A featured story is a piece of content that’s highlighted by editors or curators to catch the attention of readers and encourage engagement. They can be anything from a trend story, Q&A, lifestyle article (which often focuses on home decor, fashion and leisure), or hard-hitting news feature.

A good feature article has a strong narrative flow that draws readers in from start to finish. A captivating title, a compelling lead and a well-paced development are all important elements of an effective feature story. The author also needs to use vivid imagery and storytelling techniques to bring the story to life and make it relatable to the reader.

Unlike hard news stories, which focus on facts and statistics, a feature story has a more subjective tone. However, it should still be informative and maintain a high level of quality in its reporting, crafting, and editing.

While a feature story can take many forms, it is often a portrait of an interesting person, group of people or topic. It can be a profile feature, such as one about a celebrity, businessperson or athlete, or it can be a human-interest piece that showcases the passion, challenges and heartwarming success stories of someone.

Regardless of what form it takes, a great feature story is always engaging to read. To do that, it should drop the reader into a scene, provide sensory details, and evoke emotions or reactions through the use of quotes and anecdotes. It should also contain information that’s verified to make it more credible and authentic.