As a business owner, do you find yourself needing to write more and more? You've probably heard that you should be writing articles to promote your business (and it is a great, no cost way to showcase your expertise), but may be leery of starting. Here are 7 tips to get you writing effective articles.

1. Select a good topic.

There's no sense writing an article if no one wants to read it. Before you launch into an article, think about your target market and what their wants and needs are - what keeps them awake at 3am? If you're not sure, go hang out in some forums and see what they are discussing.

If you are writing for an audience larger than your target market, I recommend you visit some article directories (such as www.ezinearticles.com) to see what the most read topics are.

2. Choose your title wisely.

Once you've written a good, strong article, don't ruin it by giving it a weak title. The title is your headline - this is the first thing people will read and, in this day of instant decision making, could easily turn people away if they are not hooked.

If your article includes a list, include that number in the title so people know what to expect. For example, this article is titled "7 Tips to Writing Great Articles Which Showcase Your Expertise" and you know what you're getting.

3. Think bite-size.

Online readers have very little patience for long paragraphs, so break your article down into various sections. Notice how this article is broken down into small paragraphs with subheadings. It's easier for your readers to digest -- especially if they are reading it online.

4. Write for your audience, not for yourself.

If you want people to read your article, write it in a way that is easy for your readers to understand - don't use acronyms without explaining them, keep the techno jargon out unless you are writing for an audience that understands it and keep the vocabulary simple. There's no sense writing an article if no one is going to understand it.

5. Read, review and then read again.

You MUST proofread your work. Do it once, go do something else and then do it again. If possible, ask someone else to read it for you - he will undoubtedly pick up things that you miss.

6. Tell them who you are.

You want your readers to know who you are and how to reach you. Include a call-to-action resource box at the end so potential clients and other e-zine publishers know how to get in touch with you. You want them to visit your website to learn more about you and what you do.

7. Get it out there.

Now that you've done all the work to write a great article, parcel it into pieces, proofread it and write a compelling resource box, you need to get your article out there. I recommend www.ezinearticles.com yet again as well as www.submityourarticle.com as great article directories to submit your article to. If you prefer to build relationships with e-zine publishers personally, then I highly recommend Charlie Page's Directory of Ezines at www.directoryofezines.com for a wealth of information on e-zine publishers.

So what are you waiting for? Get writing!