How a Savvy Article Writer Can Magnify your Message
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Mon, Nov 09, 2009
So, you've decided to bring on an article writer to help hone your message and maybe boost your organization's visibility, SEO traction, thought leadership or all of the above. It's a solid idea, but how does a writer help your message and how can you best prep them for the task?
Characteristics of a top article writer often include specialization and knowledge as well as insightfulness, all packaged nicely in a concise and memorable piece.
Specialization and Familiarity with the Latest News
Solid article writers tend to be familiar with others in their field. If they're not in direct contact with their peers, at the very least, professional writers track the latest news and developments in their areas of expertise.
As the employer of an article specialist, you can also direct them to specific industry news. In fact, writers appreciate this sort of guidance. So, if your industry is alternative energy, your writer might read "Biofuels Digest", but your particular focus in the coming months will actually be solar cell technology. If your writing team knows this, you can both set a Google News Alert for "solar cell technology" to monitor the same industry news in real time.
The Insightful Article Writer
While copy alone might satisfy the basic needs of boosting your website's traffic or visibility, insightful copy is the key to maintaining readership and capitalizing on reader interest.
Insight's not at hard to identify as you might think. Here are a few strategies:
- Is your writer covering current, hot topics?
- Are they saying roughly the same thing as others in the space? If so, suggest that they consider counterarguments, refutations or new angles.
- Is there a hot topic that should be covered but is not getting much attention? If so, lead the way!
An expert and insightful writer will probably have a lot to say, but remember, if you can rein in their opinions for concise packaging in a useful and specific industry article, there's no reason why someone in your field wouldn't want to read it.