American Press

3 ways to make your story stand out from the rest

Published 1:48 pm Thursday, February 26, 2026

You know you have a great story to tell, but how do you share it with your desired audience? The American Press Impress Banded Content team has the solution!

You know you have a great story to tell, but how do you share it with your desired audience? The American Press’s experienced Impress Branded Content writers craft top-tier, paid editorial features designed to resonate with the clients and customers you want to reach. 

Using informative, engaging storytelling strategies, our writers will share your story in a way that captures and holds readers’ attention. Enjoying strategic placement on our community news website and shared through social media, a branded content package is a valuable addition to any sales and marketing plan.

So, how can you help make your story a success?

  1. Provide a few minutes of your time. A new business doesn’t happen overnight, and neither should your story. We know you’re busy and have a lot of tasks on your daily to-do list, so we’ve honed the branded content process to make it as streamlined as possible.
    That said, we will need a few minutes of your time.
    We’ll email you to arrange a 15-minute phone call or virtual meeting, when we’ll discuss your goals for the story and how to achieve that, whether it’s exploring your history and passions, introducing a new team member, or showcasing the latest product, program or service readers need to know about.
    What can you do? Think about what you’d like to achieve with the story – introduce a new chef or menu to diners? Encourage sign-ups for a new program? Maybe you’d like to explore the latest trends in home heating and cooling, to bring more customers through your door. With a clear idea of your goals, our experienced branded content editorial team will craft a story to achieve them, using digital tactics like SEO-friendly writing, keywords and backlinks. Once the draft is ready, we’ll send it along for your stamp of approval.
  1. Show your smile! Or your team’s smiles 🙂 A smiling local face – or faces – helps engage readers, working in conjunction with a strong headline and subject to draw people into your story.
    And the photo doesn’t need to be fancy. A smartphone image is perfectly fine, just remember to turn your phone sideways to create a horizontal or landscape view. When you send along your photo, email it at “original” or “full” size.
  1. Consider other assets to enhance your story. While all branded content stories require at least one horizontal photo, more images are welcome. With those smiling faces leading off the story, this can be a great way to share additional photos to complement the storytelling, whether you’re showcasing the inside of your boutique, the latest menu items or a how-to photo showing how to check the tread on a tire.
    And if you have a video – on YouTube or Facebook, for example – let us know and we can embed that directly into the story to further engage readers.

Ready to learn more? Contact your American Press sales team today!