Telling Your Story: Five Tips from First Idea to Final Draft

Note: This piece was written by my colleague, Jill Marquardt. It originally appeared on the IABC DC Metro website. I’m a board member of IABC DC, and I enjoy sharing comms best practices. IABC serves professionals in the field of business communication, bringing together the profession’s collective disciplines. 

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Telling Your Story: Five Tips from First Idea to Final Draft
By Jill Marquardt 

Bylines, blog posts, profiles, listicles — articles today take many names and forms. But they all share a few things in common: They tell a story, whether it’s about your organization, a new product or service, or a point of view. And they’re competing for attention in a crowded digital landscape.

How can you stop the scroll and communicate your message in a way that sticks? And how do you get there in the drafting process?

Here are a few thoughts from the Garfinkel + Associates writing team, who grapples with this challenge every day. 

1. Start at the finish line

Articulate what success looks like. For thought leadership, this could involve a certain number of views, citations, and shares, with low bounce rates. For sales and fundraising, measure how well the piece moves the needle from clicks to cash. 

Consider value from the other side as well. Readers seek many things: new information, fresh takes, helpful tips, entertainment. (Never underestimate the power of being a light pause in someone’s heavy workload.) Have a clear picture before you begin.

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