How to write content , news and articles for the HBN website

How to write content , news and articles for the HBN website

What you could write and how; what NOT to write; turning negative experiences into positive advice; including a link to your website.

In this letter I provide some practical guidance that makes it easier for you to write copy for the HBN website or any other promotional material for your company in a constructive manner. I suggest how you can turn a negative experience into a benefit for you and your company. You can put all this into practice by attending the session at Saxongate after HBN on how to enter copy onto the HBN website

What you could write

At the last Friday meeting, I offered to be just a phone call away if you thought about adding something to the HBN website but had that mental block similar to that created by a blank sheet of paper! You can call me on 01223 440024 for a brief chat that will get you started!

Alternatively see if one of the following questions triggers a simple paragraph – remember that on the web, short is beautiful and a few lines on a regular basis are better than the sporadic long one:

• What has your company done lately?


• What business will you be doing in the near future?


• Is there something special you wish to promote?


• Have you gained a practical insight that others might benefit hearing about?


• Have you been to a talk, seminar or meeting and what inspired you?


• Is there an event you think others might find of interest?


• Would you like to collaborate with someone with a different area of expertise?


• Have these questions triggered some other ideas worth sharing?!?

How to write it?

The useful strategy is similar to that made by many journalists making newspaper copy; You will need:

• A headline to attract the reader to click on your article


• A sentence or paragraph summarising the key point of your article or at least suggesting what the article is about so that they start reading and are drawn into wanting to find out more if it is of interest to them


• The meat of your article

You can write in a factual third person style, you can report in a personal style (I, we experience), you can even make it a short story.

A Warning on what NOT to write:

The one time words really flow for me is when I’m fuming with anger due to being sold a shoddy product and the company cannot be bothered to do anything about it! Vituperative and sarcastic comments about the culprit just want to ooze from my keyboard in a sizzling state of REVENGE!!!!****!!!ANGER!! Righteous indignation!

Don’t commit this to writing for a public site because a) even if you are right, the recipient of your ire could treat it as libel and lash back b) you may be misinterpreted as a Mr/Ms Angry as found in many newspaper letter pages c) it could result in repercussions for HBN itself.


Turning negative experiences into positive advice

Does that mean I cannot write about negative experiences? Of course not! Here’s one suggestion on how to proceed.

• Capture that initial anger on paper in private initially, and then find out what particular items or behaviour set them off.


• Next reflect on what you would have seen as the best practice that you had expected as a customer etc. or ways to avoid the situation in the first place, do a bit of research


• This now allows you to write a Positively phrased article advising members on what to do to have a good buying experience and avoid pitfalls – the pitfalls can be mentioned, as can how you feel (in moderation) but not in any way or form that might identify a specific culprit.

This is how many of the advice articles on the web work. The real benefit is that you have then done something constructive that others will appreciate; if anyone is about to embark on a similar purchase, they’ll come and talk to you for advice!

Including a link to your website

At the end of your article always have your contact details and a link to your website. Because the HBN website has a high ranking on Google, any link from there to your site will increase your ranking and likelihood of being found on the web! (Unattributed articels will be deleted and not published).

 

Stimulated by this letter, you should be champing at the bit to get some copy to promote yourself on the HBN website! The next training session on how to do this is on Friday 16th November at Saxongate, immediately after HBN.

I look forward to reading YOUR articles

Chris Thomas, HBN Mailing and Marketing Manager

Director Milton Contact Ltd