A feature story that news sites run is useful to readers first and about your company second. It has a plain headline, a lede that opens with the reader's problem, a nut graf that says why it matters now, practical advice, one expert quote and one closing mention of the company. In our sample the median story ran about 580 words. Leave out hype, unproven claims and prices.
Want to know whether your story would run? Todd Simon, National PR Director, will tell you on a strategy call.
Book a call with ToddWhat an editor looks for
An editor reads a feature the way a reader will. The first question is whether it helps someone. The second is whether it reads like an ad. Three things tend to decide it.
- It is useful. The reader learns something they can act on, with or without your product.
- It has a reason to run now. A news hook or a seasonal tie-in gives the editor a reason to publish this week and not next month. The feature story calendar lists the dates.
- It has no hard sell. The company appears as the source of the advice, not as the subject of a pitch.
If you are not sure what to write about, the story angle finder suggests dated angles for your industry and month.
How to structure the story
Most features follow the same shape. You can use our free feature story template to lay it out.
Headline
Say what the reader gets. Keep it short, plain and specific. Do not put the company name in it.
Lede
The first one or two sentences. Open with the reader's problem, a familiar scene or the season. Do not open with your company.
Nut graf
The paragraph after the lede. It says why this matters now and what the reader will learn, and it introduces your expert. A reader who stops here should still know what the story is about.
Body
The advice, the steps or the explanation. Short paragraphs. If there are several tips, give each one a bold lead-in or a subhead. Put the most useful point first.
Quote from your expert
One quote, from someone at your company who knows the subject. It should give a view or a habit, the way a person would say it out loud. Give their full name and title in the sentence around it.
Close
End with where to learn more. Name the company here. With the expert's introduction, that makes two mentions at most. Do not repeat the name in every paragraph. Editors notice, and they cut it.
How long it should be
We looked at a sample of sponsored feature stories on US local news sites. The median story ran 585 words, and the middle half ran from 468 to 712 words. A good target is roughly 450 to 700 words. The template uses the same range. Stay inside it unless the publisher gives you a different limit.
| What we measured | Result |
|---|---|
| Stories with a readable body | 208 (5 image-only stories left out) |
| Median length | 585 words |
| Middle half of stories | 468 to 712 words |
| Ran with at least one photo | 201 of 208 |
| Had a lead photo above the story | 193 of 208 |
Photos and captions
Nearly every story in our sample ran with a photo, and most had one at the top. Send a clear, original image that shows the subject of the story, not a logo. Write a caption that says plainly what is in the picture and who took it. Make sure you hold the rights to the image.
What people write about
Across all 218 stories we listed, the most common topics were home and garden (41), health (41), personal finance (24), food and drink (18), and education and careers (17). Topic labels are approximate. The pattern is a useful hint: the syndicated features these sites carry are mostly practical, everyday subjects.
AP style in plain words
Many US newsrooms follow the Associated Press Stylebook. You do not need to memorize it. A few habits get you most of the way.
- Spell out one through nine and use figures for 10 and up, with exceptions for ages, percentages and similar. Check the stylebook when unsure.
- Capitalize a formal job title only when it comes right before a name. Use lowercase after the name.
- Write out state names in full in the body of the story.
- Leave out the serial comma unless it prevents confusion.
- Keep sentences short and paragraphs to one to three sentences. Write in the active voice.
What to keep out
- Superlatives. "Best", "leading" and "revolutionary" read as advertising. Describe what the thing does instead.
- Claims you cannot prove. If you cannot point to the source, leave it out.
- Health or money promises. Do not say a product will cure, prevent or earn anything. Editors and readers both distrust it.
- Prices and offers. A feature is not a coupon. Leave out prices, discounts and limited-time deals.
- Repeated company names. Name the company twice at most: when you introduce your expert, and in the closing line.
Example feature story
Here is a short feature on an evergreen topic. It shows the structure above, using placeholders for every name.
An invented example, written for this guide; it is not a published story. [Company] and [Name] stand in for your company and your expert. It contains no statistics.
Get your home ready for winter before the first cold snap
Most winter home problems start in the fall, when nobody is thinking about them. A little time spent now can save a lot of trouble when the weather turns.
The good news is that most of the work is simple. Here is where to look, according to [Name], [title] at [Company].
Check the doors and windows. Run your hand around each frame on a breezy day. If you feel moving air, there is a gap. Fresh weatherstripping or a bead of caulk will usually close it.
Clear the gutters. Leaves left in the gutters can hold water that freezes and pulls the gutter away from the house. Clear them after the last leaves fall, and check that downspouts point away from the foundation.
Service the heating system. Replace the filter, and listen for odd noises when the system first runs. If something sounds wrong, call a professional before you need heat every day.
Know your shut-off valve. Every household member should know where the main water shut-off is. If a pipe freezes and bursts, the first minutes matter most.
Protect outdoor pipes. Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor faucets. Water left in a hose can freeze and push back into the pipe.
"People tend to wait until something goes wrong," says [Name]. "A short walk around the house with a notepad is the best way to catch small problems while they are still easy to fix."
[Name] also suggests keeping a basic winter kit in one spot: a flashlight, spare batteries, blankets and a few days of essentials, so nobody has to hunt for them in the dark.
For more home-care tips, visit [Company]'s website.
Why the example works
- Lede: it opens with a problem every reader knows and a reason to act now. It names no company.
- Nut graf: the second paragraph says what the story offers and who is speaking. A reader knows within seconds whether to keep going.
- Tips: each one starts with a bold action, then says how to do it and why. A reader can follow them without any product.
- Quote: the expert gives a view and a habit, not a slogan. It sounds like a person talking.
- Close: one line that names the company and gives one place to learn more. The only other mention is where the expert is introduced.
Checklist before you send it
- Would a reader find it useful if your company were not named?
- Is there a reason to run it now, such as a season or a date?
- Does the lede open with the reader and not with you?
- Does the nut graf say why it matters and who is speaking?
- Is the advice specific enough to act on?
- Is there one quote, with the speaker's full name and title?
- Is your company named twice at most: with your expert and in the close?
- Are superlatives, health or money promises and prices gone?
- Can you back up every claim?
- Is the length roughly 450 to 700 words, with a photo and caption ready?
If you would rather not write it yourself
NewsUSA has a journalist write the story, you approve every word, and it runs on 2,000+ US news sites within 30 days. To talk it through, book a strategy call with Todd Simon.
Questions
How long should a feature story be?
Roughly 450 to 700 words is a safe target. In our sample of sponsored feature stories on US local news sites, the median was 585 words and the middle half ran from 468 to 712 words. If a publisher gives you a limit, follow it.
What is the difference between a feature story and a news story?
A news story reports something that just happened and puts the most important fact first. A feature story is built around a topic. It explains, advises or tells a story, and it does not depend on a single event. Features usually run longer and read less like a bulletin.
Can a feature story mention my company?
Yes, twice at most: when you introduce your expert, and in the closing line. If the company name appears in every paragraph, the story reads as an ad and an editor is likely to cut it or turn it down.
Do feature stories need photos?
Nearly always. In our sample, 201 of 208 stories ran with at least one photo and 193 had a lead photo above the story. Send a clear, original image with a plain caption, and make sure you have the rights to it.
How this page was made
The figures come from NewsUSA's own sample, collected on 6 November 2026: 208 sponsored feature stories with a readable body (5 more were image-only and are left out of the length and photo figures), taken from the sponsored-features sections of 14 US local news sites and first published between August 1 and October 31, 2026. Word counts were made by script and are approximate: they run about 3% higher than the providers' own counts where those are printed. Topics were assigned across all 218 stories listed, by keyword rules plus an AI review, so treat them as approximate. The 14 sites draw on one shared pool of syndicated features, so the sample shows what that pool carried, not separate choices by 14 editors. This is a snapshot of what was listed in those sections, not a census of all sponsored content. NewsUSA figures (2,000+ US news sites within 30 days, live-only billing, the 2,637-site September 2026 campaign) come from NewsUSA and its campaign reports, which Todd Simon can show you on the call. How these guides are made.