow you to receive multiple quotes from several potential writers fast. You can then rate and give feedback to the freelancers to help them meet your project requirements.

It’s 100% free to sign up for and post a writing gig on Freelancer.com. However, the company charges a 3% or $3 introductory fee depending on the value of the selected bid and whether it’s a fixed or hourly project.

3. Guru.com

• Year Founded: 1998
• Founder (s): Inder Guglani
• Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
• Client Fees: Around 2.5% processing fee
• Official Website Link: https://www.guru.com/

Guru.com, formerly known as eMoonlighter.com, was founded in 1998 by Inder Guglani. The company initially provided internet service marketing, crowdsourcing, and workforce management services. It later diversified into other niches, including content creation.

Guru.com uses a straightforward business model. All you need to do is register for an account, post an article writing gig, and open it up for bidding. You can then review the quotes and select the most qualified candidate.

This article writing service provides several workflow management features. A noteworthy mention is the WorkRoom feature that lets you manage multiple freelancers, track your projects’ time, and organize payments.

Guru.com has over 4 million active users as of 2023. While that pales in comparison to Upwork and Freelancer.com, the company’s 2.5% processing fee makes it one of the most affordable article writing services.

• Year Founded: 2010
• Founder (s): Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger
• Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel
• Client Fees: $2 or 5% service fee
• Official Website Link: https://www.fiverr.com/

Fiverr is an excellent place to source copywriting and social media marketing services. The platform provides a host of other article and non-article services, including website development, graphic design, and translation .

This company derives its name from the fact that its services start at $5. That said, content marketers can post article writing gigs whose budgets run into hundreds of dollars.

Fiverr maintains a slew of collaboration tools that allow larger marketing teams to work seamlessly on common projects. It also lets you ‘favorite’ freelancers for easy access whenever you need to get some writing work done. This can be instrumental as far as cultivating long-term relationships.

In terms of pricing, Fiverr clients pay a service fee of $2 or 5% for gigs up to $40 or over $40, respectively. There’s also a 2.9% + 0.30 processing fee for every transaction.

5. PeoplePerHour

• Year Founded: 2007
• Founder (s): Xenios Thrasyvoulou and Simos Kitiris
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Client Fees: £0.6 + 10% transaction fee
• Official Website Link: www.peopleperhour.com/

PeoplePerHour (commonly abbreviated as PPH) is a UK-based freelance marketplace that gives content marketers access to thousands of experienced article writers. As with most platforms on this list, PPH allows clients to post many other gigs, including graphic design and transcription .

The fact that PeoplePerHour is based in the United Kingdom makes the company especially popular with UK freelancers. It’s a top website to explore if you’re looking for native English-speaking writers.

Moreover, PPH protects your money in escrow and only releases it when you’re satisfied with the quality. The platform allows you up to two revisions to ensure the work submitted meets your quality standards.

PeoplePerHour charges £0.6 + 10% for every bank transaction. However, there’s an exception for clients on the premium programmes. The premium plans include Gold (which attracts 0% transaction fee) and Silver (which attracts 2.5% transaction fee).

6. Scripted.com

• Year Founded: 2008
• Founder (s): Sunil Rajaraman and Ryan Buckley
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Client Fees: Plans start from $199 – $499/month
• Official Website Link: https://www.scripted.com/

While the first five websites on this list provide a host of freelance services, Scripted.com specializes in freelance writing. The company was originally founded as a screenwriting service provider before switching its focus to content writing in 2011.

Scripted.com has a significantly lower number of users compared to the likes of Upwork and Freelancer. However, the website enjoys at least 3,500 daily traffic, which is remarkable considering it exclusively offers writing services.

Like PeoplePerHour, Scripted.com’s writers are mostly native English speakers. The only difference is that the vast majority of Scripted’s writers (up to 80%) are based in the United States and not the United Kingdom.

Scripted.com also offers a unique pricing plan where clients pay a membership fee. The cheapest plan ranges from $199 – $499 and includes content credits. You get a 30-day free trial before committing to any of the company’s membership plans.

7. Constant Content

• Year Founded: 2004
• Founder (s): Chris Ross
• Headquarters: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
• Client Fees: Project-based
• Official Website Link: https://www.constant-content.com/

True to its name, Constant Content is a go-to platform for individual bloggers or business marketing teams looking for a steady flow of unique content. The website specializes in article writing, which makes it all the more worth checking out.

Constant Content works in two different ways. First, clients can create custom orders and invite potential freelancers to bid on them. Alternatively, you can buy pre-written articles. The first option works best for niche-specific gigs while the latter option is recommended for on-budget marketers looking for affordable but generic content.

Fees vary depending on the content type you request. Custom articles have an average price of $120 while pre-written catalog articles go for around $40.

You might also love Constant Content for its variety of article writing services. The website offers handy assistance with product descriptions, blog posts, page copies, whitepapers, and eBooks, to mention but a few.

8. Writing Studio

• Year Founded: 2019
• Founder (s): Philip Ghezelbash
• Headquarters: Auckland, New Zealand
• Client Fees: Start from $0.20/word
• Official Website Link: https://writingstudio.com/

All content writing services on this list provide assistance with different types of articles. But what truly sets Writing Studio apart is that it’s one of the few platforms where you can get help with technical write-ups on topics like medicine and finance.

The company carefully screens prospective writers before accepting them on its platform. That’s part of its commitment to quality assurance.

All articles ordered through Writing Studio undergo extensive editing, proofreading, and formatting before being submitted to the clients. You can also request up to two revisions free of charge. Still on quality assurance, it might interest you to know that Writing Studio assigns projects to freelancers experienced in that field.

Writing Studio maintains a fairly competitive pricing model. The company charges $0.20 per word for up to 10,000 words, $0.16 per word for 10,000 – 100,000 words, and $0.15 per word for 100,000+ words.

9. WriterAccess

• Founder (s): Byron White
• Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Client Fees: Plans start from $39/month
• Official Website Link: https://www.writeraccess.com/

Ease of use is one of the biggest selling points of WriterAccess as a content outsourcing website. The company implements three different ways of finding talent on its platform. They include;

• Talent Search – For browsing the massive pool of writers using filters like industry, keywords, and rating. • Casting Call – Posting a writing gig and reviewing the responses received from the applicants. • AI Talent Search – Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to scan the samples submitted by writers to find a qualified candidate based on your job description.

There’s an additional option of having a dedicated member of the WriterAccess team scout for a suitable talent for you.

WriterAccess also makes it incredibly easy to manage your workflows. The website tags each project based on its status. Common statuses include Inactive, Pending Pickup, In Progress, Attention Required, Pending Approval, and 100% Complete.

10. Media Shower

• Year Founded: 1995
• Founder (s): Unknown
• Client Fees: Uses a custom pricing model
• Official Website Link: https://www.mediashower.com/

Content marketing needs vary from one business to another. Article writing websites like Media Shower understand that fundamental fact, which is why they offer custom pricing models based on their clients’ requirements.

Media Shower has a team of full-time writers and editors. It also works with content managers drawn from different parts of the world, which can be helpful when targeting your articles to specific demographics. The company claims to have produced over 100,000 write-ups for hundreds of clients.

To source articles through Media Shower, you’ll need to define your requirements first. The company will then assign a team of content managers to generate a proposed format and ideas for the write-up for your approval.

Once you give the green light, Media Shower will match you with an experienced journalist to curate your content. Each article undergoes rigorous proofreading and editing before being sent to you.

11. Verblio

• Year Founded: 2011
• Founder (s): Scott Yates and Wade Green
• Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, United States
• Client Fees: Start from $0.06/word
• Official Website Link: https://www.verblio.com/

Verblio is one of the most expensive article writing services. You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $350 for a single write-up. A typical 1,000-word article costs around $200.

So, where is the equalizer?

Well, for starters, Verblio employs a dedicated team that ensures all assignments are carefully researched and meticulously crafted. The team also includes editors who review all content for grammatical errors, typographical issues, and plagiarism. That makes every article outsourced through Verblio publish-ready. You won’t even need to worry about interlinking while using Verblio as your go-to article writing service. Simply furnish the website with the relevant links and its team of professional article writers will integrate those URLs into the content in line with SEO’s best practices.

All Verblio’s over 3,000 writers are U.S-based. The writers are also experienced in over 40 different industries, ranging from health and finance to law, engineering, zoology, and even cryptocurrency.

12. TextBroker

• Year Founded: 2005
• Founder (s): Jan Becker-Fochler
• Headquarters: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
• Client Fees: Start from $2.2 cents/word
• Official Website Link: https://www.textbroker.com/

TextBroker and Verblio share numerous similarities. Both companies implement a pay-as-you-go pricing model whereby what you pay depends on the number of words requested. They’re also a go-to place for content marketers looking for SEO-optimized write-ups on multiple niches. Besides, both websites work with U.S-based writers for better quality and easy communication.

TextBroker comes with many other defining features.

For instance, the website supports content creation in multiple languages. These include English (US and UK), French, German, Spanish, and Italian. Other major supported languages are Dutch, Portuguese (BR & PT), Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Russian.

There are two different ways to order articles from TextBroker. You can open up a project for bidding and evaluate the applicants, or select a team of writers based on their star ratings on the platform. The company charges $2.2 cent per word for individual requesters or $2.15 cents per word for teams.

13. Bunny Studio Writing

• Year Founded: 2012
• Founder (s): Alexander Torrenegra, Lucho Molina, and Tania Zapata
• Client Fees: Start from $2,399/month; a Pay-as-you-go plan also available
• Official Website Link: https://bunnystudio.com/

Bunny Studio Writing, formerly known as Article Bunny, is a creative fulfillment platform that promises incredibly fast turnaround times without compromising on content quality.

This company has been delivering top-notch articles in over 100 languages and accents since its establishment in 2012. It’s also an excellent place for businesses seeking help with voiceovers, video marketing, and website design.

One of the reasons behind Bunny Studio’s tremendous turnaround is that it leverages both human intelligence and technology. The company boasts over 13,000 pre-vetted writers who’re experienced in multiple niches. Moreover, clients are entitled to round-the-clock support no matter their time zones.

As you might have figured, Bunny Studio’s services come at a hefty fee. The cheapest bundle costs $2,399 per month for a 40-hour plan that encompasses several services besides article writing. However, there’s also a pay-as-you-go model for if you’re a bit cash-strapped.

14. TextMaster

• Founder (s): Alexandre Ponsin, Benoit Laurent, and Thibault Lougnon
• Headquarters: Paris, Ile-de-France, France
• Client Fees: Start from $0.088 per word
• Official Website Link: https://www.textmaster.com/

Many reviewers laud TextMaster for its friendly and responsive customer service. But that’s not the only reason to sign up with this article writing service.

TextMaster also maintains an extensive database of specialist writers. Simply define your niche and the company will assign your orders to an expert in that domain. There are up to 50 different specialties, including health, finance, politics, history, etc. Article categories include blog posts, press releases, product descriptions, marketing copies, and eBooks.

TextMaster also stands out for its multilingual support. You can have your articles crafted in at least 50 different languages and accents.

As is expected of any reputable writing company, TextMaster edits all orders before submitting them to their clients. In fact, the company offers proofreading as a standalone service. That means you can have them revise any poorly-written content as well.

15. ClearVoice

• Year Founded: 2014
• Founder (s): Jay Swansson and Joe Griffin
• Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
• Official Website Link: https://www.clearvoice.com/

If you’re looking for an article writing service that also doubles as a comprehensive marketing platform, then you might want to check out ClearVoice. The website isn’t called the “Swiss Army knife” for nothing.

ClearVoice uses an assignment-driven model whereby each order gets attention depending on its own merits. The company begins by whipping stellar content from each brief regardless of its scope or technicality. It then recommends a raft of suggestions to help drive traffic to the content. And the best part is that ClearVoice collaborates with its clients every step of the way, from project requisition to submission.

ClearVoice uses several content management tools. Of notable mention is the VoiceGraph® technology, which automatically indexes all published works.

Due to its holistic approach to content creation, ClearVoice is also a top platform for outsourcing project management services.

16. iWriter

• Founder (s): Brad Callen
• Headquarters: St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
• Client Fees: Start from $0.008/word
• Official Website Link: https://www.iwriter.com/

iWriter’s client fees start from $1.25 for 150-word articles, which translates to $0.008 per word. That makes it one of the most affordable websites to outsource article writing services.

$0.008 is the per-word fee for bottom-tier writers, which means that quality can potentially suffer here. Fortunately, iWriter maintains up to four different tiers.

Writers fall into Basic, Premium, Elite, and Elite Plus categories depending on their star ratings. Top-tier content costs as much as $0.065 per word.

Note that iWriter is essentially a “take” website. In other words, any writer can immediately start working on your project as soon as it goes live. The company works with fairly stringent deadlines that allow you to receive your orders in as few as two hours of requesting them. It’s also possible to favorite iWriter writers and then send “special requests” directly to their accounts.

17. Contently

• Founder (s): Joe Coleman, Shane Snow, and Dave Goldberg
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
• Client Fees: Plans start from $19/month
• Official Website Link: https://contently.com/

Contently is another article writing service that goes beyond helping you craft compelling write-ups. This company provides a complete suite of content marketing services.

The website uses special algorithms that clue you in on the best platforms to publish your articles for higher online visibility. That makes it especially suitable for new bloggers or ecommerce websites still struggling to generate organic traffic to their sites. You can track your content’s performance across several metrics right from one place.

If your primary goal is to build your brand through consolidated content marketing services, then Contently is definitely a company worth checking out.

Needless to mention, Contently’s users enjoy unhindered access to a pool of differently-talented professionals. These include journalists, designers, illustrators, photographers, videographers, and of course writers.

18. Optimizely

• Founder (s): Dan Siroker and Pete Koomen
• Official Website Link: https://www.optimizely.com/

The last article writing service on this list gained prominence after acquiring NewsCred.

NewsCred was a content marketing management website that has helped thousands of clients achieve their unique marketing goals through professionally-curated articles. However, the company was infamous for its rather exorbitant costs, which ranged from $2,950 to $10,500 per month. Well, that all changed when it was acquired by Optimizely.

Optimizely offers more affordable and flexible pricing plans while maintaining the same high-quality standards as NewsCred. The company even provides limited access to some of its features free of charge for up to five users. You can then sign up for a free trial before subscribing to any of the paid bundles.

However, unlike other content management companies on this list, Optimizely doesn’t quite check the box in terms of SEO services.

There’s no shortage of companies that provide high-end article writing services. However, the choice of one website over the others depends on your individual or business needs.

First, you’ll need to determine the specific types of articles you’re looking for, and then skew your search in that direction. It’s also prudent to read online reviews for more insights into an article writing service before signing up with it.

Needless to mention, pick a company that guarantees reasonable turnaround and charges industry-competitive rates.

Posted by: Igor Ovsyannnykov

Igor is an SEO specialist, designer, photographer, writer and music producer. He believes that knowledge can change the world and be used to inspire and empower young people to build the life of their dreams. When he is not writing in his favorite coffee shop, Igor spends most of his time reading books, taking photos, producing house music, and learning about cinematography. He is a sucker for good coffee, Indian food, and video games.

How to start a writing business

Writing may be an art, but it can also be a business. To make a go of it and succeed, writers need to think like a business.

Ready to start your business? Plans start at $0 + filing fees.

by   Diane Faulkner

Diane is a writer, speaker, and human resource consultant with over 30 years of experience working in and covering em...

Read more...

Updated on: March 16, 2023 · 4min read

Wat types of freelance writers are there?

How do i find clients, how do i get paid, do i need a business license, or do i have to incorporate.

If you want to start a writing business, you'll have to do a lot more than follow your muse. For starters, there's invoicing, bookkeeping, and marketing—lots of marketing—along with other regular business tasks, like keeping your website up to date with your latest articles.

You'll also have to build business relationships with your clients—and learn how to fire them if need be. You'll have to figure out how to balance your administrative tasks, like transcribing interviews and researching topics, with actual writing so you can meet your deadlines. And you'll have to determine what form you want your  business  to take.

Before you write a single word, you have to figure out what kind of writer you want to be. "There are basically three big buckets that most of the paid freelance writing is in," says Carol Tice, freelance writer, ghostwriter, and founder of the  Make a Living Writing  blog and  Freelance Writers Den . "One is editorial writing for publications. Not personal essays or poetry or fiction but reported articles that you are not the subject of—your opinion is not the subject of it. You are talking to experts and people affected by the thing you're writing about and forming them into articles. Then, there is writing for businesses, informational stuff [like e-books, white papers, case studies, and blogs]. And then there's sales writing, like sales pages and marketing emails."

Next, you have to know what to write about. Pick a niche. It's best to be passionate about the subject because you're going to live with it all day, every day. "The best way is to build on some kind of expertise," says Amy Buttell, CEO of  Lake Effect Creative . "I developed some expertise in investing and had been in an investment group, so I started writing about investments for the investment club magazine. That gave me a way to get some clips—work samples—and make some money. Then, it was easier for me to branch out and find other clients."

It's difficult to find clients if you don't have any clips, but don't let that stop you. "I would create my own portfolio of work to show potential customers," says business book ghostwriter  Derek Lewis . "Write up fictional website copy for a homepage or do a blog post. Clearly tell them it's fictional." Just have something to show. Your own website copy or up-to-date blog can also stand in for writing samples.

LinkedIn is an exceptional resource for finding clients.  Carol Alexander , freelance home remodeling writer, says, "I go on LinkedIn, and I look up a company. Say I want to write in the construction SaaS field. I start looking for construction SaaS companies, send out connection requests, and just leave it at that. Sometimes they say, 'Oh, a freelance writer! Can you do this?' right off the bat. Sometimes they don't, and that's when you just start building relationships by commenting, liking, and tagging—not too frequently, just enough to keep you front of mind."

How you get paid—and how much you get paid—is set in your writing agreement. You negotiate a market rate, and usually invoice the client with your terms clearly stated, e.g., net 15 days with a 1.5% late fee.

To determine the market rate, connect with writers in an online community and see what they're charging. You want to consider that, as a business, you are paying for your own medical and business insurance, as well as your own hardware and software. Everything. So, your rates will be higher than the hourly rate you'd receive if you were an employee. "You don't want to write a bunch of $10 articles for a content mill. Those are great places to be heavily exploited. Those platforms are for hobbyists," warns Tice. "Freelance pros are usually making $100 or more on the back end of project rates they're charging." That said,  freelancers  usually don't charge by the hour but by the project.

Whether you need a business license depends upon your municipality. If you want a business bank account or want corporate work, you need to register your business name as a  DBA  or  sole proprietor . If you want bigger corporate work or government work, you'll need to at least be an LLC, if not an S corp. or C corp., depending upon the company or state. And you may need a state or federal tax ID.

So, now that you know what to do pick a niche. Create some copy and a website, and  get started as a freelancer .

You may also like

What does 'inc.' mean in a company name?

'Inc.' in a company name means the business is incorporated, but what does that entail, exactly? Here's everything you need to know about incorporating your business.

October 9, 2023 · 10min read

Why do I need to conduct a trademark search?

By knowing what other trademarks are out there, you will understand if there is room for the mark that you want to protect. It is better to find out early, so you can find a mark that will be easier to protect.

October 4, 2023 · 4min read

What is a power of attorney (POA)? A comprehensive guide

Setting up a power of attorney to make your decisions when you can't is a smart thing to do because you never know when you'll need help from someone you trust.

February 8, 2024 · 15min read

Step-By-Step Guide To Writing An Engaging and Informative Business Article

Nowadays, content is king. The internet is saturated with information, making it challenging for businesses to capture potential customers’ attention. 

This is particularly true for startups, which often need more brand recognition than established companies. In fact, 81% of marketers view content as a core business strategy. To overcome this challenge, they must create engaging and informative content that captures the audience’s attention and compels them to act.

However, creating such content is more complex than it sounds. It requires understanding the audience’s needs, a clear and concise writing style, and a balance between valuable information and entertainment. 

This guide will provide essential information for writing an article that engages your target and converts lurkers into customers. 

Source: Reverbico

Study Your Audience’s Needs and Desires

Did you know that only 42% of 1,200 marketers understand their target’s basic demographic information?

Understanding your audience is the key to a content strategy that works. It’s not enough to know who your target is. You need to understand their needs, desires, and motivations. This involves:

• Researching data. 
• Including their demographics.
• Find interests and behaviors.

For example, if your target values sustainability, you can create content highlighting your startup’s practices. Likewise, if they struggle with a specific problem, and your product can solve it, you can create content demonstrating the solution.

You can attract potential customers and increase conversion rates by tailoring your products, services, and content to meet their needs and desires. This is important for startups, which often need more resources and need to maximize their return on investment.

Another aspect to consider is customer motivation. It drives behavior, meaning the reason why customers choose one product or take one action over another. Create appealing content that connects with their motivations and compels your audience to take the desired action.

Following Maslow’s pyramid, a person looking to solve one of their safety needs would react to these sentences:

• Get your dream job now!
• Protect your house against fortuitous events!
• Get the health security your family needs!

Write Engaging Content

Engaging content captivates the audience’s attention. It keeps them interested and encourages brand-customer interactions. It makes your target read more, share your content, or take other action that benefits your business.

However, engaging content is challenging and requires a clear, concise writing style with persuasive but authentic language.

Here’s what you must consider:

Clear and Concise Writing Style

Good copy is essential for any startup’s growth. This writing style will make your content easier to read, increasing its impact on your audience. It also will help you to communicate your message effectively.

Persuasive Language Without Manipulation

Authenticity in writing is crucial for small businesses. It builds trust with your audience and makes your content more persuasive. 

However, it’s essential to use persuasive language without resorting to manipulation. 

Your audience should feel that they are making decisions based on accurate and reliable information, not being tricked or coerced.

Informative Approach

Using an informative approach will value your content, encouraging your audience to take action.

Informative content educates your customers, provides valuable information, and helps them make informed decisions. This also positions your startup as an authority in your field, building trust with your target. 

When they trust you, they will likely choose your product or service over your competitors.

Evaluation and Data Collection Processes

These days, businesses have access to more information than before. This data gives valuable insights into your audience’s behavior, preferences, and needs, helping you to tailor your content.

Evaluation involves assessing the effectiveness of your content. This can be done through various metrics, such as:

• Page views.
• Time spent on page.
• Social shares.
• Conversion rates. 

This way, you can identify what’s working and make adjustments to improve your content’s effectiveness.

Source: SemRush

On the other hand, data collection involves gathering data about your audience and using it to improve your content. 

You can use different methods like:

• Interviews.
• Social media listening.
• Web analytics.

Information and Entertainment Balance

Today’s internet users are bombarded with information daily, and it’s easy for your content to get lost in the noise. A way to capture your audience’s attention and make your content memorable is by entertaining them. 

The key to a balanced article is to weave data and entertainment together to engage and educate your audience. 

Too much information makes your article dry and dull. At the same time, too much enjoyment can make your content seem frivolous and lacking in substance. 

One way to achieve this balance is through storytelling. Stories make complex information more relatable. When you incorporate them into your content, you will entertain your audience while also providing them with valuable information.

Here’s how dull, thin content looks versus an entertaining and engaging one.

Source: Heartinternet

Accessible Tone

The tone of your content impacts how your audience perceives your message and brand. Therefore, an accessible tone makes your content more relatable, helping to build a connection with your audience.

Avoiding an Aggressive or Salesy Tone

These approach tones can often be counterproductive to your content. Today’s consumers are savvy and can easily see through aggressive sales tactics. An overly salesy tone makes your audience feel like they’re being sold to rather than informed or entertained.

Instead of hard selling, focus on providing value content to your audience by:

• Educating them about your product.
• Providing solutions to their problems.
• Showing them how your product benefits them.

If you avoid these tones, you can build trust with your audience and position your startup as an authority in your field.

Creating a Friendly and Direct Tone

Creating a friendly tone involves using conversational language and addressing your audience directly. 

Use words and phrases your audience uses, and speak to them as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation.

A direct tone, on the other hand, involves getting straight to the point. Avoid fluff and unnecessary jargon, and provide your audience with the information they need clearly and concisely. 

This approach respects your audience’s time and makes your content easier to understand.

Ensure Your Article Resonates with Your Target Audience

Today’s consumers value authenticity and can see through insincere marketing tactics. You should be authentic to ensure the resonation of your content with your audience.

Be honest and transparent, and don’t be afraid to show your brand’s personality. Authenticity can build trust with your audience and make your content more relatable.

Tips for Building Popularity

In this context, popularity refers to how widely your article is consumed, shared, and recognized. A popular piece of content reaches a broader audience, increases your brand visibility, and attracts more customers.

Use the following tips to increase brand awareness:

Creating Shareable Content

Shareable content means your audience finds it valuable enough to share with their networks. This could be through email or in person. When it is shared, it reaches a wider audience, increasing your visibility and potentially attracting more customers.

These are three keys that you must consider when creating shareable content:

• It must provide value to your audience. This could be in the form of information, entertainment, or both. 
• The content should evoke an emotional response. This could be anything from amusement to surprise to inspiration. 
• Generate easy ways to share your content. For example, creating social share buttons on your blog posts.

Source: Smartinsights

Leverage Social Media

Social media platforms serve as dynamic spaces where businesses can directly interact with their audience, share content, and promote a community around their brand.

We advise identifying the platforms where your target audience is most active. Different platforms cater to different demographics and have unique content preferences. 

For instance, LinkedIn might be the most suitable platform for sharing your content if your target audience covers professionals’ or industry peers’ topics. In fact, This platform is used by 96% of B2B content marketers.

You can increase your content’s reach and popularity by effectively leveraging social media, helping to attract more potential customers and drive growth for your startup.

A study says interactive content gets 52.6% more engagement than static content. On average, people spend around 8.5 minutes looking at non-interactive content and 13 minutes when it is interactive.

Source: Chappelldigitalmarketing

SEO Optimization

Search Engine Optimization enhances your content’s online visibility. It’s a strategic process that involves optimizing various elements to improve search engine results page rankings. 

It’s estimated that Google receives around 3.5 billion search queries every day . So When your content ranks higher, it is more accessible to people searching for information related to your topic.

Keyword optimization

They are the words and phrases that people use to search for information online. Adding relevant keywords to your content shows search engines the topic and relevance to a search query, helping them index it appropriately. 

However, keyword optimization is more than using as many keywords as possible. It’s about understanding what your audience is searching for and incorporating those keywords naturally into your content.

Source: Ahrefs

Meta descriptions

This element improves your content’s visibility. It is a description that appears under your article’s title on search engine results pages, meaning a snapshot of your content, and helps the audience decide whether to click on your link or not. 

Google shows meta descriptions in search results 37.22% of the time. That percentage will increase to 40.35% if you use fat-head keywords.

A well-written meta description intrigues the readers, inviting them to explore your content further. Likewise, it will drive more traffic to your site, leading to higher engagement and conversions.

They help you organize and structure your content, making it easier for readers to navigate it. 

They also act as a guide and break down the data into manageable sections, helping the audience to find the information they’re interested in faster.

How to Write a Business Article [+Examples]

Let’s delve into a business niche topic and explore how to craft an engaging article around it. 

• Learn about your audience’s needs and preferences.

Before penning an article on “Effective Time Management for Entrepreneurs,” you conduct a survey among your readers. You discover that 70% of them grapple with efficiently managing their time.

• Select a topic that your audience finds attractive.

Based on the survey results, you decided to write about “10 Time Management Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs.”

• Gather comprehensive information about your chosen topic.

Interview successful entrepreneurs read books on time management, and attend a seminar to gather insights and tips.

• Plan your article with a clear structure.

Start with an introduction about the importance of time management, followed by the ten hacks, and conclude with the benefits of implementing them.

• Write using clear, concise, and friendly language.

Instead of typing, “Entrepreneurs should consider using time-tracking software,” write “Entrepreneurs can use time-tracking software to boost productivity.”

• Use relevant keywords and optimize SEO elements.

Include keywords like “time management,” “productivity hacks,” and “entrepreneur tips” to improve search engine visibility.

• Ensure your article provides value to your audience.

Add real-life scenarios where each hack has been applied successfully, offering readers actionable and relatable advice.

• Prompt your audience to take a specific action.

At the end of the article, encourage readers to download a free time-tracking tool and leave comments with their tips.

• Review and refine it for clarity and correctness.

After writing, ask a colleague to proofread the article. They may suggest replacing jargon with simpler terms to make it more accessible.

• Share it on your chosen platform and promote it.

Post the article on your business blog and share the link on LinkedIn, Twitter, and entrepreneur-focused Facebook groups.

• Use analytics tools to measure your article’s performance.

A week after publishing, you use Google Analytics to see that your article has been viewed 5,000 times and has a bounce rate of only 20%, indicating high engagement.

Quick Tips for Writing an Effective Article

Here are seven tips for writing better when preparing an article:

• Use Visuals : Incorporate relevant images, infographics, or videos in your content. Visuals make your content more appealing and help illustrate your points more effectively.
• Include a Call-to-Action (CTA) : Encourage your readers to take action after reading your content. This could be anything from signing up for a newsletter, trying a product demo, or sharing your content on social media.
• Update Regularly : Keep your content updated and evergreen. Regularly updating your content can improve its relevance and show your audience that you’re an active and reliable source of information.
• Use Real-Life Examples : Incorporate case studies or real-life examples to make them more relatable. Show your points’ practical application.
• Proofread and Edit : Check and ensure your content is ready before publishing. This helps eliminate errors, improve clarity, and enhance the overall quality of your content.
• Use a Strong Title : The title is the first thing your audience sees, so make it count. A compelling title can grab your audience’s attention and encourage them to read your content.
• Incorporate User-Generated Content : If applicable, include testimonials, reviews, or other forms of user-generated content. This can enhance credibility and provide a different perspective on your topic.
• Use Templates : If it’s your first time writing content and you don’t know where to start, you could use predefined templates to help you find the keys to creating a great piece. Get our template here!

Techniques to Measure an Article’s Success

Measuring the success of your content shows how effective it is. It also identifies improvement areas.

There are various tools and techniques available to help you measure the success of your article.

• Analytics Tools : Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Moz provide valuable insights into how your content is performing. These tools track various metrics, like bounce rate, time spent on a page, views, and conversion rates. They provide insights into your audience, such as their demographics, interests, and behavior.
• Social Media Metrics : 97% of entrepreneurs use social media to boost their articles. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide their analytics. These show how many people see your content, engage with it, and share it.

Source: Shopify

• SEO Tools : Tools like Ahrefs , Moz, and SEMrush explain how your content performs in search engine rankings. Nowadays, 69% of startups invest in SEO. It shows you which keywords your content ranks for, how many backlinks your content has, and how these factors drive traffic to your content. 
• User Feedback : Comments, emails, and social media messages have valuable insights into how your audience perceives your content.
• Conversion Tracking : Conversions are actions you want your target to take after engaging with your content. Tools like Google Analytics help you track them. This could be anything from purchasing, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource.

Source: Thehoth

Using these tools and techniques, you can understand how your content performs and contributes to your startup’s goals. This information can guide your content strategy, helping you create more effective future content.

Wrapping up

Writing an article is a process that requires understanding your audience, thorough research, and careful crafting of your message. 

It’s about creating a piece that provides value to your readers and resonates with them on a deeper level. 

The goal is always about giving useful information, engaging and inspiring them, and prompt action. 

Learning this process will distinguish between writing a good article and providing value that converts readers into leads. Whether you’re a startup, a small business owner, or an entrepreneur, harnessing the power of well-written articles can significantly enhance your visibility, credibility, and connection with your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format for a business article.

A business article’s format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

• The introduction has a content overview and captures the reader’s interest. 
• The main body is divided into several sections, also called headlines, each developing several aspects of the topic. These sections are marked with subheadings to guide the reader through the content. 
• The article ends with a conclusion that wraps up the main points of the content and may also include a call to action, prompting the reader to engage further with the business.

How Can Entrepreneurs Benefit from Writing Articles?

Writing articles allows entrepreneurs to share their expertise, build their brand, and establish credibility. It attracts potential investors and customers.

What Should a Startup Article Include?

A startup article should provide information about its products or services. Share the company’s story, and highlight its unique selling points. 

It should also engage the target audience and prompt them to take action, such as trying a product demo or making a call.

What is the Importance of a Call to Action in a Business Article?

A call-to-action encourages the reader to do something after reading the article. This could be:

• Purchasing a product.
• Signing up for a newsletter.
• Sharing the article on social media.

It increases engagement and conversions.

Was this helpful?

About the author: Alberto Araujo

Alberto Araujo is an entrepreneur with an International Business degree and a strong Marketing and editorial background. He's worked for five years with startups to help them grow through content that connects with their audiences and SEO. While curious by nature, he focuses on writing content with first-hand experience that will help other entrepreneurs avoid the mistakes he made while building companies. Alberto has collaborated with multiple brands, including Hakuna, GamerSEO, Moralis, and Alltum.