Usually, the first thing I do is decide what type of article I will write. Generally speaking, my list of "style of articles" look like this:

• General- Articles that cover the basis of a topic; The who, what, where, when , why and how.
• How to- Articles that are tutorial-style.
• Review style- Articles that review something.
• Benefits- Articles that explain and discuss the benefits of the topic.
• Tips/advice- Articles that provide advice and tips.
• Questions & answers- Articles that alternate between questions and answers. For example, I'd write a question and below it will be the answer.
• Dos & dont's- Articles that tell people what to do and what they shouldn't do
• Versus types of articles- Articles that compare something (products, services etc. . .)

That being said, you should decide what style or angle you want to go with your article.