Every content writer must do this one thing before writing an article

I’ve spent more than 10 years of my life living in the midst of content writers. I’ve taught, trained, and honed writers with varied levels of experience and there’s one thing that, beyond a doubt, has been the biggest differentiating factor between a professional writer who creates great content and one who doesn’t.

Can you spot the difference?

Before I get down to it, tell me which piece of writing is better. Both are comments on a LinkedIn post that talk about how shouting wins over silence nowadays.

Option 1

“Unfortunately, social media platforms do not reward you for being silent. Quite the opposite, in fact. As a content marketer, I keep experimenting with my posts and the rule of thumb seems to be that the algorithm favours strong opinions over balanced ones. Silence definitely does wonders for one’s mental peace, but vitriol is objectively louder in the current landscape.“

Option 2

“Social media often rewards outspokenness rather than silence. In the content marketing realm, algorithms tend to favor strong opinions over balanced ones. While silence contributes to mental peace, the current landscape amplifies the impact of vocal and often polarizing content.”

Which one do you prefer? Both are correct linguistically and grammatically. Both make pretty much similar points. Does something still pull you towards one?

As a writer and an editor to other writers, I pick Option 1. It’s not just because of the simpler vocabulary and sentence structure but also because there is a real life anecdote right there. That I have experimented and I have an opinion based on that. Anecdotes are stories and stories are what people want to read.

Be a storyteller in all your articles

Use lots of anecdotes, compelling questions, examples, and quotes right up front in your article. Use descriptive language to paint a picture in your reader’s mind. Help them visualize what you’re saying to make the article more immersive. Last week, I read a job applicant’s assignment that had this sentence that I really liked – “In recent times, where aspirations defy precedent and possibilities hover around the once-impossible, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a force of change.” 

Notice the visual and emotional cues. Defiance. Hovering. Emergence. Force. All beautiful words that tell a story, not just state the obvious.

Keep your readers curious and interested by introducing elements of suspense or tension. Pose questions or challenges that will be addressed as the story unfolds. Case in point, my next segment.

But how can I tell stories when it’s B2B content writing?

It doesn’t matter if you’re writing for B2B, SaaS, or any technical article. You got into this field because you were creative, no? Well, then here’s your chance to show that creativity. After all, creativity is thinking of a unique way to showcase something everybody else sees in the same boring way. Every non-fiction article can have “characters” that represent real people or entities. Develop these characters by describing their personalities, motivations, and challenges. Talking about the future of AI? Dig deeper into the experts who are talking about it. Elon Musk is a totally different character from Mark Zuckerberg who is totally different from Sam Altman. Why do each of them have different opinions? What has shaped their viewpoints? These are all stories to tell.

But what if it’s a how-to article?

This is an easy one. Anybody looking for a how-to is facing some type of problem. Think about the various problem statements they might be addressing by reading your article. Choose one (or many) to begin your story. Writing an article on “How to boost your productivity”? Here’s one way of doing it with the help of storytelling.

In a world where deadlines loom large and the allure of procrastination seems irresistible, even dedicated professionals like you strive to balance work and personal life. In the early days, you probably found it easy to dismiss procrastination as a fleeting issue. The turning point came during a crucial project when procrastination reared its head, threatening to derail progress. The realization hit hard: acknowledging the procrastination monster was the first step to defeating it.

But my client wants it dry

I doubt it. No client wants a dry article. What they probably don’t like are the stories you are telling. Maybe you need to spend some time talking to their target audience. Or subscribe to the content your client consumes. The anecdotes and examples may be of a totally different nature. And that’s what you want to emulate. Remember, the audience that likes Fleabag will not like the stories of Tarak Mehta ka Ulta Chashma. You have to adapt your writing to tell the right stories.
So, in one sentence, my singular piece of advice for all writers out there is to do this one thing before writing an article – think of the story you will tell. The start, the middle, and the end. Think of the characters you will introduce and develop. Think of the examples and anecdotes you will give. Think of the feelings you want to evoke. And don’t start writing before you have some idea of the journey you will take your reader through. It’s a mini-movie you’re writing, so treat it like one. Make connections that others haven’t made to become a Cristopher Nolan instead of a Karan Johar (sorry, K-Jo, no offense). And most of all, have fun writing every piece. Most times, the articles we don’t write well are the ones we told ourselves were not fun to write in the first place. You do what your mind tells you to do. Tell your brain that you write amazing stories no matter the topic and see how you thrive!