I have lost count of the number of times when, while browsing through pages of Nigerian newspapers, I find some articles and news items that have been picked up from blogs and websites. I easily know this because the newspaper credits the source of the article or news item. When a Nigerian newspaper republishes a news item or article from a blog, it boosts that blog’s credibility and makes it more popular.
And since the newspaper will most likely republish the item on its website as well, a massive flush of traffic will be driven towards the blog. That, to me, is enough reward for the consent given by the author of the news item or article.
If you are a Nigerian blogger, chances are that you want massive traffic to your blog. You want your blog to become popular. And you want people to regard it as one of the go-to sources of authentic information. A smart way to realize all these is to publish news items and articles that Nigerian newspapers will find interesting and republish.
How can you write news items and articles that have the potential to be picked up and republished by big Nigerian newspapers? Here are five tips that can help you achieve that:
How to Write Articles That Get Picked Up By Big Newspapers
1. Write powerful headlines
Whether an article or a news item will attract the attention of readers or big newspapers depend on its headline. While a powerful headline will grab the readers’ attention and make then develop instant interest in the piece, a poorly written headline will make them ignore your article or news item—no matter how powerful the content might be.
So, to attract newspapers to your article, you need to work on your headlines and make them as powerful and compelling as possible.
2. Write on topics of general interest
Because newspapers appeal to a wide range of people, they always prefer publishing news items and articles that will be of general interest. Little wonder, most of the articles and news items I have seen newspapers republish are on topics such as politics and current affairs.
So, if you want newspapers to show interest in and republish articles and news items that you publish on your website or blog, you need to write on topics that majority of Nigerians are interested in. If you are blogging about technical topics, such as law, medicine, and so on, only few people will understand and be interested in your articles. And newspapers won’t republish pieces on such topics.
3. Share your content on social media
Unless your blog is very popular, chances are there that only few people will get to read your newly published news items and articles. And chances are newspapers are not aware your blog even exists. To increase the chances of your write-ups being picked up and republished by big Nigerian newspapers, you need to proactively promote them after publishing.
Social media is a powerful and effective medium for this. So, if you have not created accounts for your blog on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other popular social media platforms, do that now. And start using them to spread word of every new article or news item you publish on your blog. As people find your content interesting, they will share it on social media with others who will share it, too. This way, your content goes viral and attracts the attention of newspapers who might just decide to republish it.
4. Be unique
No one will be interested in your articles if they are on topics that people already know about. People are in constant need of new ideas, new information, new tips, and new opinions. And only if you offer that will they show interest in your write-ups.
Even if you won’t be the first to write on a certain topic, you need to add a unique touch to it, so people deem it different from what they have been reading before. If you constantly publish articles and blog posts that are interestingly unique, chances are high that big Nigerian newspapers will be interested in republishing them.
5. Contact newspapers
If you want newspapers to become aware of your content and republish it, you can simply contact them, informing them about the new write-up and your intent to have it republished in their dailies. If they deem your news article or blog post worthy of being published in their daily publications, they will readily have it published.
Sometimes, it takes some proactive measures to make things happen the way we want. This is one of the many instances where being proactive can help you get what you want.