A featured story is a story that appears at the top of a widget on your website or app. It can be used to highlight any kind of content—from news to stories that inform, entertain, or engage your audience. Featured stories are a great way to drive traffic and encourage users to dive into your content.
Unlike hard news articles, which deliver their information in short bursts, a good feature article will keep readers hooked by drawing them in and taking them on a journey. While these stories still include the elements of objective journalism, like leads and nut grafs, they also incorporate more of the elements that make storytelling effective. This includes descriptions, scene-setting, and quotes that help readers paint a picture in their minds of what they’re reading about.
To write a strong feature story, you need to start with a compelling angle. This can be an important event, a person’s career or life, or an interesting fact that draws in your reader. Then, use your research to find a fresh approach or perspective that puts the story in a new light.
Once you have a clear angle, create a strong narrative arc that drops your reader into the action, introduces conflict, and ends with an impactful final thought or quote. Be sure to read the story out loud to catch any clunky or awkward phrasing, and to ensure your conclusion leaves a lasting impression.
Whether you’re writing a human interest story, an in-depth look at a topic, or a data visualization, using Shorthand to build interactive stories can help your readers connect with and understand complex topics. Get started with a free account to see how easy it is to publish stunning, engaging content that grabs and keeps attention.