How to write informational articles
In this article, let's review all the criteria for a high-quality informational text
- What is an information text
- Requirements for the information material
- Types of information text
- Structure of the information article
- How to write an informative article
- Outline of an informative article
- Example of an informative article
What is an information text
An informative text is an article written in the third person, where the author does not express his/her point of view, but presents information based on verified facts. By reading it, the reader should get specific information on the issue of interest. The title of such material should reflect the essence of the article (for example, "How to choose sneakers").
Requirements for the information material
The volume of such a text usually exceeds 2000 characters, as it is difficult to disclose the issue in a smaller number. The optimal size is 3000-5000 characters, where there is no room for lyrics and empty sentences. The text should solve a person's problem, or provide instructions on how to do so.
Types of information text
Articles are divided into several types:
- "Helpful tips" - these describe specific actions or steps for selecting and operating a particular product.
- Descriptive - consisting of a detailed description of the product and telling about its qualities and characteristics.
- Advertising and informational - texts where the first or last paragraph indicates the company website, which can purchase the product or service described.
- Test-drives - listing the peculiarities of using the product and comparing it with peers. Such articles are large-scale, exceeding 7000 characters.
There are also tutorials, manuals, reviews, ratings and analyses.
Structure of the information article
The text must meet the following criteria:
- credibility and truthfulness;
- clear presentation in accessible language;
- clear structure;
- ease of perception of information;
- the usefulness in every sentence;
- availability of examples.
The author's emotions and humour are inadmissible in an informative text. It is better to concentrate on the content, describing the tips and valuable advice. It is not recommended to use clichés of marketers - "proven manufacturer" or "unsurpassed quality".
How to write an informative article
Creation of quality material consists of several steps. Each step should be approached responsibly, otherwise it will affect the final result.
Defining the target audience
A thorough analysis of the target audience will make the text useful and meaningful to the people it is intended for. It is better to introduce yourself to the reader and answer the questions he or she is interested in. You can ask for information on social networks, communities and thematic forums to become familiar with the issues people care about. Ideally, if the author knows people in the target audience, you can ask them for the necessary information.
Outline of an informative article
After analyzing the CA, you can begin to make a plan for the future article. For example, if the text is about a certain disease, the plan may look as follows:
- General information about the disease.
- The main symptoms.
- Causes that cause the disease.
- Prediction.
- Recommended treatment.
- Preventive measures.
The subheadings should be connected logically and correspond to the topic. Now you can write a draft of the future text.
We're making up a headline.
Many authors create it after writing a text, as it is easier to summarize the material that way. There is no universal solution here, as every author is unique. The main thing to remember is that it should be catchy, compact, and fully disclose the essence.
Remember! Do not use a period after the title. An exclamation point or question mark may be used, but it is better not to.
Formatting text
After writing the draft, the material should be formatted to make it easier for the reader to understand. This includes subheadings, headings, paragraphs, bolding, numbered or bulleted lists. Attention blocks should also be created to focus the reader on the information. They look in the form of footnotes: "Note", "Tip", "Useful".
To make the material readable, it is diluted with figures, interesting facts or illustrative material. Long blocks and sentences tire the eye, so it's better to compose them in five or seven sentences. Long and short paragraphs should be alternated, so the text looks more attractive. The most valuable information should be in short paragraphs, so the reader is more likely to find it and he will be motivated to review the article. Excerpts from documents are arranged in the form of a quotation. They are combined with a background image, which perfectly complements the text.
We're fact-checking
This is a thorough verification of the facts described. It is done to minimize the risk of providing inaccurate information. Speculation, fakes and rumours have no place in an informative article. Accurate data is taken from primary sources. Professional terms are checked in special dictionaries in order to present their meaning accurately. Scientific publications and specialist media are also reviewed where possible. Pictures need to be checked as well. There must be no traces of photoshop and no watermarks.
Read the text.
A mandatory activity aimed at correcting errors, removing tautology, and simplifying complex sentences. It is better to make proofreading after a couple of hours or the next day. It is recommended to read the article aloud, so it is easier to detect stylistic errors and duplicate phrases.
It is necessary to check the endings, punctuation, correct hyphenation and absence of unnecessary spaces. Complex sentences should be simplified. If possible, de-particular and participle clauses should be excluded, as they make reading difficult. Any words without which the material does not lose its meaning should be removed. The text will become shorter, the concentration of useful information will increase, and the amount of "water" will decrease. This also applies to stop words. They interfere with reading, making the article "viscous".
Conclusion
Informative articles should be concise, informative, useful and solve readers' problems. They should answer users' questions and present information in an easy and interesting way. The maximum amount of useful information should be provided with a minimum amount of text.