Great! I’m thrilled you want to share an idea! Here’s a few suggestions:
Pick a title that says something. Keep it to about 40 characters. If YOU read your title would you read more?
Who are you? In one sentence tell your reader who you are. It could be your title, position, notoriety or point-of-view … but grab their attention with your name and tagline. If you have an online site, include a link or two.
Set up your story with a few sentences. Clue your reader in on the backstory: why are you making the point you’re making? What event has compelled you to spend the time to tell them? Why is your message so valuable that the reader will spend THEIR time to read it, contemplate it, and buy it?
Make your point. Do it as a question or do it as a statement, but in one sentence say what you’re going to say. What’s your point? Is it an insight, a lesson learned, a best practice, an opinionated position? You got them to here with your title, get them to the end with a value proposition they can’t ignore.
Give your reader five points that drill down from your topic:
On theideamechanic, every story should be about:
- Selling (finding customers, educating them, closing the sale, or fostering your relationship with the buyer)
- Educating your buyer (strategy, storytelling, showing proof, experiences, or buyer satisfaction)
- Tools that help sellers sell
- Tips and techniques
- Lessons learned
- Success stories
Make sure all five of your sub-points frame and support your main point. Ask yourself: if you read your article would your points help YOU sell a product, service, or point-of-view? (If you’re in doubt, skim the yellow brick road posts; you’ll get the idea.) Make sure they give your reader REAL value in return for the time they spend with you.
Have fun with what you write. Don’t be stuffy. Stuffy writing puts me to sleep … yawn … 
. Make it thought provoking, give it an edge!! … but keep it Rated G 
.
Young Skywalker … feel the power of the Force. Ok, well maybe I get carried away with the number five, but it’s got a nice feel – you know? Besides five sub-points, limit your thoughts to no more than five lines of copy for every paragraph (alright, just don’t go over six). It’s tough to be brief, but it helps you focus and keeps it moving along for the reader.
If you’ve got so much to say that you can’t say it in five lines of copy, then break it up. Write your main article and keep it at a high level. Second make a list, a longer detailed article, or even a whitepaper and link to the details from your main article. Your reader should be able to read this post in less than five minutes.
Have you found favorite tools that help you sell? Talk about them. You can discuss them either in a general sense (like mentioning checklists or approaches you like) or specifically – like recommending a particular book or brand of software. Again, include links if they add value for your reader.
Share some tips and techniques you have learned as you journeyed from apprentice to master craftsman. Have you had a great success? Share it and how you met the challenge. Everyone has failures: some minor, some spectacular, but all are memorable. Share your lessons learned and help others make better choices when things get tough.
I believe in the power of stories. This article is your chance to tell YOUR story. Seize the opportunity! Don’t make your article a dry recitation of facts and figures, write a compelling story (here’s six helpers to get you started). Create what NPR calls a “driveway moment”: a story so captivating and intriguing that your audience can’t leave until it’s over.
You have three goals: entertain, educate, and inspire. Entertain – leave your reader feeling they had a fun five minute read. Educate – this is why you’re here. Think of your article as a mini-classroom lecture; what did you learn in school today? Inspire – instill the confidence in them to venture out and try what you’re saying. If you don’t inspire change, then you’ve failed.
A picture can be worth a thousand words. Think of a graphic or two that will enhance your article. You could place it:
- In the feature box to the upper right of the article (such as the Scriptorium Monk above)
- As the post image – the first one at the top of the article (like Buddy, the ideamechanic at the top of this post)
- Or somewhere else in the article (like here)
As I mentioned earlier, if you have more detail then break it out as a separate piece. I’ve done that here. What you just read is the overview. To learn more detail, click this link and skim the detail article: “How to write for theideamechanic”.
. . . . .
After your article, wrap up with a short summary to reinforce your main point. Think of it like a three-point-sermon: tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.
When you’re done, pose a question or two that’s sure to start a conversation. The value of an article is not just the story, but also the comments and interactions with your readers. You could be looking for confirmation or contradiction to the points you made. Or you could pose a question that uses your article as a springboard.
Have you ever been a guest author? What did you learn? Did your story inspire someone to try what you suggested? Share your experience, leave a comment.
