Clutch's content helps businesses understand trends in the B2B market and identify the resources and services they need to tackle and the challenges they face. We cover a wide variety of industries and topics, but our main requirement is that all content be clearly written, specific, and actionable.
Please read these guidelines carefully if you want to contribute content.
First, consider whether your content is right for Clutch. We feature articles that help readers make informed business decisions. That means we require detailed explanations, concrete examples, and actionable instructions. We want to be the one-stop-shop for people seeking to do business better. A reader shouldn’t have to look up another source when reading your article.
Every contribution should meet these four goals:
- Inform readers about business processes, challenges, scenarios, and tools, using case studies, examples, and data
- Educate readers about the choices they will need to make to innovate and enhance their business and why
- Guide readers through the process of solving pressing business challenges and making informed decisions, using clearly written, step-by-step instructions and compelling, reader-friendly visuals
- Cover a topic comprehensively so readers do not need to read anything else before acting/deciding
To get an idea of what we're looking for, check out articles we've published.
Second, when deciding whether to contribute, reflect on your own experience working with your company's clients. What problems, dilemmas, and challenges did you face? Consider what advice or insights you can offer that may help businesses do one of these three things:
1. Become more efficient with the help of updated business processes or new technology
Examples
3 UX Frameworks for Creating Better Websites & Apps
What We Learned from Over 2,500 AdWords Audits
How Apps Transform the Customer Journey
2. Choose a service provider or software solution that meets their needs
Examples
When & Why to Build a Customer Portal
Split Agency Partnerships & Why They Matter
Cost Analysis: Content Marketing Agency vs. In-House Team
3. Get the most out of their service provider or software solution
Examples
When to Use an Agile, Waterfall, or "Hybrid" Development Process
When You Should (and Shouldn't) Automate Email Campaigns
Reporting Basics for New (or Overwhelmed) Marketers
Third, your contribution must deal with a type of business decision, purchase, or other issue that fits into one of our content categories:
- Advertising & Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Mobile App Development
- Web & Software Development
- Web Design
- IT Services & Solutions
- Business Services
Contributed Content Requirements
These are requirements, not suggestions. If you don't follow them, your contribution will not be published.
- You must use our application form below to submit your pitches before submitting an article
- Only submit your own original work that has not been published before
- Article length of 900-1,500 words
- Include a 1-2 sentence summary of your article at the top underneath your title
- Download and follow the advice in the Writer's Checklist at the bottom of this page
- Show; don't tell: Include step-by-step instructions, screenshots, and examples, illustrated with screenshots or flowcharts
- Reference or link to sources, case studies, and data that back up your argument and help the reader understand the issue
- Include at least 2 images in your article as PNGs or JPEGs. We do not accept stock photos. Please use screenshots, relevant graphics, and other images that back up and/or illustrate your points
- Submit articles as .doc or .docx, not Google Doc.
For inspiration, check out our latest articles (https://clutch.co/resources/articles) and think of topics in terms of four questions:
- How do you do X?
- Why should you do X?
- Why is X happening?
- What is X? Why is X important?
Pitch Your Article Idea
We require an outline of your proposed topic and links to previous writing samples. We will let you know if the contribution you suggest is suitable and you may then submit the full article.
You must fill out a new form each time you make a pitch.
Editorial Process: What to Expect
We review each pitch and reach out within one week if the topic sounds like a good fit. If you don't hear back from us within a week, your piece isn't the right fit for us at this time.
After receiving a completed article, we take about one month to review it and share feedback. We use our "Writer's Checklist" (below) to edit articles.
Please ensure that your completed article includes every item on the checklist before submitting it. We reserve the right to reject articles that do not meet our requirements and edit articles as we see fit.
Writer's Checklist
We use this writer's checklist as our editing handbook. Please ensure that your completed article includes every item and meets each requirement before submitting it.
We expect writers to update their article based on our feedback before publication. Once the article is approved, we take about two months to publish it.
Why Write for Clutch?
We launched our contributed content program in January 2017, with the goal of providing another opportunity for individuals to market their thought leadership and highlight their company's experience in the industry.
All content is published in the resources section of our website, shared in our weekly newsletter, and promoted across our social media channels: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Reach out to [email protected] with any questions about joining our content community. We look forward to working with you!