Articles come in different flavors. When choosing the proper format for a prelander, we have several options on the table. Each has a specific structure, aims and its own writing technique.
Problem Solvers
“Are you embarrassed by dandruff? This shampoo starts working from the first wash. It will restore your confidence.” “Are your kids coming home with stubborn grass stains? This soap erases embarrassing hard-to-remove stains, so you’ll be proud of your family again.”
The problem-solver approach is a classic. Someone may even argue it’s synonymous with advertising. However, there’s a snag. If we go, “Here’s a product, here’s why it’s fantastic, buy it,“ the readers will pick up on the sales pitch, which may scare them off. Therefore, we need to create content that solves the audience’s problems without sounding like we’re just trying to sell them something.
How to do so? Translating product features into benefits is the answer. Features are facts about products or services. For example, the smartphone is equipped with a 4000mAh battery. So what? Well, with a battery like this, you can browse the internet for 12 hours without a recharge. Benefits explain how a specific feature solves real-life issues. They connect the product to our desires, such as saving time, making more money and becoming more productive — or less, if we’re talking about scrolling on a smartphone for 12 consecutive hours.
To build an article based on this approach, we need to take the following steps.
- Understand the audience’s problems: What challenges are they facing? What obstacles are standing in their way? What fears and desires define their life?
- Specify the benefits: Specificity is a better strategy than promising a cure-all. It will build trust with the audience and set realistic expectations. So, always answer what exactly the audience can expect from the product.
- Dramatize the experience: Invent a scenario or adapt a relevant, everyday issue the audience may face. Describe the emotional response that the issue provokes. Show how a product is used to solve the issue.
- Not just tell but also show: For example, use before-and-after images to illustrate the solution. It not only makes content more engaging but also makes it more convincing.
How-To Guides
Alternatively, we can shape a problem solver as a how-to article. Instructional articles — and their titles — address how to perform a task or how to solve a certain issue. Coincidentally, these articles are similar to what we google when facing a problem.
We can guide our audience through a task in clear, straightforward steps that incorporate using the product. Pictures can help the readers follow along and serve as a valuable aid to written instructions.
Stories
Converting a problem solver into a narrative story is another tactic. Invoking the power of storytelling amplifies engagement. We human beings are easily hooked on following heroes through problems and solutions. To make a story work, we must ensure the readers relate to the characters and situations. This is where a simple, clear structure comes in handy.
- Problem: In the introduction, we need to describe the difficulties the product is intended to solve without mentioning the product. Connect it with the audience’s pains and desires. A few real-life examples can be the perfect entry points into the story. Being concise but striking is critical.
- Character: Next, we introduce a person who struggled with the problem. Don’t be shy about describing their backstory. Life is never all cherries and diamonds. However, being overly dramatic is not welcome. We aim to make the readers recognize their own challenges in the characters, not pity them.
- Solution: Finally, we introduce the product that can solve the problem. We can also mention a situation where a hero learns about the product. For instance, "I heard from a coworker when chatting during a coffee break."
- Results: Here goes the description of how the product improved the character’s life. We can shape this part as a miniature review explaining how much they enjoyed the product. It should give the audience specific reasons why the product was helpful.
We can enhance the story with before-and-after photos, opinions of experts and comments from other users who experienced similar issues and solved it with the product.
Product Reviews
People consider expert or customer reviews on the same level as recommendations from a family member or friend. Tailoring an extended testimonial about the product's use can be a powerful tool if it matches these features.
- Specific: The review gives a particular reason why the product was good and why others should consider buying, too. Specificity boosts credibility and makes the review feel more authentic — readers need to believe the reviewer experienced good service.
- Natural: A good review doesn’t feel like a press release or a scientific case study. So, avoiding PR phrases or technical jargon is a must. The language needs to be natural and authentic — casual in tone yet seasoned with expertise.
- Beneficial: A good review demonstrates how the products can improve someone’s life. It is what makes others interested in buying, too.
- Objection handling: A good review predicts objections and answers skeptical questions that prevent people from purchasing.
- Non-sugary: It’s easy to spot an oversell. So if tempted to sing odes to a hair loss remedy, it’s better to focus on the details. If the audience can learn enough about the product, they will likely come to their own conclusion.
Advertorials
If looking for a time-killer read, what would you choose between "How To Protect Your Home From Burglars" and "We Bet You Didn't Know These Home Burglary Facts"? Both articles can be well-written and informative. However, if you're not specifically interested in installing a new security system, you will likely read the latter because it just sounds interesting.
An advertorial is a blend of “advertisement” and “editorial”. Beyond giving valuable information and directing toward sales, it entertains the readers. It seems clear, but sometimes it's easier said than done. A well-written editorial needs to seamlessly integrate a sales pitch into the fabric of captivating content.
Big-name brands prefer advertorials because they’re a great way to seduce the audience slowly. It’s like going on a date with someone you like. You wouldn’t get down on one knee and propose to them on the first date. You would likely never see them again. Instead, you’ll want to tell fun anecdotes from your life to amuse and charm them.
Explainers
Advertorials can take a more serious shape in the form of explainers. The explainer’s job is to teach the readers about a new topic. Usually, it deals with trendy stuff everyone’s buzzing about without an in-depth understanding of the subject. For example, if we promote an AR app, we can integrate the product into an explainer of how AR works.
People love explainers because they turn curious readers into informed connoisseurs. A good explainer helps the audience to digest new, often strange, information. It breaks down indigestible facts into clear examples written with simple language.
Listicles
A listicle is a set of mini-articles structured as a list. While they are often criticized as clickbait, listicles are a popular and preferred article format, and we can blame ourselves for that. This is because our brains naturally admire lists.
A listicle promises a clear structure that requires less effort to understand. And there’s little that our brains crave more than that. Headlines that contain numbers catch our eye in the daily stream of content. Moreover, using a number lets readers know they won’t just get one piece of information but several. It’s easy to see that the title “12 Ways to Lose Weight” is more valuable than “This Method Helps You Lose Weight”.
Online stores are a natural fit for a listicle. If we promote a store that sells gadgets, we can use the title “15 New Smartphones That Selling Like Hot Pancakes”. But note, we’ll have to describe each product and specify that we can buy them at this marketplace.
Native advertising is a playground for inventing and testing new approaches. But remember, your content is just one piece of the puzzle. How you spread the word about your product and engage with the audience also counts. At MGID, we can assist with creating prelanders — from brainstorming article ideas to hosting a webpage and creating ads in the MGID network. If you’re unsure how best to proceed with your offers and would like professional help, don’t hesitate to contact your sales or account manager.
