The writer's studio

So you want to write something for Business Age? Fantastic!

This is a quick guide to creating something fabulous that will generate a wide readership and boost your brand.

Please click on the links embedded: they'll take you to a further article elaborating on each point. We've condensed a lot of information.

1) Let's start with picking an angle

We've created this guide to help you. In a nutshell: Be specific. And be original. We get a dizzying number of pitches which are just generic fluff. "How to improve your profits". Nope. You need to really research until you've got a sensational headline. Read our guide, and look especially at the sections on counter-intuitive thinking, and the headlines of Adrian Chiles (seriously! Give us a headline as good as his).

2) How to write your article

Please check out this very short guide. Very roughly, just keep it chatty. Avoid managementese. And start with an explosive intro. Those qualities alone will put you in the top 10 per cent of submissions.

Here's another very short and very simple guide by an independent writing consultant. This is great! Please read it.

> Why your article is struggling. Please read our guide to the errors writers make.

3) Photos!

We hate to say it, but photos simply bamboozle the majority of PR agencies. Why? We don't know. But our request for creative images of clients triggers blind panic at most agencies. In the era of Instagram and smartphones this is absurd. If the article focuses on a startup or company then we need a strong lead image. Not a headshot - those are for LinkedIn.

For opinion pieces we subscribe to iStockphoto.com, so feel free to find something there you like (not compulsory, we'll find an image if none is supplied).

We publish 970x693 pixels landscape, and 130x130px for the thumbnail. Submit the image in both file sizes and we'll love you forever (not compulsory, we can also crop if you don't know how to).

Agencies able to supply terrific photos of their clients go straight to the top of our inbox. Be ambitious! And yes, you can take stunning pics with an iPhone.

Here is the full Business Age guide to photos for PRs.

4) File your article

Send to us as a Google Doc link. This helps with formatting, and if we need to collaborate on editing.

Remove extra spaces between paragraphs.

Use the Spelling & Grammar check on Google Docs. It's the strongest available.

5) Post publication generate links

We'll notify you when an article is live. Start by linking to it via your corporate blog. When that is done, post to LinkedIn and Facebook. Traffic varies wildly for each article, and incoming links is one of the main reasons.

Offer: We supply feedback if requested.

MASTERCLASS: We also offer a 40 minute bespoke tutorial: "How to pitch and write an opinion piece". Done via Zoom, it's a crash course of concepts from idea creation and pitching, to writing and editing. There's a lot there, so it's ideal for PR agencies with younger staff who need training. Check it out here.

Writing an article is a strong way to generate brand awareness. A brand can be transformed from a forgettable corporate entity into a familiar, profound, and respected identity. An article on Business Age may be the first interaction a potential client has with the brand, so let's make it a memorable one.