Blogs, bylines, oped* and thought-leadership pieces are one and the same. They’re useful tools to relay opinions, thoughts and the benefits of your product or service. Endless digital publication space to fill puts pressure on editorial teams to add regular, informative and news-worthy content. So, the offer of a top-notch blog is often welcomed by stretched news teams. Many news sites have dedicated sections for third party contributors who either supply blogs on a regular basis or ad hoc.
There are key elements news publications are looking for in a high-quality and well-written blog, including:
1. Strong opinions
I know this sounds like an obvious one, but it’s the most overlooked element of a good blog. If you’re writing a piece from your own point of view, be sure to share that point of view. The worst kinds of blogs deliver no value to the reader – because they either don’t say anything new or interesting - or don’t have a specific take on the news agenda. We want to read your blog to learn something new from you – so make sure it is personal to you and your view on the world.
2. Avoiding the fluff
No journalist or editor in their right mind is ever going to publish a story which is a sales pitch. So as much as you want to talk about how good your product or service is compared to a competitor – try to avoid it. If someone wants to find out more – they’ll go to your website – so you don’t need to regurgitate its contents in your blog. Plus, it’s neither interesting nor newsworthy – and would be considered to be fluffy**.
3. Utilising your expertise
Your blog is interesting to others is because of your point of view, experience, insight or expertise. Don’t forget to include this in the piece. If there’s a key topic you’re writing about share your informed view – why is this topic important for others to keep top of mind? What impact will it have on your wider industry? What is your expert assessment of a situation or trend? What are the longer-term implications you see ahead?
4. Using references or case studies
If you’re writing about a topic, the likelihood is that a whole bunch of other people have written about it too. Include their viewpoints, research or commentary – it will demonstrate your expertise and that you’re plugged into the wider industry. You can use references to reinforce your ideas, demonstrate the variety of ideas available or show contradictory ideas and argue the point. Case studies are also a great way to bring colour and life into a piece – they help to make a story relatable and easy to understand.
To find out more about how to construct great blogs, I’d recommend this Forbes piece which lists 15 best practices and includes some excellent suggestions. Also, take a look at this Huffington Post article, which advises that blogs should be useful and informative. There is a lot of advice about blogging out there – so pick and choose wisely.
5. Consider your audience
So, you’ve decided to write a blog, picked your topic, shared a viewpoint, referenced and thrown in few case studies – but before you do all of that consider who you’re talking to. Are you speaking to others in your industry, potential customers or people who know nothing about your area of expertise? Deciding who you’re targeting will influence your content. You should also consider your goal for the piece. What are you planning to achieve with your blog? For example, are you selling something, educating someone, or demonstrating your expertise?
There are hundreds of best practices for blog writing, but the best teacher is experience so my advice would be to get started. Put pen to paper and get writing. You’ll likely already have a view on a key topic and have read other views. You’ll know how you are planning, preparing or considering this topic and its expected impact on your business. To ensure it’s newsworthy, pick a new topic or an evergreen one that features regularly in the news agenda. Check your grammar and spelling – and ensure it’s easy to understand. Finally, stick to the Quartz curve and ensure it’s less than 500 words or more than 800 words.
Blogs are a valuable tool and good way to demonstrate your expertise and skills – it’s time well invested to raise awareness of you and your company - and garner positive rewards.
*Oped or ‘Opposite the editorial page’, is a written prose piece typically published by a newspaper or magazine which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board.
**The word ‘fluff’ can be used as a verb meaning ‘to shake or ruffle until something looks fuller.’ It's also a great way to describe something meaningless or frivolous.
Victoria Fairclough is a PR & Communications Consultant at Fair Communications. For more information, please visit: www.faircommunications.co.uk
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