Today, opportunities abound for savvy marketers to get their messages heard. If the late 1990s heralded the rise of online content, the early 2010s are all about the rise in contributed content. For those of you who follow changes in the field of media and journalism, it won’t come as any surprise that Forbes is now host to over 1,000 regular contributors, many of whom are unpaid but who receive credit for page views and the clout that goes along with publishing under the Forbes banner.

If that does come as a surprise, you might wonder why Forbes has made such a radical shift. Are they diluting their brand? Does this mean their business is losing steam? Not exactly. Forbes has seized on a trend and in the process has become something of a pioneer in blending journalism with social networking. LinkedIn has followed suit with its long-form publishing capabilities and big names are participating. Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Ariana Huffington are just a few of the regular contributors. Popular sites like Medium, Business2Community and DigiDay are more mainstream but still offer those with something to say a chance to get their thoughts published to a wide audience.

With all these opportunities for contributed content, should you jump in? Absolutely! Adding your voice to the dialogue in your respective industry is a great way to raise awareness for your business and your brand, while allowing you to connect with like-minded professionals.

But all content is not created equal. Use the following tips to ensure that your piece sings.

Start With a Killer Headline

Studies show that articles with headlines using powerful, emotive words not only get more readers but get shared more often on social media. CoSchedule offers a headline analyzer, a list of powerful, emotive words and a wealth of tips for how to make your headline as strong as it can be.

Take Your Time and Write What You Know

When you’re passionate about a topic, it comes through in your writing. Write about what you know—what excites you, what keeps you awake at night, where you want to be in 10 years’ time. Don’t be afraid to do a deep dive either: posts in excess of 1,000 words are read more frequently and shared more often than shorter posts.

Consider a List Post

One need look no further than the uber-popular Buzzfeed to see that list posts are some of the most oft-shared content on the web. A primary reason why list posts work so well is the headline: as Copyblogger points out, “any headline that lists a number of reasons, secrets, types, or ways will work because…it makes a very specific promise of what’s in store for the reader.” Try it and see for yourself.

Make it Pretty

Add graphics. Studies show that blog posts which feature compelling visual images get 94% more views than posts without images. Stock photography sites such as iStock offer images you can feel confident in using without violating any copyrights. And the price to purchase the image is worth it; you can repurpose it for corporate presentations, future LinkedIn posts, or use it on your blog.

Got Writer’s Block? Maybe You Need An Infographic

If you have some great research but lack the time and energy to turn it into a 1,000 word blog post, consider putting it into an infographic. Sites such as Pinterest, Visual.ly, Daily Infographic, Slideshare and others are a source for all sorts of stuff you want to share with others or might not have known yourself.

Now that you’ve got some ideas it’s time to grab a cup of coffee, turn on some music and start writing!