Writing solid articles and features takes diligence, good research and writing skills and a well defined brief from the client. Unfortunately, many writers don’t define the brief before starting to write the article or feature and precious hours are lost resulting in an unhappy client.
I write articles and features for clients who are looking for content to increase their readership and thereby their brand awareness overall and ‘stickiness’ online. A brief can be on any topic and often, is rather loose leaving me to decide on the angle and tone after agreeing their objective i.e. is the article informative or is there a strong call to action?
Clients will often ask about article campaigns where articles are written in batches. This is done by writing a series of articles/features on the same or similar topics so that they can be interlinked which increases page views. If a reader is interested in your topic/brand/story they will refer to the links you offer in your article thus generating page views to those other articles.
Article campaigns work better than a stand alone article because it creates repeat readership on your topic and can generate a ‘community’ of interested readers if linked correctly and led with a feature. Interest increases the more width that is offered to readers on a specific topic/interest i.e. broadening your scope on a topic and offering insider information or a scoop.
When working on an article campaign I recommend leading with a feature that offers a focussed insight on the topic and is carried by a leading market publication within that field. In that feature I ensure that I use transparent, direct keywords with context i.e. used to search in Google. An article lead of a couple of sentences and, preferably sub titled paragraphing that also use keywords/phrases.
In strong, well written articles and features the most relevant information is presented first with the body containing strong, well researched content and ending with a powerful conclusion that is succinct and leading encouraging the reader to find out more or read on. Offer a couple of relevant links that are contextual and cite references in the body, supporting claims with fact, quotes and interviews where ever possible.
Articles should maintain a professional tone using the third person and factual copy, avoiding over used themes and slang or blog style chatting. Embed your URL’s into the text and fill your title, subtitles, summaries, photo captions and conclusions with your keywords and synonyms.
As writer/editor on some features I also get to recommend visuals and always ensure that they are relevant and unique and have keywords embedded behind them too. A good visual enhances a feature or article lending clarity to the topic and a tone to the words.
If you’re looking to enhance your brand, tell your story or simply inform, a well written feature followed by a well executed article campaign can ensure increased awareness and recognition. Ensure you contract an experienced and talented writer.
