Many companies draft articles for their own e-zines (e-mail newsletters), printed
newsletters, or publication in trade journals. The main reason for this is that feature articles
enjoy a greater readership than most marketing materials. Articles are particularly effective in
spreading the word about a new product or service and very helpful in sales calls. Companies write
these articles hoping that:
- They will be published in a trade journal without modification or only limited editing.
- Portions of the article will be incorporated into another article the trade journal is
writing.
- The article will convince the editor to plan a new article on the topic.
Business publications and trade journals do not have the budget for freelancers or staff writers that
you might think. They often turn to the public at large or industry members for written contributions. Even
if your article is not picked up by any industry publication, it still has value since it can be
handed out to prospects, included within your brochure, or added to your web site. In that sense,
writing a Feature Article always has a payoff.
There are some tricks of the trade in writing your Feature Article that are more likely to get it
printed. Here are some of them.
- Always read the target publication first to get a solid idea of their writing style.
See what type of articles they publish and who the audience is.
- Avoid promoting the product or service. This is not a Case Study which serves a different
purpose. It is much more akin to an article that might be printed in the newspaper.
- Open with a strong lead. The lead is the opening paragraph and the best way to do this
is to focus on a problem prospects are facing or to tell a short story.
- Give quotes. Quote company executives, clients, or industry experts and provide as much
specific detail as possible such as increased sales or specific improvements in efficiency.
Feature Articles are an important tool in any company's marketing arsenal and should be part of your
sales package. WritingHelp.com can gather the facts, write the article in a manner that improves its
chances for general publication, and help you add one more tool to your marketing tool chest. We
would be pleased to do this work for you.
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