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Best of 2009
This year Demand Studios saw a lot of change. We introduced several new article formats and added more sites that our writers could write for. Not one of those changes and additions came without learning curves, both for us on the editorial team and our CEs and writers.
It feels good to sit back now and see how we all learned from our mistakes and have gotten a better understanding of what is required from all of us to make this work at scale. Our writers and CEs have to learn our formats and we have to listen to their feedback when things are not working as planned and make adjustments when possible.
I think our creators have done a great job this year and I'm looking forward to 2010.
Without further ado, here are my favorites of 2009.
How to Live Healthily Inexpensively
By Lillian Downey
What I Like About It
I like this intro a lot because I can relate to it. I want to make better choices when it comes to what foods I buy, but it's almost always more expensive to make healthier choices. That means the intro did its job, it grabbed my attention and made me want to read the whole article. The article steps also have more than just instructions, they explain why you should do this step or include an example of what to do. Look at step two for example. It would have been easy for the writer to end the step after the second sentence, but she spent some extra time on the article and the end result was great. She also captures the LIVESTRONG voice very well and uses attribution accurately.
How You Can Copy It
The most important question you should ask yourself before submitting your articles is if you think it gives the reader what the title promises. If you're the reader, will you feel satisfied after reading the article or did it just cover the basics? Rachel, who is the editor for Answerbag, calls it the Disappointment Test. If you think the reader might get disappointed after reading your article you should continue to work on it and not submit it yet. Obviously the test only works if you're being completely honest with yourself.
Bankruptcy Rules in Mississippi
By Joseph Nicholson
What I Like About It
We've struggled with these types of titles for a long time now and it was great to find one that delivered what we are looking for. Location titles were often turned into generic articles with very little information that was specific to the actual place mentioned in the title. This article doesn't have that problem. The writer did a fantastic job keeping all the information relevant to Mississippi and included everything from where to file depending on where you live, to all the fees associated with the process.
How You Can Copy It
Go straight to the source and do the research. We often see articles with second hand references, which can be OK in some cases, but it's always best to go to the original source. When information is republished it can be taken out of context or be angled in a way so it fits the agenda of the person or publication that is using it, or even just be misinterpreted. Newspapers print retractions when mistakes are made, but the same cannot always be said about online sources. If a website is updated with edited copy you will probably not notice it unless you're looking for it. A good way of protecting yourself from wrongful information is to go to the original source.
It feels good to sit back now and see how we all learned from our mistakes and have gotten a better understanding of what is required from all of us to make this work at scale. Our writers and CEs have to learn our formats and we have to listen to their feedback when things are not working as planned and make adjustments when possible.
I think our creators have done a great job this year and I'm looking forward to 2010.
Without further ado, here are my favorites of 2009.
How to Live Healthily Inexpensively
By Lillian Downey
What I Like About It
I like this intro a lot because I can relate to it. I want to make better choices when it comes to what foods I buy, but it's almost always more expensive to make healthier choices. That means the intro did its job, it grabbed my attention and made me want to read the whole article. The article steps also have more than just instructions, they explain why you should do this step or include an example of what to do. Look at step two for example. It would have been easy for the writer to end the step after the second sentence, but she spent some extra time on the article and the end result was great. She also captures the LIVESTRONG voice very well and uses attribution accurately.
How You Can Copy It
The most important question you should ask yourself before submitting your articles is if you think it gives the reader what the title promises. If you're the reader, will you feel satisfied after reading the article or did it just cover the basics? Rachel, who is the editor for Answerbag, calls it the Disappointment Test. If you think the reader might get disappointed after reading your article you should continue to work on it and not submit it yet. Obviously the test only works if you're being completely honest with yourself.
Bankruptcy Rules in Mississippi
By Joseph Nicholson
What I Like About It
We've struggled with these types of titles for a long time now and it was great to find one that delivered what we are looking for. Location titles were often turned into generic articles with very little information that was specific to the actual place mentioned in the title. This article doesn't have that problem. The writer did a fantastic job keeping all the information relevant to Mississippi and included everything from where to file depending on where you live, to all the fees associated with the process.
How You Can Copy It
Go straight to the source and do the research. We often see articles with second hand references, which can be OK in some cases, but it's always best to go to the original source. When information is republished it can be taken out of context or be angled in a way so it fits the agenda of the person or publication that is using it, or even just be misinterpreted. Newspapers print retractions when mistakes are made, but the same cannot always be said about online sources. If a website is updated with edited copy you will probably not notice it unless you're looking for it. A good way of protecting yourself from wrongful information is to go to the original source.
