1) A Brilliant Photo
Nothing catches the eye like a beautiful photograph. So start your post off with a brilliant photo. If you don’t have any good shots, ask your fellow staff for some. Most people love to have their work showcased on the internet, so don’t be afraid to ask. (And once you’ve published it, be sure to ask your photographer to help promote the post on their social networks). Notice how the photo above is a grabber. Faces are engaging and compelling.

2) A Brilliant Title
Make your title stick in the mind of your reader. Make it compelling, make it something they just have to read right now. The title of this article is enhanced by the lead in, “Six easy keys…” It’s concrete and it encourages you to keep reading.

3) A Brilliant Lead Paragraph with All Five W’s
Your first paragraph should quickly and easily answer the Journalist’s 5 W’s: Who, What, Where, When and Why.

4) A Brilliant Post Is a Short Post
Studies show that people read 28% of what you write—and that number goes down as the length of the article goes up. So keep it short and to the point.

5) A Brilliant Post Leads the Reader to Action
Create a hook to your post by asking or compelling the reader to somehow take a next step. Encourage them to contact you or at least click a link to your Base Profile page. In this case, I’m going to encourage you to visit the MA News section of our site by providing this easy link. While you’re there, imagine your next brilliant post!

6) A Brilliant Post Gets Promoted
Don’t post and abandon—instead promote your News story on your social network. Tweet about it, link to it in your Facebook status—tell the whole world about your Brilliant news! And then ask the rest of your staff to promote it too.