DISQUS

jssicadavis (jssicadavis) · 11 months ago

Blog Posts Versus Articles | Freelance Writing 101.html: For beginning web writers, there are two main categorie.. http://tinyurl.com/9fn45x

Glenn Murray · 11 months ago

Hi Kim, (Hi Angie). It's an interesting topic. I actually don't make the same distinction. I've always injected the same personality (where relevant) into my articles as I do in my blog posts. I used articles for years for SEO, and distributed them on all the major article directories. I think the same rules apply: show your personality and you'll engage more readers. And I had equally as much feedback from my articles as my blog posts.

However, I suspect that most writers draw the same distinction you have. It's much easier to splash personality when you're in your own home. When you know your article is gonna appear in lots of other peoples' homes, it's a bit more difficult to get your head around.

Glenn (@divinewrite on Twitter)

<abbr>Glenn Murray’s last blog post..It’s not your length that matters, it’s how much they like it!</abbr>

Kimberlee Ferrell · 11 months ago

Hi Glenn!

Very good points. I agree that the more personality you put into your articles, the more readers you will attract. However, many clients don't want "your" personality in "their" articles. The tone and voice you might use in your own writing might clash with their audience.

Some articles don't lend themselves to a lot of personality either. A highly technical medical or computer article doesn't always have room for witticisms. The client (and the readers) are reading purely for information, not entertainment. In fact, some SEO article clients don't care how well written your article is. They only care about their keyword percentages.

Thanks for replying Glenn! Glad to see you here.

~Kimberlee

<abbr>Kimberlee Ferrell’s last blog post..Research Your Writing</abbr>

Christine OKelly · 11 months ago

I totally know where you're coming from. When I write my own articles for my sites, I can be more personal in them. I'm always more drawn in by reading articles with a more person slant - who wouldn't be! Then there's the situation of ghostwriting 30 articles for 30 different clients, then you have less room to inject your personal experiences. :D

<abbr>Christine OKelly’s last blog post..How I Ranked A Brand New Site In Google & Yahoo’s Top 10 Within 3 Weeks</abbr>

Kimberlee Ferrell · 11 months ago

Hi Christine!

Exactly! I wonder if those 30 article clients would pay more for personal experience articles, if their readers made it clear to them that those are the kind of articles they would like to read. Something to ponder...

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kimberlee

<abbr>Kimberlee Ferrell’s last blog post..Research Your Writing</abbr>

Christine OKelly · 11 months ago

I think that sometimes they would, and sometimes they wouldn't... it's something I thought a lot about! When you're talking about injecting lots of personality into an article, the project starts to move into the arena of brand building for that company vs. link building... and that takes considerable more effort and communication with the client and commands a higher price point. But is a lot more fun and rewarding for all!

<abbr>Christine OKelly’s last blog post..How I Ranked A Brand New Site In Google & Yahoo’s Top 10 Within 3 Weeks</abbr>

Kimberlee Ferrell · 11 months ago

Those are great points. A client is often not thinking about developing that connection with their readers. They are looking for traffic and links, not personal interaction. Blogs tend to lend themselves to this interaction more than articles do, in my experience.

~Kimberlee

<abbr>Kimberlee Ferrell’s last blog post..Research Your Writing</abbr>