Blog Guidelines

Welcome to the GovWebworks blog writing guidelines. Please find details, tips, and suggestions below.

Format

The following are the main elements of a blog:

1. Header Image: Graphic that captures the essence of the post.

2. Title: Dynamic and catchy description of topic of the post.
Use present tense and title case (initial caps on all words except a, or, and, the, etc.)

3. Subtitle: Summary of the topic addressed in the post.
Use present tense and sentence case (initial cap only on first word)

4. Byline: Author’s name and title with headshot in Gravatar.

5. Content: Plus/minus 1500 words on the topic.

6. Learn More: Links to related resources and other blogs.

Process

We invite and appreciate your willingness to write a post. This is generally how the process works.

1. Begin with a brainstorm meeting with editor and author to define idea.
2. Editor assigns story and creates deadline reminders in Google calendar.
3. Author writes an outline of the post with notes and links in a Google doc.
4. Editor reviews and provides feedback.
5. Editor and author consult with Creative for directive on the header graphic.
6. Author submits first draft in a Google doc.
7. Editor reads over for clarity of statement and voice and makes some suggestions in person and in Google doc comments.
8. Author makes any necessary changes.
9. Editor reviews for copy edits and typos and makes comments in Google doc for author to review.
10. Biz Dev does final review and may or may not provide further edits.
11. Author reviews copyedits and edits and makes any final changes.
12. Editor transfers post from Google doc to WordPress blog template and adds images and links, meta tags, etc, and does final proof.
13. Editor sends author preview of pending article for final review.
14. Article is published to blog ideally on a Tuesday.
15. The post is promoted on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and to the author to share on their channels.
16. Editor reaches out to any sources and asks them to retweet.
17. Post goes viral!

Note: We like to give authors some choices in the editing process, let us know what you prefer:

• For first round of edits, we can meet in person to discuss edits, or you can review comments in Google doc.
• For second round of edits, we can point out copyedits and proofreading and you do the edits yourself, or we can do them for you. These edits may include typos, grammar, positioning, etc.

Structure

If it helps to have a prompt, think of the Star Wars hero’s journey as you write. You are given a challenge that you must solve to save the universe. Tell us what the challenge is, what the obstacles are to solving it, and how you solved it. Tell us a story of what you went through so that others can learn from your ordeal. You can also feel free to ignore this, or come back to it after you’ve written the post and use it to edit.

Hero’s Journey Structure: Challenge + Obstacles + Solution + Nugget of Truth + Directive

1. Challenge: Intro paragraph defines the issue you faced that was making life difficult
2. Obstacles: Two paragraphs or bullet list with examples of the obstacles this issue created
3. Solution: Section on how you overcame the obstacles with examples of tools and project examples
4. Nugget of Truth: Take-away learned from your efforts that others can use to succeed
5. Directive: Call to action, which is usually hire us to help with this topic!

Outline

Start with an outline to clarify objectives. It can be helpful to use a five paragraph essay structure with intro, three points, and conclusion.

Intro should include:

1. Hook to grab attention in first two lines (see hooks below)
2. Sentence or two about challenges faced and why it is important for the target audience to overcome them
3. State purpose of the blog and points that will be addressed

Paragraphs should include:

1. Topic sentence about the specific point being addressed
2. Supporting info, data, quote about why that point is important for target audience
3. Summary of what was learned

Conclusion should include:

1. Summary of purpose and three points stated in a different way than intro
2. What was learned in the exploration, nugget of truth
3. Call to action

Writing tips

Some general guidelines for a successful blog post:

1. Identify and address needs of target audience 

Picture a certain person in your mind representing the target audience. Will the hook and purpose resonate with that person? What does that person need to know to be successful? What takeaway will help that person the most?

2. Establish voice and tone for the article and maintain that voice throughout.

We strive for a friendly and knowledgable voice and conversational tone.

Who we are: GovWebworks is a technology company providing government agencies with innovative, user-centric solutions that deliver immediate impact to citizens.

3. Find a hook that draws reader into the story

1. Adapt literary quotes
2. Write a quote from a famous person
3. Surprise with a misconception
4. Write an anecdote
5. Tell a personal story
6. Use statistical data
7. Ask a question
8. Share a fact or a definition
9. See How to Write a Good Hook for Your Essay for more details on hooks

4. Clarify purpose in the introduction

What is your stand on the topic and how will it help the target audience?

5. Give each paragraph a topic sentence

The first sentence in each paragraph should state what the paragraph is about. Each paragraph should only contain one topic, and each paragraph should have a different topic that builds on the previous topic.

6. Support points with examples, quotes, or data

• Get quotes from experts
• Use data and statistics from good sources, such as data from UX testing
• Use examples from case studies from our work, examples from other articles should be a last resort

7. Make sure challenge is clarified and overcome

Define what the challenge is, what the obstacles are to solving it, and how you/we solved it. It should be something you or our company or a client went through, and the article explains how others can learn from it.

8. Define nugget of truth and call to action in conclusion

• Summarize main points from intro in a new way
• Mention nugget of truth, what was learned that target audience needs to know to succeed
• End with a call to action applicable to the target audience

Style guidelines

Keep in mind the following guidelines for consistency in style and tone:

1. Strive to keep sentences less than 20 words, or variation of short and long sentences
2. Use active voice, not passive
3. Use Plain English
4. Limit bullet lists to three items if possible
5. Include an Oxford comma before the and (me, you, and a dog named Blue)
6. Add headings that summarize the section, about every 200-500 words
7. Use sentence case on topic headings (Cap only on the first word)
8. Link text should identify source of info, not just a link on a word
9. Follow first mention of a company name by acronym for later use, GovWebworks (GWW)
10. Suggested length 750-2,500 words, 1,600 is ideal

Editing tips

From Break Editing Into Three Parts:

1. The big-picture edit:

1. Do you have a strong introduction that hooks the reader?
2. Does the content flow logically?
3. Does the ending sum up your main points and include a call to action?

2. The second edit:

1. Are there any sections where you repeat your ideas?
2. Does each paragraph contain just one topic?
3. Are big chunks of text broken up with subheadings and paragraph breaks?
4. Do you use data, statistics, and quotations to back up our points?

3. The third edit:

1. Do sentences vary in length?
2. Is all spelling and punctuation correct?
3. Can you replace weak verbs and adjectives with stronger ones?
4. Do you need to change the passive voice to active?

Fact check

Verify all facts, names, job titles with a reliable source.

From How to Fact Check.

1. Use credible and reliable sources: When fact-checking, it is important to use reliable sources of information. This includes news organizations (you can use Google news to find news publishers that are regularly publishing news), government websites, and academic institutions. These sources are more likely to be accurate and unbiased, and they often have fact-checking processes in place to ensure the accuracy of their information.
2. Check multiple sources: It is always a good idea to check multiple sources when fact-checking. This will help you get a more complete picture of the situation and ensure that you are not being swayed by a single perspective.
3. Look for documentation and establish provenance: When fact-checking, it is important to look for documentation that supports the claims being made. This can include links to studies, data, or other sources of information because establishing the information’s provenance is as important as finding the sources.
4. Be aware of biases: It is important to be aware of your own biases and the biases of the sources you are using. This will help you avoid being swayed by misleading or biased information.
5. Use fact-checking tools and platforms: There are many online tools and resources that can help you fact-check information. These include fact-checking tools, such as Google Fact-check explorer, Snopes, PolitiFact, Verified Signatories of IFCN, and browser extensions that can help you fact-check information as you browse the web.

Logging

Log hours for blog writing to Biz Dev at:
https://portland-webworks.atlassian.net/browse/PBD-375