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Share articleLove reading your stuff, Joe.
I'd be happy to write an article like you!
Ted
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How to write an article like Karrie Kohlhaas
People listen, read, and comment when Karrie writes. Wouldn't you love a similar response?
Written Jun 30, 2008, read 838 times since then.
If you've never met Karrie, do. Go to her page, see where she'll be and go. If it's a sit down, sit next to her. If it's a mixer, hover. She's smart, delightful and, if you're lucky enough to hire her, she can shower you with practical ideas to help build your business.
In her recent article, "16 Ways," Karrie seized upon a problem and offered practical solutions that Biznik needed. In one week, the article had 500+ views and a Biznik-record-breaking 61 comments. Joe Shirley wrote,
"Now that you've got three articles with an average rating approaching nine points, it's about time for you to write an article about how to write a kick-ass article."
I suspect Karrie is too modest to reply. But in Joe-Hage-speak, she clearly understood her positioning, objective, strategy, and tactics before she began. What follows are my words, not hers.
Karrie's positioning:
To members of the Biznik community frustrated by low attendance rates, Karrie Kohlhaas is the unorthodox (and successful) business cultivator who can help you reduce event attrition because she offers 16 practical tips she's used to build her – and her Fortune 500 clients' – business and because you know her from other highly-rated and popular articles on this site.
Objective (must be measurable):
* To help Biznik members cut event attrition by half; or, * To achieve in excess of 1,000 page views; or, * To write a meaningful article that earns a rating higher than 8.5; Or perhaps her goal (not measurable) was simply to stimulate conversation to help solve the problem. Strategy:* Write an article using devices used successfully to convey messages to this audience in the past.
Tactics:1. Think first, write second.
Karrie takes the time to study before she puts something "out there." This is an important lesson that everyone can use.
Online, when you write something, it's typically out there forever. You know, like, until the end of time? And everything you write contributes to your digital imprint, your overall online persona.
Your most impressive achievement may get fewer hits than the flame email you wrote. It took me 10 seconds to locate this 2003 flame from Bill Gates. Like Karrie, be careful and think before your write.
2. Fill a need. Be incremental.
There's little point writing a 'me-too' article on Biznik. You won't see one from Karrie. She may build on a point made elsewhere on the site, and she may reference another article with a hyperlink (if you don't know how to do this yet, read this tip). In fact, her "16 Ways" article was borne from a problem-solving discussion on BizTalk.
3. Choose an intriguing title.
I suspect this article will be well read because at least three members commented specifically for it. So what to call it?
* Ways to write articles that get read?
* Nine steps to great article writing?
* Writing articles that get read?
* How to write an article?
* How to write an article like Karrie Kohlhaas?
To me, "write like Karrie" is more interesting. Calling out another Biznik member, I thought, would intrigue you to click. As far as I could tell, it's never been done before. The title is punchier with her than without and I could carry the device through the article to keep it engaging.
In layman's terms, everybody loves Karrie. Oh the kvelling on her article! She provided a built-in audience. This was fun to write. And maybe she'll sit next to me at BizJam!
4. Bold each point as a subhead.
Separate each point with a hard return. This serves multiple purposes. It:
* Makes the article easier to read.
* Allows hurried and speed readers to scan.
* Lets readers decide if the point is interesting enough to read the normal text.
5. Keep paragraphs short.
Some can be just six words.
6. Use a familiar and friendly voice.
Karrie's work is enjoyable to read. She reveals a little about herself here and there (she likes Aretha Franklin; can't sing though) and that endears her to her readers. She doesn't talk over our heads, and she is quick to publicly compliment someone in response to an article or BizTalk post. You can be sure that each person she treats with respect (see Aretha) will click on her article the next time she writes.
7. Leave the reader with questions to answer.
In Wizard of Oz, Karrie asks eleven questions. Back at the Easton Press, my mentor Julie Friese taught me, "You demonstrate how smart you are not by the answers you give but by the questions you ask." Karrie forces you to think about ways to build your business and that's why we're all here, right?
8. Know the readers; thoughtfully and faithfully respond.
I suspect that Karrie writes infrequently because she commits so much to each. Among the 61 comments, 19 of them were from Karrie herself. And, from the looks of it, she spent far more time on the 19 responses than it likely took to write the article in the first place. She researched each person's question, visited his or her site, and gave something back to each responder, if even a "thank you" back.
Another interesting factoid, only once did she let more than four comments come without responding with one (or more) comments. That's dedication! And that very attractive quality becomes part of her online persona.
9. Be really, really smart.
In this last, and not terribly helpful tip, either you've got it or you don't. Karrie's got it -- and it shines through. Getting to read expert work for free on Biznik and her website. Hey, what's not to like?
So, Karrie, how'd I do? :-)
P.S. Read this article for a perspective on good copy.
I'm a Wharton MBA, a classically trained senior marketer, and someone who loves his work. I specialize in marketing strategy and communications. I have a full-time job and help Bizniks from time to time. Visit me at http://joehageonline.com.
Learn more about the author, Joe Hage.
Comment on this article
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Posted by Ted Rubin, Huntington, New York | Jul 01, 2008 -
Posted by Rachel Whalley, Seattle, Washington | Jul 01, 2008Nice one, Joe. But where are your questions to your readers? :)
I would love to see you write more articles that talk about the stuff you describe briefly in this article's beginning. Positioning and Strategy and that....Sounds like stuff I should/could understand better.
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Posted by Joe Hage, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2008 -
Posted by Patrick Welch, Kirkland, Washington | Jul 02, 2008I haven't read Karrie's articles, but your title for this one did intrigue me and the content itself has been the spark for me to get work on my own writing.
Thank you Joe!
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Posted by Joe Hage, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2008
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Posted by Judy Dunn, Renton, Washington | Jul 02, 2008Very helpful, Joe. I love all your tactics, but #1 is crucial. It takes so much time to: 1) educate yourself on what has already been written about so you don't just duplicate content and 2) think about your objective, your readers' needs, and the article's "usefulness" potential.
Using Karrie's writing as an example was perfect. Thands. You did a great job!
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Posted by Debbie Lacy, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2008Great way to model superior article-writing. Thanks, Joe! I loved Karrie's article and the two of yours combined with Andrew Delany's article for writing Biznik compliments would make a great "3-pack" Biznik toolkit!
This may be an obvious tip that doesn't need to be spelled out, but just in case... ask one or two people to review it. I'm sure there are some generous Biznik experts who would be willing to take a look and give feedback before your article is out there in all its glory (or lack thereof).
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Posted by Karrie Kohlhaas, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2008Well this is flattering. Thanks Joe, for holding my articles up as good examples. Seems you’ve been studying my writing style.
I agree with many of your points but want to caution that one of the things that I find most important, both in writing and in running a business is not to get stuck on any one formula. I hope readers will find their own style and voice and their style might break some of the rules that you lay out from studying my articles.
Yes, people tend not to read large chunks of text, so keep it short, get to the heart of what you are saying, use bold, italics and bullet points to make the piece easier on the eye. But I want to add that I don’t do those things so that people can easily scan. I actually write in a way that makes it less likely people will scan. You don’t want people to scan! You want them to eat up every word.
If your paragraphs are summed up in the headlines of each, then people won’t read—they will just scan. So, I take issue with point 4. I do not help hurried readers to scan. You want to compel readers to slow down and delve in, get interested and enjoy the article. This is done using some of the other things you mention and a few things I will not mention (gotta keep some tricks up my sleeve!).
I am not a fan of wasting people’s time. My goal is to truly bring something valuable, useful and engaging to readers. I don’t just pump out articles to promote myself—that is not satisfying to me. There are SO MANY BORING articles in the world, especially on business topics. I feel it’s sort of a duty to jazz things up a bit and remind business owners to have some fun with their business while offering them some ideas they can actually use. I am glad people like the articles. It inspires me to continue writing, so thanks!
Fun idea from Debbie to create some biznik article packs on various topics. And yes, it is a good idea to run your articles by someone else before posting. Good thought, Debbie. Even simply reading your article aloud to someone over the phone will help you catch a lot of awkward language, typos, repetition.
Joe, okay, you can take the spotlight off of me now!
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Posted by Joe Hage, Seattle, Washington | Jul 02, 2008
I think we're actually pretty close on our interpretations of point 4: (Bold each point as a subhead). Heck, I'm feeling accomplished that I got 8 out of 9 right!
As you say, I do want people to enjoy every word. I characterize my style as a bit whimsical to encourage careful reading (to pick up tone and subtleties).
So we kind of agree. The bold is important, and we do want people to read. I maintain, though, that not every point will be as relevant as every other point to each reader.
The bolding helps each reader decide how to approach the content in a way that works for him/her.
Oh, and about that spotlight? All I can promise is not to write any more articles with your name in the title!
:-)
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Posted by John Perkins, Seattle, Washington | Jul 03, 2008On Point Nine, be really, really, smart.
Is that too high a bar? In his book Here Comes Everybody Clay Shirky found interesting research that good ideas need not come from deep within. That managers who knew a wide range of people in different departments and different fields imported concepts from other areas and applied them in a new context.
So, for example, I would definitely slow down to digest something written as a short poem, haiku, limerick or just a couplet.
A reader wants to speed through what the write wants them to read through
*Alternatively, can you suggest something that can be a kernel for others to add to? *
There one wrote a writer to Biznik ...
* John Perkins, Keep the Change, Solution-Focused Consulting *
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Posted by Joe Hage, Seattle, Washington | Jul 04, 2008
Fair enough, John.
Was more: a device to bring the article to a close. Was less: a recommendation that "smart people" be the primary authors for online content.
Article tags
- karrie kohlhaas
- how to write
- how to write an article
- think first
- fill a need
- choose an intriguing title
- bold each point as a subhead
- use a friendly and familiar voice
- know the readers
- be really really smart
Joe's other articles
- Seattle Marketing Strategy: Why real estate marketing is so hard
- Seattle Marketing Strategy: The first three questions
- Seattle Marketing Strategy: Persuasion -- Making event marketing work
- Seattle Marketing Strategy: Six ways to persuade people and grow your business
