Ever tried to read an article that was full of opinion, only to find that all the information in it didn't seem to be a fact, you'd like to know why? The author's thought process, maybe, but his writing? Well, how about looking at eight ways to know if you should trust your opinions with a source, and then see what happens?
In every article you read, read a little bit into what the author is saying before you trust your opinions. This may seem obvious, but unfortunately, many writers simply are not the masters of this style of writing. "I know this, and therefore this," is a problem that plagues many writers. And while many of us know how to talk this way, most of us don't really know how to write this way. This is where the do's and don'ts of using an opinion as a source really becomes very important.
To make sure that you're following the directions of not just your own information, but also those of the author, follow the same rules for the opinions in your articles as you would with other sources. A lot of people feel that they should put their opinions on their articles about anything and everything under the sun. Unfortunately, if you're going to get around these guidelines, you need to be very careful.
Start by not putting your opinions on your articles about anything and everything under the sun. If you're going to have an opinion, it needs to be something that is valuable and true. Only go in and speak for yourself. You won't find the same value in an opinion about that golf club that you will in an opinion about whether or not one of your customers is a cheater, and neither will you find the same value in an opinion about the ingredients for coffee that goes into a cup of coffee.
Take some time to do some research, and to read and check for accuracy and truthfulness before you use your opinions about anything under the sun. Don't trust yourself to be the final arbiter of an opinion, especially when you're going to be using it to sell someone something. Think of the people who buy information from you when they shop.
Always make sure to use your opinions about what is important, and to write about things that you know about, and not anything that you think that someone else knows, because you might be wrong about it. For example, if you're writing an article about how great a commercial carpet cleaner is, make sure that you know the actual facts about it. If you're buying carpet cleaner online, make sure that you know the facts.
If you use your opinions to sell something, always take care to be very clear about what your opinion about it is. If you make a comment about the product that sounds like the sales rep was trying to make a sales pitch to you, chances are that you have already given away the prize. If you take the time to make sure that your opinion is accurate, and that you speak only for yourself, then you won't give the impression that you are being influenced by someone else.
As with any skill, practice makes perfect, and if you want to become a better writer, and make better use of your opinions, practice. Make notes of what kinds of examples you find that are similar and then make changes to your articles accordingly. While it's true that you can use whatever you want, if you want to make sure that you are getting your facts straight, always make notes and be clear about what you are trying to write about.