11 tips for writing a powerful Oped

When I started off my career as a publicist, I had to learn how to write Press Releases, Articles, Newsletter material and Opeds. Although all of the above were technical the most difficulty I faced along with my coworkers was writing powerful Opeds that were going to be published under the name of the CEO of a company. 

Opeds are very technical pieces that require a lot of research: you have to not only research the macro and micro environment the company is operating in but also the targeted audience, the medium you can use to target the audience, the current scenario globally/nationally/locally that can be used to cement the CEO's position as a thought leader.

After countless editing and re-writing several Opeds and slaving hours away here are eleven tips that I have internalized that made oped writing easier:

1. Track the news and jump at opportunities: Whenever possible, link your issue explicitly to something happening in the news.
2. Limit the article to 600 to 800 words. Shorter is even better. Newspapers have limited space to offer, and editors generally won’t take the time to cut a long article down to size.
3. Make a single point — well. You cannot solve all of the world’s problems in a single Oped. Be satisfied with making a single point clearly and persuasively. 
4. Put your main point on top. You have no more than 10 seconds to hook a busy reader, so get to the point and convince the reader that it’s worth his or her valuable time to continue.
5. Tell readers why they should care. Put yourself in the place of the busy person looking at your article. Appeals to self-interest usually are more effective than abstract punditry.At the end of every few paragraphs, ask out loud: “So what? Who cares?” You need to answer these questions.
6. Offer specific recommendations. An op-ed is not a news story that simply describes a situation; it is your opinion about how to improve matters. In an op-ed article you need to offer recommendations.
7. Embrace a personal voice. The best of these examples will come from your own experience. When it comes to op-eds, however, you should embrace your own voice whenever possible.
8. Use short sentences and paragraphs. Look at some op-ed articles and count the number of words per sentence. You’ll probably find the sentences to be quite short. You should use the same style, relying mainly on simple declarative sentences. Cut long paragraphs into two or more shorter ones.
9. Avoid jargon. Your Oped needs to be in simple language so that you can easily cater to readers who are from various backgrounds with various language skills. 
10. Use the active voice. It’s easier to read, and it leaves no doubt about who is doing the hoping, recommending or other action.
11. Make your ending a winner. As noted, you need a strong opening paragraph, or “lead,” to hook readers. One trick you can use is to conclude with a phrase or thought that appeared in the opening, thereby closing the circle.