How To Receive and Upload Articles - Trello
Article Templates for Voices Inc
Please refer to the different sections below regarding the "type" of article you're writing.
Watch Video for Intro Explanation
For ALL Articles
- APP Formula for ALL Intros: Short and brief is best
- Your are the Friendly Expert
- No BS, No Fluff
- Back up facts with sources if you need to
- Article Lengths are Estimates
- Skyscraper Technique - Make the content better than what is ranking / Unique Spin
Quick Template Example for Using the Skyscaper Technique
*** Please note, this is a good overview for these large guide type of articles. Some very specific and "longtail" articles covering a very specific topic may not need this much information***
Article topic: Piano Sight Reading
Articles on the web that are ranking well / have good content:
http://takelessons.com/blog/piano-sight-reading-exercises-z06
http://www.belmont.edu/music/admissions/piano_sightreading.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Sight-Reading-Piano-Music
http://www.musicnotes.com/blog/2014/06/13/sight-reading-music/
How We Can Make a Better Resource:
Title: Ultimate Guide to Piano Sight Reading - Tips and Exercises for Beginners
- APP Intro
- Intro about Sight Reading
- Section on Tips
- Section on Exercises
- Common Questions and Answers
- Section on Resources (books, websites, tools)
- Other Recommendations > Online piano software helps with sight reading
Combine what the top articles are doing well, into our own ultimate resource:
Many of the articles we write are already written to a certain degree. The article needs to differentiate itself with our friendly expert tone, our APP intro, your writing skills, and content that goes above and beyond what is currently doing well.
Round Up Review Posts
Best X for Y
Watch Video for Full Explanation
Best {music product} for {specific problem / concern}
Examples:
Best Guitars for Small Hands - Top 5 Picks
Best Pianos for Small Spaces and Apartments - 5 Great Choices
>> Article Template To Follow (Important)<< APPROXIMATELY 1500 - 2000 Words
Please use the following template for all articles. Each section should have its own heading.
Best Pianos for Small Spaces and Apartments - 5 Great Choices
Section 1: APP FORMULA
Agree:
I wish I could fit a lovely 88 key grand piano in my home, but I can't.
I'm guessing you probably can't either.
Promise:
But that doesn't mean we need to compromise on quality. There are many high quality digital pianos and keyboards which sound amazing and can easily stored in almost any room.
Preview:
I've been researching these products for a long time, and have gathered what I feel are the 5 best digital pianos for those of us who have limited space.
If you live in an apartment, or you want something that can easily fit in a smaller studio, consider 1 of these options.
Section 2: Value Section (VERY IMPORTANT SECTION)
-
- Approximately 750 words (break this up into several sections with a sub title each)
- Add some great, value-driven information about this product or the context in which the user intends to use it
- Answers some question the reader would be looking for before buying this kind of product
- Consider linking out to valuable informational content on the internet that would help the reader.
- Here are some ideas:
- How to choose [this type of product]
- What are the advantages / benefits of this type of product?
- Things to look for / attributes that differentiate these products
- What's the best way to use this product?
- Address the controversy
- Prerequisites to using the product
- This section is very important. Please take extra care when writing this section.
Section 3: Review 5 Products - MUST BE FOUND ON AMAZON.COM ***
- 200-250 words each (approximately)
- Choose 5 products on Amazon.com with a rating of 4.5 or better
- Write 150-250 words about the product overall, and list some pros and cons in bullet points. Keep it clear and to the point.
- make sure the pros & cons of each product are specific to the product, not relevant for the entire product category (use reviews to find them out).
- Please remember not to mention other reviewers or Amazon.com
As always, just shoot me an email with any questions or hiccups. Happy to help move things along.
Section 4: Conclusion
- 100-200 words (approximately)
- In this section announce the clear winner of the roundup
- Explain why by comparing it to the other products and explaining why it’s better for that specific case.
- Tie it back to the information you delivered in section 2 and show how the product fulfils all the needs of the product category
Example from a different website:
Best Electric Toothbrush for Sensitive Gums
https://www.healthambition.com/best-electric-toothbrush-for-sensitive-gums/
Single Product Review
Watch Video for Full Explanation
>> Article Template To Follow (Important)<< APPROXIMATELY 1500 - 2500 Words
Section 1: APP Formula
See above example.
Section 2: Things to consider before buying a <product category>
150 - 250 words approximately
- Briefly remind the reader of the problems that product category solves and why one would seek to buy an item in it.
- Describe the ideal customer for the product category and who should not buy, why and what they should buy instead.
- List the things the buyer needs to think about before buying the product
Section 3: Presenting the product
100-200 words approximately
- Give a brief description of what the product is, the promise that it makes and what comes with it when you purchase it. Also compare it to the market leader and its previous versions if possible.
- Example: P90x is the little brother of the Insanity workout by the same company. It claims to help you lose fat and build muscle in just 90 days by following a rigorous diet and exercise plan from the comfort of your home. It is now the 3rd edition of this product and it seems like the major changes with this iteration are better video production and aesthetics.
- Explain who that specific product is for and who it is not for
- Example: The venus factor can definitely help if you are looking to change your life around and lose weight fast but be warned: you WILL have to change your diet so if this is something you are not ready to do you should look for other alternatives.
- Write a bulleted list of 3-5 pros and 3-5 cons for the product
Section 4: Features & Benefits
800-1300 words broken down into sub sections for each feature
- Now start going through the features or core principle of the product and write a section for each explaining both how it performs / feels, and why this feature is important (what benefits it provides and how it helps solving the core problem)
- Example: This laptop is completely fanless which is nice because it makes it 100% silent (I like that when I’m traveling, often surrounded by other people). However, this also means it can heat up a fair bit if the room is too hot.
Section 5 : Social Proof
50 - 100 words
- Say you scoured the internet and found some user reviews that seemed rather positive
- Include a screenshot of a few testimonials from users around the web (3-5) that share their journey using the product (or include links)
Section 6 : Alternatives
300 - 400 words
- list 3 alternatives available for the product if possible
- <insert alternative 1 here>
- <insert alternative 2 here>
- <insert alternative 3 here>
- For each of them write a paragraph or two on how they differ from the main product reviewed (price, features, benefits, etc) and who should use it then provide a bulleted comparaison list and a call to action for the reader to check the alternative product out
Section 7 : Conclusion
50 - 100 words
- reiterate the problem the product solves and why it needs to be solved by the reader (complications).
- give 2-3 reasons why the product reviewed is a great fit to solve that problem
- conclude telling people to click here to check the product out
ORIGINAL:
Article Reference for VoicesInc.org
Please watch the video below for article instructions. It covers the written information covered on this page.
*** Not included in the video:
This is just a random example -
An article request will look like this:
Title/Keyword/Topic: Best Way To Learn the Ukulele
Word length: 1000
Product to promote: Online Ukulele Lessons
> If you discover that there are say 3 things that are important when learning the Ukulele, the title and "overview" of the article can be changed to:
The 3 Best Ways to Learn The Ukulele
Depending on what you research, all these titles can be used / changed:
Best Way to Teach Yourself Piano > Top 5 Ways to Teach Yourself Piano
The Best Book for Learning Guitar > The 15 Best Books for Learning Guitar
Classical Piano Songs for Beginners > 3 Classical Piano Songs Every Beginner Must Learn
The point is, when you research and write an article, don't let a title or theme restrict what you find.
Watch This Video
Format For ALMOST All Articles
Use The APP Formula
4 Easy Steps to Writing Your First Song on the Guitar
Agree:
What can you agree on with someone who searches for this?
Song writing is hard.
Every songwriter has done it:
You're starring at a blank sheet of paper, trying to come up with you very first song on the guitar.
Do I start with the lyrics, do I start with some chords?
Have you done this before?
Trust me, we've all been there, and I know it seems really hard.
Promise: The Promise is where you give them a peek into a better world.
But it doesn't have to be if you follow some of the basic steps provided by master songwriters.
And once you get one song under your belt, you can really start to create your own unique style to make you stand out from the crowd.
Preview: Just tell them exactly what you have in store for them.
I've found 4 super easy steps that every songwriter must follow, but I also have some other cool recommendations for taking it to the next level, in terms of writing and playing.
Compare These Two. Which is Better?
Every songwriter has done it:
You're starring at a blank sheet of paper, trying to come up with you very first song on the guitar.
Do I start with the lyrics, do I start with some chords?
Have you done this before?
Trust me, we've all been there, and I know it seems really hard.
But it doesn't have to be if you follow some of the basic steps provided by master songwriters.
And once you get one song under your belt, you can really start to create your own unique style to make you stand out from the crowd.
I've found 4 super easy steps that every songwriter must follow, but I also have some other cool recommendations for taking it to the next level, in terms of writing and playing.
While using the Uberchord app to practice the guitar and correcting your bad habits, why not put it into service helping you write your first song? It might just launch a stellar career, and at the very least it will make you a better player by helping you to practice and to understand chord progressions.
There are as many approaches to songwriting as there are songwriters. If you decide that composing music is for you, you’ll find that you too have a unique method inside you, a songwriting process that will emerge the more you experiment. But what we’re going to do today is teach you a super simple songwriting method, just to get you started. You don’t need to read music or tablature to do this, so even if you’re a guitar beginner there’s no excuse for not trying.
Everybody started with a first song! Bob Dylan’s first song was a tribute to another songwriter, Woody Guthrie. Back then hardly any singers wrote their own songs, so Bob’s first song was for one of the few who did.
Important:
Remember, with most of these articles, we are trying to sell something, or "pre-sell" something.
If we wrote this article, it would probably be because we want to sell either a course on songwriting, or a course on playing the guitar. This information will usually be given to you.
So you want to include this if you can, in the promise and or preview.
Looking back to the promise:
But it doesn't have to be if you follow some of the basic steps provided by master songwriters.
(at the end of the article we mention the Songwriting course from "Master Songwriter")
Looking at the preview:
I've found 4 super easy steps that every songwriter must follow, but I also have some other cool recommendations for taking it to the next level, in terms of writing and playing.
(at the end of the article, or in step 4, we recommend learning about a "product" to take it to the next level: guitar or writing courses)
Another Example:
Article Topic / Headline: Best Practice Routines for Piano Players
Approximate Word Count: 1000 words
Product to promote: Online Piano Lessons
Links to specific pages on Voices Inc will usually be given so you know where the article should lead the reader.
APP Method for Introduction:
Practice makes perfect.
You've probably heard that a thousands times right?
When it comes to learning piano, that statement is definitely true.
<< THIS IS THE AGREE PART >> "You've probably heard that before right?"
But what if I told you that there are certain things you can add into your piano practice routines to make them super effective, and way more fun.
<<THIS IS THE PROMISE>> Peek into a better world: make them super effective and fun.
Here I want to highlight 6 things that every practice routine absolutely needs, and even highlight some piano software that will make you much more consistent, because it makes practicing extremely fun.
Making practicing fun? I think we have a winner!
<<THIS IS THE PREVIEW>> Exactly what they get: 6 things your routines need.
Important: Are we pre selling (mentioning) online piano lessons?
Yes we are:
- But what if I told you that there are certain things you can add into your piano practice routines to make them super effective, and way more fun.
- Here I want to highlight 6 things that every practice routine absolutely needs, and even highlight some piano software that will make you much more consistent, because it makes practicing extremely fun.
How To Research
You have your own research style. You might have special tools as well.
Bottom line:
Step 1: Find link-worthy content
Step 2: Make something even better
Consult this guide for more information: (Do not worry about outreach or link building)
http://backlinko.com/skyscraper-technique
If you don't have tools like Ahrefs, which was used in the link above, just searching on Google is a free option.
Find out what is ranking, and make it better.
Best Practice Routines for Piano Players
In the example above, we mention highlighting 6 things every routine needs.
This is where the research comes into play. I just made up 6 things as a pure example.
The research should decide this number. If there's only 3 things, then great. If there are actually 10 things, then we list 10, or make it better and list 15.
In your own way:
Find out what's ranking, and make the content better.
**IMPORTANT:
The product to promote in this example is Online Piano Lessons.
Therefore, this should be incorporated into the list if possible.
This article which ranks well mentions 4 things.
Very easy to make it better.
Subheadlines With Benefits
These subhealines are very bad:
If possible, add subheadings with benefits included:
Again, #9 here explains it perfectly: http://backlinko.com/seo-copywriting
Here are some quick examples referencing a page which we might use when researching and making our content better, for the example article: Best Practice Routines for Piano Players
http://takelessons.com/blog/piano-practice-routine
Here are their subheading follow by better ones:
1. Scales and Finger Patterns
Better: Scales and Finger Patters So You Can Play Much Faster
2. Chords
Better: Practice Your Chord Progressions to Become a More Well-Rounded Player
3. Composition Analysis and Performance
4. Practice the Tricky Parts
Better: Practice the Tricker Parts to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Test Yourself
Not EVERY subheadline needs a benefit, but so many articles are lacking this.