Writing an industry article for sponsored content can seem a little intimidating at first, particularly if you don’t consider yourself a writer. But, if you follow some key steps – you’ll be writing educational, relevant, and interesting articles in no time.
A Title That People Will Want To Click:
A strong title is debatably the most important part of successful article writing (especially in B2B). The title is the only way to capture your target’s attention – if the title doesn’t spark their interest, they’re not going to click through and read it.
So what can you do to make your tile more effective? One of the simplest ways is to make it super obvious what the article is about – get specific and, if possible, make it clear the problem you’re solving with your solution. A knowledgeable prospect isn’t likely to be interested if your headline seems too general. Take “Multi-level cybersecurity for enterprises” VS. “New generation multi-level cybersecurity system prevents more than 99% of attacks and breaches.” Which one are you more likely to click?
A specific title also helps to ensure that the people who do click through are the right audience. Not all readers are created equal – if you’re targeting Chief Security Officers, you want to make sure the title is relevant to them and their interests.
The title becomes even more critical if you’re posting the article in a publication – because your ROI will be directly tied to how many people click your article: bad headline, bad click-through rate, bad ROI.
Relevant, Unique & Interesting Topic:
Of course, before you can write a title, you need a topic. You want to choose a topic that directly relates to what your business does and how it helps your buyers. If you can focus on the competitive advantage, you’re more likely to turn readers into qualified sales leads because it changes the article from merely educational to a sales argument.
It can also help to relate your product or service to a current hot topic in the industry you serve. Linking to a buzzword or recent event will help to attract more potential visitors to your article. Remember, sponsored industry articles differ from regular website articles. Readers on your website are already interested in your business; readers in a publication may not be yet. Use your article to share what you do, prove your importance, and encourage readers to engage.
Short & Sweet:
The article should be roughly 500 words. Be direct and to the point. According to a study by Microsoft, the average human being has an attention span of eight seconds – so short and sweet is the way to go. Don’t draw out the article or make it too complex for the reader; chances are they’ll want to skim rather than read line by line.
Tell The Reader Who You Are:
When writing sponsored content, you want to make sure you’re telling the reader about who your company is. The easiest way to do this is with a short paragraph about your company at the end of the article.
It should include key information such as the industries you serve, the products or services you offer, some key competitive advantages, etc. Don’t forget to add a link over to your website to encourage the reader to learn more.
An Image Speaks 1,000 Words:
Successful articles include at least 1-2 visual aids, such as images, charts, and logos, to make your article more visually appealing and break up the paragraphs. Don’t go overboard, though, or else it will come off as unprofessional. The article should also have at least two calls to action or links to your website. This way, the reader has a clear path to follow to learn more about you or reach out
And there you have it! A few steps to a successful article. Of course, there’s more you can do to refine your article; but these five tips will set you in the “write” direction.
