Follow these tips for writing powerful answers that readers will love and share. The best answers are often just a few short sentences, but you can send up to 300 words. Our content team will edit them for style and the guidelines below. Your published answer will be 150 words max.
Imagine you’re speaking to a friend who came to you with this question, and you’re their trusted advisor. What would you tell them? Use the word “you” (e.g., “This is what you should do …”).
Get to the point fast and stick to just one key point, instead of several. Write it out, then try eliminating the prelude to get to the point even faster. If the reader isn’t captivated within the first two sentences, you’ve lost them.
Teach actionable strategies — something the reader can apply immediately to improve their life and reach their goals.
Tangible examples trump theoretical ideas. For instance, don’t just say “prioritize family time.” Explain how you use “block time” to make sure you have time for family.
Facts tell, but stories sell. Wrap your advice into an anecdote about when you learned this wisdom and how it impacted you.
Share your setbacks, the lessons you learned the hard way, how you turned tough times into wins. True stories about overcoming obstacles resonate more than success stories alone. Be brutally honest — even if you’re afraid to. The more vulnerable you’re willing to be, the deeper the connection you’ll make.
Avoid promoting your business. This is about showcasing your expertise, not closing the sale. Share your knowledge, and readers will view you as an authority.
"Positioning yourself as an authority is the single most important thing you can do to increase your perceived value to the marketplace.”
If you use just one word that readers don’t understand, you’ll lose them. Read your answer aloud; a 12-year-old should be able to understand it. Warren Buffett writes with his sister in mind; because while she’s very smart, she has little investing experience. If something may confuse her, he rewrites it.
A lot of advice is generic and similar. What perspective do you have that no one else does? Try to share something controversial, provocative, or polarizing.
The publication editors have the final say on how your answer will look. If the published version differs from how you wrote it, rest assured, it was edited intentionally to attract the maximum engagement. Article titles are also subject to change.