Content Marketing requires many skills, but writing remains one of the pillars of this exercise. And editing is not easy. Worse, we're not all equal when faced with a blank sheet or a computer keyboard.
For some, the words come effortlessly, for others, there is a resistance to writing. Not easy to deliver a nice copy to read. Whether it's a blog post, an ebook, a report or an e-mail, your writing will set a certain image of you in the unconscious of your reader. How to write a relevant blog article?
I offer these tips to appear to your advantage in all your written communication.
Do not look too smart
This is one of the flaws that disconnects the reader from what it is reading. When the style becomes too heavy, when the styles turn out to be more important than the content, when a word has been placed only to make you look more scholar, you lose your reader.
Moreover, most of the time, your talk loses its effectiveness, being drowned in a pompous molasse. Always seek to simplify, to return to the essential.
Here are some rules to observe:
Eliminate too complicated words: If you want to communicate effectively, you will need to reduce the distance with your readers. There is a tendency to spread a language that weakens the connection with the reader. If you want to impress your audience, do it with the information you are broadcasting, not with scholarly words.
Avoid jargon: As much as possible. Obviously, we can not banish all vocabulary related to our business, especially for SEO. For my part, I have a simple rule: I keep in mind the type of target reader of my article. If I target beginners, I avoid acronyms and technical terms, or I take the time to explain them.
Master the words you use: Ok, I'll be honest, it all happens to us. One day or another, either orally or in writing, one loses oneself with a word that one thinks he knows well. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to use a good old dictionary.
Choose your topic
That remains the heart of your content. Take the time to study what your audience needs. Your articles must bring something to your readers, they must be able to make their lives better for an instant or for the long term. For that, no secret, you must know your audience and I explain how to go about in this article on the personas.
I often say in these pages, the important thing is to place your potential client at the heart of the writing process.
Try to imagine a specific person in front of you and write for it. Finally, it will happen that you do not know what to speak. Again, I wrote an article on how to do content marketing when we have nothing to say.
Write with a goal
Content Marketing is not just a blog. Indeed, many are lost in writing and sometimes produce excellent content without ever triggering conversions (lead in a client). For your content to be quality, it must have a clear, but mostly identifiable goal for your reader.
How do you reach your audience? What do you want to trigger after reading your content:
An act of purchase,
An emotion or a reflection,
Registration for a newsletter,
A download,
Sharing or tracking on social networks?
If you want your reader to act after an article, it will be necessary to arouse an emotion, to awaken a desire or to push him to surpass himself. It must go beyond the intellect, for that, you can also consult some online services like
GPALabs.If you talk to entrepreneurs, encourage them, give them the urge to go further. If your readership is made up of budding gardeners, create the desire and desire to be better, etc.
Before writing any line, take the time to ask yourself this question: what reaction do you want to produce or what action do you want to encourage?
Follow the rules
Obviously, spelling and grammar must be impeccable. In any case, as much as possible. For that, re-read and do not hesitate to use software such as Antidote which does an excellent job. There may be errors from time to time, you will obviously forgive them but make them practically non-existent. Today online media, even the big headlines, allow for many discrepancies and you will certainly find in my own articles (I happen to find some months later). Differentiate yourself by showing your seriousness even in this aspect of your content.
Here are some writing tips that could help you on a daily basis:
Vary the transition words: The American language is rich and each of these transition words to its particularity. Using them wisely makes reading more enjoyable. Not having the place in this article to enumerate all, I found this PDF file which takes several and gives the specificities.
. Nevertheless, think about keeping the same construction for each item in your list. If the first three begin with a verb, do not use a noun or an adjective in the fourth. This breaks the rhythm of reading.
Write catchy titles
The title of your article is the first thing your readers see. It must be concise and attractive while respecting some rules to function in terms of SEO. Remember, readers will not always see the title of your article on your site, where it will certainly be highlighted, with the right font, and so on. Most of the time, they will see it through a search engine, a publication on social networks or in an RSS feed.
Be concise, four to ten words are enough. If you're too long, you're exposing yourself to the fact that the title does not appear entirely in the results of search engines or social networks. Pay attention to word games that can create SEO conce
s if they are too convoluted. If you can and it makes sense, place the keywords at the beginning of the title. If the title appears truncated, the essential will be visible. For example, it is better to use "Personal Branding: Free Webinar" tha
"Free Webinar-Conference on Personal Branding".
Conclusion
Finally, one last tip write with the heart! This may seem a little blue flower but it is a reality. I spoke earlier about being able to touch the emotions of your readers. You get there only when you are self-interested in our subject. Be passionate and your readers will feel it.
And you, how do you manage your writing for the web? What advice would you give to a junior copywriter? What software do you use to help you with this task?