Sunday, 30 June 2013

Tips for Writing Better Content


Before you start writing.....

1. Identify the objective of the content: One reason it takes us so long to write fine content is because we do not stop to choose what we want to say. What are you hoping your content will achieve? Is the rationale of your article designed to put a customer on a determined conversion path, to explain how something works, build brand trust? Whatever goal you have decided on, has it in mind before you commence writing. Knowing your goal in advance will help set the tone (and sometimes the filter) for everything that is about to come next.
2. Decide on a hook: Every piece of content you put down should have a hook. Just like in fishing, your hook is what you are going to use to catch a reader in your net. Whether it is; a news hook, an attack hook, an ego hook, or a humor hook you want to decide how you are going to draw people in. Keeping the hook in mind will help you structure your article and organize it in your head. It will also verify the writing style that you use. You

would not write a news hook with the similar juice you would use to write an incentive hook.
3. Think like your reader: Before you put fingers on the keyboard, get in the mindset of your audience because your content is being produced for them. If you are attempting to explain something, talk about it from their point of view. How deeply would your readers need something broken down? Which vocabulary would they use? Where might they get perplexed? Put yourself in the place of your readers and write like they would. Don not use your own view of the world. You are the expert. It is contaminated with jargon.
4. Get rid of distractions: Close Twitter. Log out of Facebook.. Stay away from YouTube. While it is easy to browse through these sites during a brain lull, they will only make your content sound more disjointed and make you spend more time trying to write. When it is time to write, turn them off.

When you are writing.........

1. Only include what is relevant: Do you still have the objective of your content fresh in your mind? If yes….Good. When you initiate writing, keep that goal in mind to help you include only information that supports your goal. Just because you know the whole alphabet about a subject does not mean all of it belongs in one piece of content. For example, if you are writing about how to make an excellent vanilla latte, then you do not need to include a five-page synopsis on the history of coffee, where the best beans are situated, and how to prepare the perfect cup. Leave the kitchen sink at home. The more extraneous information you include, the further you take people away from your objective and the more you baffle them along the way.

Before you publish............

1. Read your content aloud: If you desire to improve your content, read it aloud to yourself before you hand it to a customer or publish it to the Web. If you falter over something  or think you are being too wordy, so will your reader, and it may turn them off. I never or commit to or publish any piece of writing before I have read it aloud to myself several times. Once I can get through it without stammering, I trust that it is “complete.”

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