Blog posts, social media updates, a newsletter, and articles!
You know the drill: it’s all about content, content, and more content as you try to attract customers, show them who you are, and, ultimately, give them a reason to care about your company. Your ability to craft a compelling message and deliver it in a way that inspires customers to act is frequently linked to the success of your business. It makes no difference whether you consider yourself a writer or not – in today’s market, you must be.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning your content wheels or looking for ways to tighten what’s already working, here are seven writing rules to help you.
1. Tell stories
Take a look at the most popular marketing channels right now: Twitter, Facebook, and your blog. They all have something in common, you’ll notice. They expect you to get someone’s attention by telling them a story they want to hear. As marketers, we must be able to deliver a message that not only captures our audience’s attention but also motivates them to take the desired action. That is our intention. And that necessitates storytelling.
Stop lecturing people and start telling them stories if you want to improve your writing. Stories that explain how your products can meet a consumer’s need while also exposing your brand and showing customers what lies beneath the surface. Because there are numerous products available to make my clothes cleaner. I’d like to know what makes yours unique. I’m looking for a reason to care about you. That is delivered by stories.
2. Don’t hide
It’s time to ditch the marketing jargon and ten-dollar phrases that fill space but say nothing. Come out of hiding! Show people what you’re passionate about and allow them to see you get riled up about it. Take stances that are meaningful to your customers. You may lose some people in the process, but you will also attract people who are on the same side of the fence. People who will be more than just customers for your company, but also engaged fans who will spread the word about it. That’s the type of audience you’re looking for. And you’ll only find it if you stop hiding behind meaningless messages and start letting people see who you are your core values, and the boundaries you will not cross in your business.
3. Experiment
If the thought of writing another blog post makes you want to hurt yourself, your readers are probably feeling the same way. So don’t bother with a blog post.
- Create a video.
- Produce an infographic.
- Hold a competition.
- Begin a poll.
- Invite some new contributors to your blog.
- Organize a Twitter chat.
Instead of getting stuck in the same content pattern, try experimenting with new mediums to improve your writing. The more open you are to new experiences, the more energy and life you bring to your content.
4. Master headlines
A good headline piques the reader’s interest, establishes your promise/benefit, and elicits emotion before they even arrive on your page. I don’t claim to be a headline master, but the Copyblogger team is. Learn from the best by reading their blog.
5. Use power words
Another thing I’ve learned from the Copyblogger team is the value of using trigger words in your writing. Certain words, such as suck, fail, overcome, and seize, elicit an immediate response from people when they read them; learn how to use them. Choosing the right words for your message can increase its impact and help it reach a wider audience. If your words aren’t conveying the message clearly, use trigger words to spice things up.
6. Write for one reader
You’re writing for a large group of people. You’re crafting a message that you believe they’ll all relate to or that will help them all solve a problem. But consider how you feel when someone sends you a generic email or speaks to you as part of a group – it irritates you, doesn’t it? When you know you’re just one of many recipients, it’s easier to ignore the message.
When you’re creating content, write as if you’re writing to a single reader. Talk to them as if you’re in the same room with them. Respond to them. It’s a simple shift in focus when writing, but you’d be surprised how much it changes your words and helps you captivate your audience.
7. Have a benefit
The purpose of your content is to benefit the reader. Determine your benefit and make explaining it the sole purpose of that piece of content. It’s easy to get off track or waste time trying to be clever or insert jokes (I’m all too guilty of this! ), but your audience doesn’t care how funny you think you are. They are concerned with resolving a problem, learning a new strategy, or gathering information on a specific topic. If you want to make them happy, rather than the other way around. Know your advantage, obsess over it, and over-deliver.
The methods listed above are simple ways for anyone to improve their writing. What are some of your favorite secret writing techniques?
Learn more from business and read Top 42 SEO Writing Tips To Master A Combination Art.
