Quick Checklist: Ways to to help your article succeed

Findable 

In order for people to read your content, they first need to find it! In our world of search engines and filters, there's a lot to do to have the best odds of your article appearing in front of your audience.

Audience: Who are you writing for? 

Before you start writing, it's important to think about your audience. Who are they, and what do they want to read? Understanding your audience will help you create content that is relevant, useful, and interesting to them.

For example, imagine an article about how students helped a faculty member complete a research project. Faculty and students reading the article might want to know how they too can collaborate on research. Meanwhile, donors and alumni might want to know how their contributions helped with the research and how they can continue to support such activities.

Keywords: What words will people use to find your article? 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical factor in getting your content noticed online. By including keywords and phrases that people are searching for, you can improve your chances of appearing at the top of search results. Think about what words or phrases people might use to find your article and make sure you include those in the text of your article.

Clickworthy 

These days we are inundated with media and content inviting us to click and engage. You need to do your best to make your article something people want to click on. This means leaving a good first impression when a visitor comes across it in a search engine or on-site list of articles.

Thumbnail: What image will people see when they find your article? 

Your article's thumbnail is the first thing people will see when they come across it online. Choosing an eye-catching and relevant thumbnail can help draw people in and make them more likely to click through to your article. Images that get cropped poorly won't do as well, so make sure you're checking your work!

A Strong Title: How can you make your article stand out? 

Your article's title is one of the most important factors in whether or not people will click through to read it. Make sure your title is clear, concise, and compelling.

Summary: How can you make your article shareable? 

Including a brief and compelling summary can help encourage people to share your article on social media and reach a wider audience. It will also make your article look more appealing in news feeds.

Appealing 

When visitors are greeted by an article that is nothing put a wall of text, it can make them less likely to actually read and engage with the content. However, there are many ways to help visitors comprehend and process your article, even if they're not delving in word-for-word at the start.

Header structure: How can you make your content more organized and scannable? 

Using a clear and organized header structure can help make your content easier to read and navigate. This can be especially important for longer articles. Rather than looking at a wall of text, headers let your reader more naturally understand the flow of the article. Those who aren't interested in reading a lot may also be enticed to stay by having easy-to-read headers interest them in the content.

Photos in the article: How can you visually enhance your content? 

Visuals can be a powerful tool to engage your audience and help them better understand your content. Including relevant photos can also help break up long blocks of text and make your article more visually appealing. Captions help highlight what is going on in the image and why it is relevant to the article's topic.

Video: How can you use multimedia to enhance your content? 

Videos can be a great way to add an extra dimension to your content and help your audience better understand your topic. They can also be a great way to keep people engaged and interested in your content. Videos hosted on YouTube or Vimeo can be embedded in a SiteMasonry page. When adding them to your article, we recommend putting them towards the end of the page, as their load time can decrease site performance.

Quote: What memorable or impactful statements can you include? 

Including a powerful or memorable quote can help reinforce your article's message and make it more special for your audience. Review the content you have and see if any good quotes to highlight.

Connected 

When your reader is done with your article, they have two options: leave the page, or continue on to another piece of content. Ideally they will want to seek out more information about the Mason community.

People profiles to link to: Who can you link to add credibility or additional information? 

Linking to the profiles of individuals around the university can provide your audience with additional information to explore once done with the primary article. These profiles share between sites, making them very convenient for sharing content. Make sure to link the people in the "people mentioned" section of your article's settings, as well as linking the person's name in the copy of the piece.

Programs to link to: What relevant programs or tools can you reference? 

If you're writing about a specific degree program or similar, you can link to that academic program's page to provide your audience with additional value and resources. Program pages are best used as marketing tools for academic programs across the university. Make sure the page is up to date and has the latest information.

Links to internal pages: What other content on your website can you link to? 

Linking to other relevant content on your website can help keep your audience engaged and on your site longer. It also can bring more longevity to other pieces of content, as your newer articles bring traffic to the older, related ones. Think about the content on your site and how it relates to your current piece.

Links to external pages: What other websites or resources can you link to? 

Linking to relevant external resources can help provide your audience with additional information and resources to explore. These can be pages elsewhere in the Mason web ecosystem or pages from external sources. This sort of connection helps both you and the other site, while also helping the user find information they might want.

In conclusion, there are many things to consider when creating content for your audience. By thinking about your audience, including relevant visuals and multimedia, using a clear header structure, and linking to other relevant content, you can create more engaging, informative, and successful articles. Remember to always keep your audience in mind and strive to create content that provides them with value and keeps them coming back for more. With these considerations in mind, you'll be well on your way to creating content that stands out and drives results.