How to Use my ‘6A’ methoD to write an opinion article.

Whenever I sit down to write an article, I’ll use my “Six A” model to make sure I have all the raw materials that will make it compelling.

The method considers the six things that matter in a story: audience, attention, arc, action, argument and authority.

These can be expressed as six questions -

🫵 Who am I writing for?

💣 What’s on their mind, what’s happening?

🚀 How are things changing for better or worse?

✅ What should they do?

🤔 What proof that change is in their interest?

😇 Why should they listen to you?

This method is primarily aimed at thought-leadership content, where there is both a thought (ie an original idea, experience, proof point, or story that is unique to the writer) and leadership (ie. offering agency, a specific think that the reader should take away and do).

In lots of sales and marketing content, the CTA (action) is pretty straight-forward as it’s self-interested so it’s OK to be salesy… but this works less well in PR content that has to be less explcity self-promoting and more directed at offering value to a wider audience.

PR and marketing content is not the same.

But the method is still useful for all areas of content and writing to a PR standard will serve the audience well and is easily adapted.

Below I outline on the Six As and how to expand on them.

1. Who is the audience we want to speak to?

Here we need a really specific description, as specific as possible, to help clarify who the article is aimed at. 

The wider the audience is eg “brands” “18-24s” “automotive companies” the harder it is for the target to identify themselves in the story and the more vague the article will be - it's less relevant.

Be as specific as possible. 

Even if you name a specific person, as an example, this will help the copywriter put themselves in their shoes.

2. What problem/ pain point has their attention?

What phrases are discussed, talked about that the audience will recognise and what things are happening that bring this to people's attention?

This is the hook; if you’re making an argument for people to invest in loft insulation, for example, then a government initiative to drive uptake may be both the proof the problem exists and the event that makes it topical for people.

3. What's changing - what's the arc of the story?

Is it getting better, or worse and what examples/ experiences do we have of this?

Every story needs an arc, or a narrative - a before, during and end - so use data and examples to tell a story around the problem. 

This is a contextual build on the point above. Human beings relate to events and form a picture in their own minds as to how much they care or agree with the story you are presenting. 

If they agree with your narrative, great! You’ll make a connection. If they don’t, great! You’ve got their attention and earned the opportunity to discuss further. 

4. What action should they take ?

If the article is sales-led (published on your own channels, on social media, in an advert or advertorial) it's fine to offer a sales-led call to action or reference your own product or service as the solution to a problem.

The whole point of communications (and messages) is to enact a specific behaviour change. So think clearly about what this is; being able to self-test for the problem may be enough.o join the dots. T

The whole point of communications (and messages) is to drive a specific behaviour change. 

So for example, if the message is “pay us to install loft insulation” - one way around that is to give me some value for free. If you can say that “people like you pay £X a week too much in heating” it’s easy for your audience to assess whether they have the problem.

Being able to self-test for the problem may be the immediate action.

5. What is your argument - how can you support the case to change? 

List a few examples of the problem going wrong, and being fixed. Here you want to point to third party evidence of the problem and solution that can help advocate your course of action - like building a case. 

This may be things like news reports, third party case studies, research findings.

Sometimes it’s obvious what solution a service or product will solve, and that everyone in the audience recognises the problem. 

It’s important then to put context around the problem; what are the symptoms, what is the measure for the magnitude of the problem, what proof is there that this is a problem? 

This is the core of the argument - as you bring it into the real world for the audience. 

6. What skin do we have in the game, or authority on this issue?

If you’re a certified loft insulation installer with thirty years experience, who can show how installing insulation has saved customers on average 72% on their heating bills over a five year period, and has won an award for installer of the year - I’m going to take their word more seriously than someone with no experience. 

Media infer authority from experience: either the personal brand of the individual or the reputation of the business they work for. The authority of case studies, testimonials and first-party data is important.  

Draw on specific examples that either prove you have solved the problem before, or other authority points that will give the audience the benefit of the doubt and trust you.