12 March 2014

How to write a Nut Graf

Very early in any brand article you write for a client’s prospects or customers, usually about the third or fourth paragraph, you will need to drop in what journalists call the Nut Graf.
The Nut Graf has three primary purposes:
  1. It provides a transition from the lead paragraph to the body of the story.
  2. It tells readers why the story is timely and pertinent.
  3. It encourages the target audience to continue reading.
This is not time to be coy, creative or cute. What you want to write is a direct, tight summary of what your story is about. This summary will serve as your guide for composing the rest of the story. It will also help your readers quickly assess whether your story interests them and determine if they should continue reading it.
Keep your Nut Graf to one paragraph of less than 50 words. You can break it up into two or even three sentences.
Collection and assembly
Probably the easiest way to write the Nut Graf is to collect the individual parts, then assemble them:
  • WHO are the specific customers you want to reach? Make it clear in the Nut Graf:  This story is for you.
  • WHAT is problem your story is solving? Again, be both clear and specific. Imply that you are making a promise: If you read this story, it will show you how to solve this problem. The “what” usually includes one or more of the keywords from your SEO research.
  • WHEN and WHERE is the problem most likely to occur? This is your news peg. It explains why the customer must read your story right now.
For example, in my story about diagnostic testing for West Nile virus in horses:
  • The WHO are veterinarians who work with horses.
  • The WHAT is the need to prevent, detect and diagnose the disease that is caused by the West Nile virus.
  • The WHEN is the summer, when mosquitos are most common and the disease is most likely to spread to horses.
  • The WHERE is the United States.
When I assembled the parts, I got this Nut Graf:, which I also used as the lead:
“Summer is when the West Nile virus poses the greatest threat to the health of horses in the United States. It’s important for veterinarians to work with horse owners this time of year to prevent, detect and accurately diagnose a potential infection.”
It’s simple, direct and just 42 words. There’s nothing “creative” about it. (Like David Ogilvy, I generally avoid “creative” approaches. They tend to confuse readers. When confused, readers rarely try harder. They just quit reading.)
Here’s an example from a web story from Cosmopolitan magazine headlined: “Want to get rid of your cellulite? These 9 smooth operators can help!”
  • The WHO are women who want to make their bodies more attractive.
  • The WHAT is their desire to hide the cellulite that may accumulate on their butts, thighs and stomachs.
  • The WHEN is the approach of bikini season. As an additional news peg, the story references a recent hit song by the pop group Black Eyed Peas, “My Humps.”
  • The WHERE is the beach.
When assembled, the Nut Graf looks like this:
“We're 100 percent sure women everywhere loved Fergie's song, "My humps, my lovely lady lumps," but 90 percent of them probably sing a different tune when it comes to actual lumps aka cellulite. But while there's still no cure (what is taking so long?!), you can at least camouflage the "orange-peel" look of skin temporarily. We suggest slathering up now, and your butt, thighs, and stomach, should be in top shape (with the help of eating right and exercising!) by the time bikini season rolls around.”
This is certainly longer and more creative than the first example. (After all, it is Cosmo.) But it remains tight, easy to read, and only 86 words.
Here’s another example, this one from a Guns & Ammo web story headlined, “How to pick the best zombie pistol.”
  • The WHO are all gun owners.
  • The WHAT is choosing the right weapon.
  • The WHEN AND WHERE is a future, post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested Earth. This news peg comes from popular culture, especially among millennials who fully expect a zombie invasion in their lifetimes. (They aren’t kidding.)
Here’s the Nut Graf:
“While there can be no denying that rifles and shotguns have distinct advantages in both power and reach, it is the handiness and convenience that makes the handgun indispensable when the excrement hits the wind generator and the dead start walking the earth.”
Again, this one is tight and direct, a little fun and creative, and still only 43 words.
There’s a reason Mark Ragan calls these stories “refrigerator journalism.” You’ve likely clipped out or printed out stories just like these and keep them for later use. You’ve probably shared them with friends and peers. They work.
Learning to identify Nut Grafs in the wild
 Go to your local newsstand and buy a handful of magazines that specialize in “refrigerator journalism.” There are scores of them. You may even subscribe to a few.  If in doubt, check the magazine covers for headlines with phrases like “How to ..,” “Top 10 ways to …” or “Our guide to …”.
Read the stories inside those publications and try to identify the Nut Graf. Break the Nut Grafs down into the Who, the What, the When and the Where.
Some Nut Grafs are obvious. Others aren’t. But every refrigerator story is going to tell you within the first five paragraphs who the story is designed for, what problem it solves, and when and where the information is relevant.
The more of these stories you study, the easier it will get when it comes to writing your own Nut Grafs.

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Here are the presentation slides that go with this text.


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