9 angles to help you write hit articles!

I will tell you how everyone can write a hit article from the following 9 perspectives.

1. What is a hot article?

2. How to find the hot spots

3. Angle determines victory or defeat

4. Title determines the outcome

5. Captivate people at the beginning

6. Make good use of the universal framework

7. Make good use of the writing style

8. Ending to stimulate forwarding

9. Find the right time to publish

1. What is a hot article?

First of all, you must have a clear understanding and positioning of the term "blockbuster article".

Everyone has a different definition of a hit article. For me, I distinguish between big hit articles and small hit articles.

The most popular articles have been read over a million times , such as "Don't be too upset about joining a startup " and "The difference between you and a first-class flight is not just money." Millions of reads mean that within one or two days after the article is published, your circle of friends and your friends’ circle of friends will be filled with your article. If a post can gain 50,000 or 100,000 followers in one day, it is called a hit post. I have always believed that the emergence of this phenomenon is due to too many accidental factors.

There is also another type of article, which is a small hit article, which is an article that has three to five times more reading volume than your usual reading volume.

The size of each public account is different. For example, if a post usually has only 100 readers, but suddenly the number of readers reaches 10,000, this is a popular article.

Next, I will talk in detail about how to write this kind of small hit article and how to grasp every detail so that our article will have the qualities of a hit at first glance.

2. How to find the hot spots

There are two types of hot spots: one is sudden hot spots, and the other is eternal pain points.

Sudden hot spots are what we often call hot events . Finding such hot spots requires a strong sensitivity. Trends are time-sensitive, and the earlier you enter, the more competitive you will be.

After discovering the hot spots before others, you also need to have strong action power. For example, Wang Baoqiang’s divorce in 2016. The Weibo message was sent at 12 midnight. At that time, a friend of mine got up at 12 o'clock to write about hot topics, wrote until 3 o'clock in the morning, and posted the article at 7 o'clock in the morning. He gained 30,000 followers that day.

For a long time, I was resistant to riding on the popularity of other people. But now I don’t think so. If I can use hot topics to better spread the valuable things I write, it will be much better than just sticking to the hot topics and not taking advantage of them.

However, hot topics do not appear frequently, but the official account cannot be interrupted in updating. what to do? Pain points are eternal. Articles on topics related to this topic will not have bad spreadability .

A good friend of mine, who is the owner of a well- known self-media account called “Piaohan Yikemao”, once held a major sharing session. The title of this sharing session is "Ten Powerful Ways for Ordinary People to Rise Quickly". Look at this title, every word hits the pain point: ordinary people, fast, rise, ten fierce tricks. It’s hard for a title like this not to be popular.

In fact, the underlying logic of finding hot spots is to increase sensitivity to people and things. The improvement of the underlying logic is not only conducive to writing, but also of great help to everyone's study, work and life. Remember, the extension of the article is life and human nature.

After talking about the cognitive factors of hit articles, let’s talk about the specific methods of finding the hit points.

Follow the trend: When the wind comes, following it can bring certain potential energy

In early July 2016, millions of people in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou staged a “ 4-hour escape from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ”. According to the backend statistics of Xin Shi Xiang , three hours after the launch of the event, the number of readings of this article exceeded 1 million, with more than 5,200 comments and nearly 100,000 new followers.

Three hours later, LinkedIn invited me to write an article about escaping from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou , titled "Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou You Can't Escape From". The article started with "Beijing may be the most dynamic city in China", wrote about the advantages and disadvantages of Beijing, and then broadened from Beijing to the entire "Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou", clearly describing the two sides of big cities, and the pros and cons can be seen at a glance. The article ends by pointing out that even if one can escape physically, the temperament acquired over the years in the city will be integrated into one’s life.

As expected, the article published that night became popular. After all, only a few people can actually get the plane tickets , and only a very few people can truly escape from "Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou". The reason why this article of mine became popular is because I caught up with this trend.

Become the wind: do great things and become a wind-leader

We cannot just follow passively all the time. We must choose the right time to take the initiative, become the trend, do great things, and become the one who leads the trend.

In the self-media circle, relying on hot topics and following trends to produce popular articles and increase followers is a shortcut. If your influence exceeds your ability, in an age of such attention shortage, it will only take a matter of minutes for people to forget about you.

If you have the ability and are lucky enough to have this opportunity, you might as well face the challenge and make yourself a hot topic. I have to say that Xin Shixiang has done a very good job in this regard. In addition to the "Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou", there is also the "Book Throwing Campaign", which has been all over the circle of friends again and again, proving its strength time and time again.

Find the point where emotional energy converges

I once wrote an article: "The best relationship between bosses and subordinates is mutual achievement."

In most people's perception, the relationship between bosses and subordinates is one of exploitation and being exploited. However, I realized that this kind of relationship was not a comfortable one, and that strong emotional energy was accumulated in this antagonistic relationship.

Where there are emotions, there will be opinions; where there are high-energy emotions, there will be strong opinions. Such strong opinions are the hot spots that self-media people love to see.

Positive beating dispels emotions, negative beating triggers emotions

Once you find the hot topic, you can start writing articles.

There are two directions to create a hit product: one is positive, which is to resolve conflicts; the other is negative, which is to trigger conflicts. Taking the relationship between bosses and employees as an example, I chose to attack it from a positive perspective, so I wrote an article called "The best relationship between bosses and subordinates is mutual achievement."

Mimi Meng has also written about this topic, but from the opposite perspective, with an article called "You think your boss is an idiot, and your boss thinks the same about you." This article is a typical example of reverse emotional detonation. Mimi Meng is very good at finding a point of empathy in the text, allowing you to inadvertently amplify your anger and resonance between the lines.

How you choose depends on the tone and values ​​of your official account. A simple principle is that useful accounts tend to dissipate emotions, while entertainment accounts tend to ignite emotions.

Although both articles have been read over 100,000 times, Mimi Meng’s number of views is higher than mine, not just because she has a larger fan base than me. The real reason is that reverse hot spots are naturally more likely to trigger emotional forwarding.

The output of articles is essentially the output of values. So what is the role of values ​​in dealing with hot selling points? Values ​​determine the direction of the entire article, especially in workplace writing. You are using values ​​to influence others, and words are just a carrier. A big reason why you like an author or a public account is that you agree with his values. So remember, your values ​​​​determine the way you write.

Moderate views equal mediocrity

When writing for new media , especially when writing articles on hot topics, one must have a clear stance. You may not be right about everything you say, but you cannot be without a stance. Most of the time, being moderate in your views is equivalent to being mediocre.

A stance is like a flag. People who want to raise this flag will most likely forward your article. But don't take sides randomly. The bottom line of taking sides is political correctness. A unique point of view does not mean seeking popularity or deliberately going against others.

It's better to take sides early. The earlier you set up your flag, the more likely you are to become the most influential one. Most of us will focus on the first one, but may not care much about the second or third one.

To sum up, finding the hot spots requires deliberate training. We need to cultivate sensitivity towards people, be sensitive towards life, and be good at discovery. A lot of materials and inspiration exist in our lives. We need to be able to dig them out and use them for our own benefit. There is no output without input.

3. Angle determines victory or defeat

The article I am going to analyze next is titled "No one around me who has left the system regrets it so far." First of all, I would like to state that everything I talk about is my own first-hand experience. I don’t guarantee that it is all correct, but I just hope it can be inspiring to everyone.

I have summarized the four eternal pain points of mankind. Do you remember what they are?

Let's briefly review:

The first is radicalism and conservatism in career. A typical example is the conflict and game between big cities and small cities.

Second, stability and adventure in life is also an enduring pain point.

The third is the upgrade of thinking for cognitive growth. Growth is a basic need for everyone.

Fourth, the mutual competition and complementation between capabilities and platforms.

The topic of inside and outside the system is definitely not a bad topic, so what angle should I choose? When choosing an angle, you must keep this sentence in mind: "Are you helping the reader realize himself?"

Many people only write about their own feelings and ignore the readers' emotions and experiences. This was almost a fatal mistake.

Let me give you a very simple example. Have you noticed that when many people are giving speeches on stage, they speak of their experiences with great emotion, moving themselves to tears, but we who are listening below have no expression on our faces and feel quite embarrassed.

The audience’s inner thoughts at this moment are: You said it well, but what does this have to do with me?

Some people are too easily blind to other people's feelings and fall into a state of self-absorption. Others also shared their own experiences, and we were very moved and felt very involved when we listened to them.

A good speaker will make the audience feel that the content of the speech is related to themselves, or even feel that the speech is about themselves.

The same goes for writing. During the writing process, you must pull yourself out of the writing process, think from the reader's perspective, and keep asking yourself a question: Are you helping the reader realize himself?

Help readers express their ideas

Suppose a reader is considering leaving the system, but no one around him supports him. At this time, he wants to explain his inner thoughts, but unfortunately he cannot convince others. I chose this topic at this time to rationally and objectively describe the reasons why some people leave the system and what they gain outside the system. Once such an article is published, it expresses what the reader is thinking, which coincides with his own thoughts.

As long as the writing and logic of the following article are not too bad, there is a high possibility that he will save this article and send it to his closest friends who are trying to persuade him.

Let readers create their own image

Everyone wants to read some articles to seek their own image identity. A big part of the reason why my article " Luo Yonghao , We'll Give You Another Ten Years" resonated with people is that it gave a sense of identity to a group of readers who love Luo Yonghao.

Help readers make comparisons, even if it is to show off their superiority

When my first writing course went online in 2017, it was unexpectedly popular. I was a little flattered and very happy by the readers’ enthusiasm, so I wrote an article titled “First Time Selling, I Sold 1 Million.” To be honest, I was feeling extremely proud at the time, even a little inflated, so I wanted to write an article to show off.

As a result, many readers who recognized me and students of the first writing class felt proud to be able to participate in this phenomenal black swan event of knowledge payment . Then I saw them forwarding recommendations in their circle of friends, saying that this writing class was great, that they were lucky enough to participate, that they had finally signed up, and so on and so forth, so we happily "put on airs" together.

The article itself can help others

Some useful articles that are closely related to our daily lives, especially those that subvert cognition or list practical tips, are easy to get forwarded. This is like "Don't order these dishes! 3 Secrets of Ordering Food That Restaurant Owners Least Want to Tell You" "Cucumbers Actually Have This Function! The reason why articles like "If I had known, I would have eaten one every day" are sweeping our parents' circle of friends.

Although there are many articles with catchy clickbait titles and even misleading content, the popularity of these articles gives us an inspiration from the perspective of content and dissemination: when writing, we should consider whether the article can help our friends and relatives.

Let’s get back to the article we disassembled.

Those who have left the system, while working hard in the wonderful but helpless world outside, ask themselves in their dreams at some midnight: "Will I regret leaving the stable system?"

If I do well, like me, I will definitely be very touched and say to myself that I have no regrets. And for those who may not be doing well outside the system, they have not failed, they just haven't made it yet, right?

Please remember that most of the content we post on WeChat Moments and the articles we forward are done in the hope that others will see that we are more powerful, even if we are just pretending to be powerful.

So, when I realized that the purpose of writing this article was to evoke the emotional resonance of some people who have left the system and express the pride of those who have not entered the system, I determined the angle of the article.

4. Title determines the outcome

The next thing to think about is: Can the title of the article you came up with impress yourself?

The title I originally wanted to write was "The Three Years After I Left the System", or "How are those who left the system back then doing now?" I even thought of a very exaggerated title: "In the three years since I left the system, my income has increased 100 times."

What do you think of these titles? It's pretty standard and can indeed arouse curiosity, but it's not topical.

In the end, I chose this title: "No one around me who has left the system regrets it so far."

When readers see this title, they will have two emotions in their hearts. Why don’t you regret leaving the system? This is the first floor. But there is more of a second wave: Is it true that there is no regret in leaving the system? Not necessarily. I don’t believe it. So they opened the article with curiosity and doubt.

Many people like to watch American TV series. Why are American TV series so good? Have you ever noticed that when something is about to happen at the end of each episode, it suddenly ends? At this time, the seed of your curiosity is planted, and you can't wait to catch up with the drama.

What is a top article? It's an article that you want to read in one go, but you can't bear to finish in one go.

5. Captivate people at the beginning

For public account articles, the most difficult and risky parts are the beginning and the end. If the beginning is not well written, readers will not read on; if the ending is not well written, readers will not forward it.

In 2017, there was a popular article titled "I am Fan Yusu". Do you remember the first sentence at the beginning of the article?

My life is a book that is too painful to finish reading, and fate has bound it very poorly.

With such a vivid expression, the reader's inner thoughts must be: How miserable is her life? How did fate play tricks on her? Coupled with clever rhetoric, we seem to be able to feel the pain of Fan Yusu's life being bound. This is the stimulation created by the beginning of a good article. It catches our eyes and makes us want to read on.

The beginning of an article, like the title, must be attractive and plant a seed in the reader's mind. Specifically, it aims to achieve the following four effects:

• Vertical screen

The truth has no visual sense, but the story does. Telling stories and creating pictures, this is why Mimi Meng always likes to start her articles by saying "I have a cousin", "I have a classmate", or "I have an intern".

• With substitution

The scenes expressed in your story must be familiar to readers, so that readers can feel involved and think.

• Express emotions

It means that your story should convey a point of view, position and emotion indirectly or directly through the examples of others or yourself.

• Lay the groundwork

Leave questions, twists or suspense to pave the way for the next paragraph.

Please read the beginning of my article:

This is the first part of the article. The first part of the beginning can be a sentence that is very explosive, or it can be an attractive paragraph. I took the second approach.

In the first sentence, I will talk about a phenomenon to create an image in the reader's mind of more and more people leaving the system. Then two shorter examples were used. One was about the former CCTV host Fan Deng, who was an example of someone else and seemed high-end; the second was an example of a friend around him and seemed down-to-earth. Two dimensions are provided to encourage readers to think and associate specifically, and these two examples are used to illustrate the phenomenon that "more and more people around us are choosing to leave the system."

Then lay the groundwork by raising the question, "What's wrong with this world?" to arouse curiosity.

This opening of mine may not be the best, but at least I did not make a technical mistake, which is making the opening example too long. Please remember that in the beginning, before stating your point, the examples should not be too long, and you must let the readers understand the purpose of your examples.

6. Make good use of the universal framework

After writing the introduction, we need to expand the content, which includes two aspects. The first is the article framework, which makes the content stand out. The second is to write and make the content come alive.

Some people don't have the habit of making an outline when writing articles. They often just write whatever comes to mind, and after reading their articles themselves, they feel that there is no logic at all. When you first start practicing, it is best to write an outline. Once you become proficient at it, you can make a mental draft or draw a mind map.

I would like to recommend a particularly useful "universal framework" that you can learn and use immediately: express your opinion - explain the phenomenon - do analysis - draw conclusions. The overall framework of the entire article can be used in this way, and each small argument can also be used in this way.

Here is the second part of my article:

This is where the second part ends. Now let’s break it down and see how I incorporated the four key points of the universal framework into the article.

• Bright Point

• Talking about the phenomenon : Let readers "get into the story"

Every time an argument is made, some phenomena will be described to establish a sense of identification, making people feel that these things are not unfamiliar and are really happening to them. This is what gets your readers into the story.

It is best if this scenario is one that your readers will also encounter, so that the article can be relatable to the readers. It should also include a conflict of values, which is the inner demon mentioned earlier.

Here I give the example of a friend from my hometown who came out of a government compound. Not only did he use an event that happened around him, but he also used a description of a conversation, and the situation was almost rendered. Next we need to start the analysis, and we cannot just talk about the phenomenon.

• Do analysis 1 : Analyze what is happening in the scene and draw out your own opinions

Why do I list the above scenarios? To prove my point: many people who have left the system either have confidence, or have a good attitude, or think very clearly that life is just a game .

• Analysis 2 : Stimulate readers’ resonance

It should be noted that the analysis must have a clear position and emotional expression. For example, I wrote: "Many people who have left the system either have confidence, a good attitude, or think very clearly that life is just a game." The last sentence "Life is just a game" is a golden sentence. After explaining the principle clearly, summarize it in one sentence.

• Conclusion

After layers of analysis, we will draw a conclusion. Finally, once again, the attitude is made clear, "so they won't regret it." All the previous preparations serve the conclusion. The conclusion should be as concise and to the point as possible, and it is best to summarize it with a classic saying. Even if the reader forgets the entire article, as long as he remembers this sentence, he will understand why you wrote thousands of words.

Not only the conclusion of the article, but also every time you finish writing an example, you must have a summary. It would be better if it is a golden sentence, which would be more perfect.

My intuition and experience tell me that since I have chosen such a controversial topic, I must make it rounded up so that people feel it is both unexpected and reasonable.

So, I wrote this in the third part:

After reading this, do you think that the point I want to express is that real talents can actually do well both inside and outside the system? What I don’t like is that many people have iron rice bowls but complain about the system every day, saying that the platform is not worthy of their ambitions.

When I put forward this point of view, have I resolved this controversial topic? And what I hate is also what the general public hates, right? Moreover, this expression makes the whole article fuller and more three-dimensional.

If you look again, when entering the third part, the framework I used when writing is still roughly the same as the structure of “state the point of view - describe the phenomenon - make analysis - draw conclusions”.

At this point in the article, I have expressed my views clearly. Is it time to wrap it up? No no no!

If you want to write better and make it a hit, you need to elevate the theme and reach a higher level of cognition, so there is a fourth part.

Furthermore, I think the difference between inside and outside the system is not in a narrow sense that public institutions or civil servants are inside the system, and enterprises or freelancers are outside the system. This division is too superficial and biased.

I think the only difference between being inside the system and outside the system is whether the platform can fully unleash your abilities and potential.

Are there any risks outside the system? Of course, is the market competition fierce? Of course it's intense. However, I believe that China in recent years is experiencing a new round of "reform and opening up" brought about by the Internet .

It must be admitted that the current Internet industry has brought more imaginative value to truly outstanding talents.

In traditional business, individuals have too little say, and organizations and companies occupy channels and distribution resources, so corporate brands become increasingly stronger, and individuals can only rely more on organizations and companies to become vested interests.

But the most amazing thing about the Internet is that it breaks down all intermediaries and directly amplifies personal value. Therefore, outstanding people are more likely to seize the dividends of the Internet and become the darlings of this era.

The wage growth model inside the system is linear, while the exponential model outside the system is similar to equity. The word "system" has changed from a guarantee of life to a constraint on innovation, and the risk of stability is actually greater.

When the imagination outside the system is greater and when the cost of staying within the system is higher, many smart people will start to vote with their feet.

In this part, I actually raised it to a new level. I blurred the boundary between inside and outside the system. I no longer defined it from a narrow perspective, but jumped to a larger macro pattern. I think the only difference between being inside the system and outside the system is whether this platform can fully unleash your abilities and potential.

This is to elevate cognition and bring readers greater gains and enlightenment.

7. Make good use of the writing style

I just talked about the framework structure, which is the skeleton part of an article. Next, I will talk about the flesh and blood part, which is the writing style of an article.

Text density: Don’t be verbose, be concise and efficient

The text density should be moderate. In simple terms, don't be too wordy and list examples only when necessary. Even if you have to write, it should be scattered, and the juxtaposition and progression of examples should have levels.

Some people may say: I just can’t control myself, what should I do? Then write it all down in the first draft, and then cut it down. If you cannot confirm what to write from the beginning, just write whatever comes to mind. Examples that are not useful this time may be useful next time.

Picture sense: detailed and vivid cases

The description of details must be specific, only when the details are specific can the picture emerge. Writer Yan Geling is a master in this area. Many of her works have been adapted into films, such as "The Flowers of War" and "Lu Fan Yan Shi". Why are her works so popular with directors? Because she writes with great visuals and her descriptions of details are excellent.

Emotional: Opinions must be clear about what you like and what you hate

In addition to the visual sense, our writing must also be emotional, that is, the point of view must be clear. Whatever feeling you want your readers to have, anger or reconciliation, you must allow your readers to strongly sense your emotions and have their emotions change along with your article.

To do this, you must have the corresponding emotions when writing, so that your words will be conveyed to readers with these emotions.

8. Ending to stimulate forwarding

Many people think that the article is over after writing "Many smart people will start voting with their feet." But, in fact, this is not enough.

When readers read this, they will think that it makes sense and is correct. But will readers forward it because of reason, or because of emotion? Remember, the moment a reader forwards your article, they are reacting emotionally, not rationally.

What was the final blow? So I came to the end of the article, and I wrote this:

At the end, I want to give readers reasons to forward this article.

Here is a little tip. The last sentence I usually design for an article is the one that asks readers to write a recommendation.

This is user thinking. Think about it, a user thinks this article is well-written and can't help but forward it. At this time, he needs a comment. The most impressive thing in his mind may be the last sentence, and I just gave it to him. How great!

There is an unwritten rule for popular articles: the conclusion must contain golden sentences.

What to do if there are no golden quotes? Build your own library of golden sentences. When you see golden sentences, you should pay attention to them and keep them in preparation for subsequent writing. Take a small notebook to record it, or write it down in a memo. It’s not a big deal to copy down a sentence, but it can play a huge role in the future.

9. Find the right time to publish

Tencent has officially announced the peak time periods for public account readings: 7-9 a.m., 12 noon to 2 p.m., 6-8 p.m., and after 10 p.m. My experience is that the two most popular sharing times of the day are: 10-12 am and 8-10 pm. The most popular time of the week for sharing is Wednesday.

Depending on the positioning of the article, the time chosen for publication will be different every day. For example, if your article is positioned as inspirational, you can publish it before 8 am every day. If your article is funny and humorous, then it is also suitable to publish it between 7 and 8 in the evening. If your article is emotional, post it after 10pm. In the city that never sleeps, most people who suffer from insomnia are tossing and turning because of their emotions, apart from illness or biological clock disorders.

By targeting the target group and pushing appropriate content, users' reading habits are actually very easy to cultivate, and the conversion rate will naturally increase.

Summarize

In summary, a good article should be completed in one go: the title should be novel and eye-catching, capturing people's curiosity and thus gaining a high number of clicks ; the beginning should be exciting, capturing people's hearts and causing their attention or resonance, thus making people want to read on; the content should have a clear theme, address hot topics in a timely manner, have its own unique point of view, and convince readers with facts and reason, so that readers will feel that they have benefited a lot and that the reading is not in vain; the ending is a place where the theme is sublimated and enlightenment is achieved.

For a hit article, the title should be attractive, the beginning should be catchy, the content should be convincing, and the ending should have a sense of appeal. Each part is important and indispensable.

In this era of information fragmentation and extremely rapid information updating, popular articles undoubtedly conform to the reading habits of the general public. Nowadays, everyone is a reader and has the potential to become a writer of hit articles. After laying a solid foundation in writing, and then thoroughly studying the writing techniques of hit articles and practicing more, in fact everyone can write their own hit article.

I don’t know how to write because I read too little, and I write poorly because I have written too little. Sometimes it is possible that an article you have high hopes for does not receive the expected response, while an article you wrote inadvertently becomes a hit. But if you move in the right direction, you will have a greater chance.

Source: spenser