As enterprise writers face the clean web page asking, “The place do I start?” the journalist’s trusty Who-What-When-The place-Why-How questions are a fantastic place to start out.
As an organizing precept for {most professional} writing, the 5Ws and 1H are important. The primary 4 are factual, simple to reply. However the “Why” and the “How” are essentially the most attention-grabbing – the data most certainly to inform us one thing new.
Correctly offered, the “Why” provides us the aim or motive for the piece. It must also tackle “who cares?” from an viewers standpoint. And “How” provides us the means and the strategies, ideally in layman’s phrases.
Two of my favourite articles display this notion that “Why” and “How” are the essence of a well-written, well-targeted article, weblog publish, or characteristic.
A track from the swamp, a lesson for the center
Donald Liebenson’s 2019 Self-importance Truthful characteristic, “A Frog, a Banjo, and an Indelible Message: Making ‘The Rainbow Connection,’” is a phenomenal tribute to songwriter Paul Williams, the Muppets, and the inventive course of. It’s completely researched and effectively crafted, dense with descriptions and background on Williams and the Muppets.
However it’s additionally a strong piece of enterprise writing with spot-on information hooks.
It pays off “why now?” with the 40th anniversary of “The Muppet Film” in addition to Williams’ then-current collaboration on a Broadway musical adaptation of “Pan’s Labyrinth.” It additionally solutions the “how?” of the songwriting course of. Primarily based on an interview with the songwriter himself, Liebenson – and by extension the viewers – learns how the track acquired its identify and the way it has turn into a beloved anthem to the human situation, honoring the questions, not the solutions.
In my interview with Liebenson about what makes this piece so particular, he shared that writers ought to draw on their very own private expertise and pursuits. He’s clearly a Muppets fan himself and an professional on the furry entertainers’ attraction, attraction and profession success.
He shared the following pointers for extra compelling content material:
- Take “a deep dive on analysis to acquire details and particulars.”
- Type out details from opinions.
- Uncover “one thing new to say.”
- Lastly, “Don’t be afraid to ‘go for it.’ Attain out to specialists, celebs, and C-suite execs” for quotes and insights.
Whereas he couldn’t get any Muppets’ group quotes, Williams himself was a beneficiant and out there interview topic providing a peek into the track’s origins, and thus, the a-ha! moments when the creativity was flowing. The ensuing article is a good learn: informative, entertaining, and well timed.
‘Grease’ is the phrase
My second instance comes from comms professional Jennifer Roop’s case research “State of the Grease Trade: Weathering Disruptions” and its predecessor: “The Down and Soiled: Grease Elements, A Primer on What Makes Grease — and What Makes It Good.”
The pandemic supplied the platform for educating prospects on this significance of this industrial product with a “what’s-in-it-for-me” method. Utilizing the analogy of an ideal storm, Roop’s completely timed weblog publish addressed the necessity for a constant grease provide in a wide range of industries. Her articles caught my eye on LinkedIn in the course of the peak of the pandemic’s provide chain disaster.
With easy subheads posed as questions: “Why Do Grease Elements Matter?” and “How Pack Logix Can Assist,” she harassed the necessity for grease as a vital industrial part, and navigate the present uncertainties; she additionally showcased her consumer’s experience and reliability in the course of the converging crises.
In a follow-up dialogue, Roop famous that even an industrial product could possibly be fascinating and enjoyable to work on. “The consumer’s enthusiasm for the subject was contagious,” she stated. And her crew contributed sturdy visuals to assist draw readers in. Quick, scannable paragraphs with quite a few subheads make the tales a fast, informative learn.
When watching that clean display, answering the journalist’s fundamental factual questions will get you began. However by teasing out the “Why” and the “How” of your story, you’ll uncover the contemporary and deeper content material your audiences will treasure, keep in mind, and act upon.
Jill O’Mahony Stewart is a writing instructor and coach. Since 1986 she has managed Stewart Communications, a PR agency dedicated to “points that matter.” She can also be an adjunct college member at DePaul College’s Faculty of Communication. She loves serving to college students and younger professionals turn into higher writers.
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