We live in the digital age where sharing information has never been easier. However, the avalanche of writing that deluges the web every day makes many people wonder: how do I make my content stand out? Writing effective content is a mastery you gain through forethought, desire, and diligence.
Forethought helps you cater to the needs of your audience and your own objectives. Your desire to share a unique insight compels your writing and possessing diligence refines your techniques and empowers your words.
Whether you are a professional wanting to increase traffic to your page or a novice aspiring to create, you don’t have to look far. Below are 3 valuable tips that can help enrich the quality of your content writing and improve your online visibility.
To learn more about how to increase your traffic, check out this resource on how to increase blog traffic and conversions.
Tip #1 - Research Is the Framework of Content
The best way to show reverence to your content is by delving into your research. That means reading relevant texts about your topic from other writers and reviews from their readers. Consuming all this information will teach you to write with a critical eye for tone, technique, and structure. You also gain insight and numerous perspectives that will aid in your composition of something unique and relevant.
Furthermore, research your audience so you can make the right content for them. Tailor your writing with their interests in mind. Write in a tone of voice that speaks directly to them.
For outsourced writers, learn everything you can about the company - products, services, industry, and even personality. Readers put their trust in your extensive knowledge of the topic. Therefore, it is futile to make claims that data and statistics cannot back up. Researching keywords and phrases are also a vital part of this process.
Before you start writing, there are certain questions you should ask yourself.
- What is the goal of my content?
- What do I provide?
- How does this benefit you?
- What are some questions or phrases my audience might type in their search engine?
Once you know the answers and find the right keywords, you can implement SEO to help enhance your online visibility and improve your results.
There are a number of excellent tools for researching customer’s questions around your keywords online and collecting data from search engines such as Google, it gives you valuable insight into the minds of your audience.
Tip #2 - Write to Evoke Emotion & Substantiate with Logic
Content writing is a form of storytelling. It walks the line between emotion and logic. Creating this personal connection with your reader is a powerful strategy to employ, whether for producing content or for search marketing purposes.
Which desires are compelling them to go online? Which emotion are you trying to provoke through your text?
- Curiosity?
- Want?
- Enjoyment?
- Maybe excitement?
Even your reader’s frustration over a topic or an arduous skill can work as a hook. The key is to transform this emotion into encouragement early on. It can be as simple as sharing a personal anecdote - a relatable situation or an eye-opening experience that resonates with your audience to take action.
This emotional engagement with your content can determine your reader/consumer’s final step - whether it is to sign up for your newsletters, purchase your services or products, or even leave a review on your page.
However, writing simply with emotion is not enough to sustain your content. You must establish credibility with logic. That entails sharing context to your topic, backing up your claims with data and statistics, and showing them the benefits of your services. Another great way to employ logic is to link out to other high authority websites that write within the domain of your topic.
When you balance these two strategies methodically, you leave your reader intellectually and emotionally satisfied.
Tip #3 - Editing: The Difference Between Poor and Good Writing
Writing is nothing without its counterpart - editing. It is a vital part of the process of bringing a text to full fruition. When you sit down to write your first draft, whether you are a pro or a novice, it is impossible not to overlook certain details. That is when it is helpful to let your content “marinate” for a day or two before you come back to it. Rest your brain and your eyes, then return to your desk with a fresh frame of mind.
First, you start by micro-editing, word by word and line by line. You scan your content with a microscope and pay attention to the intricate details: grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and syntax. Beware of lengthy sentences and eliminate blocks of paragraphs. You do not want more than 5 lines in each paragraph. Short and punchy makes for an easy read.
Grammarly is an excellent free editing software that makes the whole process a lot easier.
Succeeding the first level is macro-editing - when you look over your text as a whole and consider ways to tighten up the story’s arguments, pacing, and flow.
- Do the title and subheadings inform, make an impression, adhere to formatting requirements?
- How do the intricacies in your writing work to accentuate your intention?
- Are your paragraphs and segments coherent and aligned for maximum readability?
- Are your arguments accurately reinforced?
And remember, once you finish editing, have one or multiple people read and give feedback on your work before you start the next or final redraft.
Part of being a good writer is having patience for the process, fine-tuning your weak areas, and even finding enjoyment in it.
Perception, Creation, and Publication
Writing content is unlike any other task. Your projects may vary from one week to another. One day you are an expert in health and lifestyle, another day, it might be cryptocurrencies and digital wallets. Therefore, it is essential to be knowledgeable, affirmative, and confident in what you write.
While your dedication to the practice determines your writing competence, writing content that works is about catering to your audience’s curiosity. Not only that but also about catering to yours.
So, generate ideas. Find interesting aspects to your topic and read from the perspectives of writers and readers. Take time to investigate how to make your content compelling. Once you feel competent in the subject and aware of your target's needs and expectations, all that is left to do is write, rewrite, and finally publish.
For additional information or if you are seeking search marketing services, contact Eventige today to speak to our experts.
