Today more than ever, targeted online article placements are an author’s ticket to success.
In an era when content is king and more than 8 in 10 Americans get news from digital devices, authors must know how to write bylined articles that not only win over online media outlets, but also wow readers to view, click, like, and share.
Targeted online article placements are an author’s ticket to success — the quickest, easiest, and best way to boost a book publicity campaign. Especially en masse, they help build awareness, momentum, and social media traffic better than any other strategy.
Yet like most authors, odds are you’ve got a demanding day job and a busy personal life. So you’re probably thinking that you can’t afford the time and energy to sit down and write a bunch of bylined articles. But the reality is that in today’s hugely crowded, hardscrabble book market — notwithstanding a pandemic-fueled “surprise ending” in 2020 — you can’t afford not to.
The good news is that writing winning articles needn’t be a prolonged, painstaking process. With some basic how-tos and a little time and practice, it can actually be simple, easy, and satisfying.
Getting started
So now what? Here are four surefire tips to get — and keep — you going.
1. Have a strategy.
Sprinters know that a successful race begins at the starting block. Similarly, before you even begin writing, set yourself up to succeed. Have a strategy, first by focusing on the fundamentals. Who are you targeting? What is your big idea? And why should readers care? Be deliberate and specific. Broad strokes won’t do.
Also, topicality is essential to many editors, especially at top-tier outlets. So the more you can link an article to breaking news, current events, emerging trends, or new surveys and statistics, the better.
2. Create great headlines.
The importance of a great headline can’t be overstated. Particularly online, headlines are your first and often only chance to entice people to keep reading. In fact, research shows that a full 80 percent of people will read a headline, but only 20 percent will go on to read the entire article.
While advice on headline writing abounds, a good place to start is what e-commerce and entrepreneurship expert Melanie Duncan calls the “Easy 4 U” formula: Useful + Urgent + Unique + Ultra-specific. Additionally, digital marketing guru Neil Patel writes extensively on the certain types of headlines that are most successful, from the how-to headline (“How to Turn LinkedIn Into a Conversion Machine”) to the numerical list headline (“32 Legitimate Ways to Make Money at Home”) to the curiosity headline (“What Everybody Ought to Know About Millennials”).
Moreover, every headline needs a deck — editorial lingo for the short article summary, or explainer, that appears under a headline. Decks should be only a sentence or two and preferably not repeat words from the headline. For tips on deck writing, with examples from outlets like The New York Times and NPR, check out this article by business writer Michelle Rafter.
Finally, opening paragraphs are critically important, too. As with headlines and decks, they should pull people in by piquing their interest, perhaps with a pithy quote or question.
3. Deliver real value.
You won’t engage readers, let alone earn their likes and shares, without delivering real value. This means providing practical, actionable advice, including tips, anecdotes, examples, and stories that are genuinely useful.
What’s more, use the ever-popular listicle style early and often. It helps people extract more value from an article by making the information easier to read, absorb, process, and recall.
4. Repurpose.
Make repurposing your secret weapon. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Use passages from your book and blog posts to kick-start articles. Edit old pieces to look new and different. (Hint: Change the headline and deck, rewrite the opening and closing, and tweak elements like subheads and bullet points.) And tap your website, PowerPoint presentations, workshop handouts, and other existing sources for ready-to-use content.
And there’s more
To be sure, there are countless other tips on successful article writing. Here are a few quick ones to keep top of mind.
· Make everything reader-friendly.
People no longer read articles — they scan them. So make your pieces reader-friendly by using subheads, short sentences and paragraphs, and straightforward language. (Not to mention the listicle!) Moreover, watch your word count. A good guide is 600–900 words.
· Include hyperlinks.
There are many good reasons to include hyperlinks in your articles. For starters, most readers appreciate them, plus they also help improve your SEO. (Did you click on any links in this article, and if so, how many?)
· Avoid the proverbial turnoffs.
Pet peeves among readers are plentiful. And the same goes for media decision makers. Whatever you do, avoid these turnoffs in particular: jargon, platitudes, hyperbole, blatant self-promotion, braggadocio, and excessive use of exclamation points.
· Get some feedback.
Ask a few trusted friends or colleagues to read your article drafts and give you some feedback. You’re not looking for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists here — just people who know your work and wouldn’t be afraid to tell you the unvarnished truth.
Ready? Knowing how to write winning bylined articles has never been more important in book publicity. Start today with these tips and soon you’ll be punching your ticket to success.
Originally published at Medium
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David C. Lewis is vice president of C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. David helps authors focus their messaging and establish their brand through frequent interviews and appearances on podcasts, radio, and television and by becoming contributors at such sites as Thrive Global, Forbes.com, Chief Executive, and PsychologyToday.com.. David lives with his wife, Loida, and three children in Woodstock, NY.