Overall Style and Tone
Articles on lapco.com are generally written using an informal writing style.
This means writing in a conversational style rather than a more formal or technical style when possible.
- State your point early in the article
- Use casual, familiar language (i.e. don't use too many big words)
- Write in clear, direct and succinct sentences
- Avoid writing in a manner that is intellectually showy or arrogant
- Try to integrate your personal writing voice (e.g. dry, sarcastic, passionate, etc.)
Article Format
Popular articles on lapco.com fall into two categories: List Posts and Essay Posts.
Here are two examples List Post – Essay Post
List Posts
List Posts are articles comprising a list of points.
Here are some tips for writing list posts:
- Start each point with a short-and-sweet summary of the point itself. In the final article, this will usually appear in bold.
- Put your strongest points at the beginning and end of your list. This makes your article appealing to people who quickly scan the points before reading.
- If you have longer and shorter points, mix them up to create visual interest on the page.
Essay Posts
Essay posts are more freeform in nature but tend to have a logical flow, with each paragraph leading naturally from the last. Essay posts can include elements such as subheadings, blockquotes, and inline images to help organize content visually. Essay posts usually have a recognisable beginning (opening or introduction), middle and end (closing or conclusion).
Here are some tips for writing essay posts:
- Make sure you start strong. Readers will use the first few sentences to decide whether they will read the whole article.
- Keep your paragraphs short. Popular posts average three sentences per paragraph.
- End with a "call to action." In the conclusion to your post, encourage the reader to take some positive step. For instance, if you've given them a list of tips, prompt them to put some of the tips into practice.
Article Length
We are requesting articles in the 500–1,000 words range.
What Not To Do
- No links to competitor content or products
- No articles that have previously been published elsewhere