What do you do when you find yourself at a loss for words? As marketers, we talk a lot about the importance of content, but what we really mean is well-written, compelling content. So to help you overcome writer’s block and sharpen your focus, we gathered some writing tips from leading industry experts.
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Address a Need
This is at the heart of it all—you have to write something that people want to read. It should address a need, answer a question, or offer a solution to a problem. -
Answer in Detail
If you are writing a post aimed at offering a solution, be sure that you are thorough in your answer. It is good to have a checklist to guide you regarding value, relevance, and comprehensiveness. -
Research Regularly
To keep content fresh and topical, experts recommend staying in “research mode” most of the time, not just right before you need to crank out a post. The more you explore, the more fuel you will have for your brain. -
Sound Bites
Make brevity your friend and keep prose concise. Remember, readers scan and rarely read all the way to the bottom, so use straightforward language that’s easy to digest. -
Stay Busy
Research shows the most successful blogs add new content several times a week if not every day. So keep writing to attract new readers and convert them to customers. -
Take Notes
As soon as an idea (any idea) pops into your head, write it down. Even if it is not a matter you are going to explore right away, it is helpful to have a running list of potential topics. Smart phone note apps are great for this. -
Find your Voice
People are not reading your blog just because of the content, they are reading it because of you (and your team), so develop and maintain a unique voice and style to stand out from the crowd. -
Title Time
Spend almost as much time on your title as the rest of your post. The title is what grabs attention and draws readers in, so take time to perfect it. And, there’s plenty of help available for you. -
Show Emotion
The reason most content goes viral is that it strikes an emotional chord with people—amusing, shocking, surprising, thought-provoking, uplifting. -
Luring Lead
Besides the title, your lead is the most important piece of your post; this is where you will really draw readers into the story. According to Quick Sprout, the following type of leads do well: a fascinating story, little-known fact, the promise of information available nowhere else, and a contrarian viewpoint. -
Buyer Personas
Develop buyer personas and use them when crafting blog stories for optimal effectiveness. “Buyer personas are valuable in understanding questions. They enable content developers to understand their audience and importantly the type of content that will be valuable and helpful to them” (Report Garden). -
Vary Content
Thera are various different types of content that you can use to make your blog shine. Think images, videos, quizzes, curated list, product launch announcements and more. -
Build Trust
While you can build reader trust several different ways, one of the best ways is by being honest. Don’t use hype and don’t stretch the truth. An honest, straightforward approach allows you to curate trust while building your brand. -
Review and Improve
Even if you are killing it on your blog, there is always room for improvement. Review and assess how well your blog is doing based on interaction, shares, and click-through rates. -
Focus
Even though you cannot attract everyone, you can appeal to your core audience by focusing on the topics, trends, and products they are interested. It's preferable to have in-depth knowledge of a few key topics than general information on many.
Use these writing tips to cultivate blog success. In no time, you will be a leader in your field. By using these tips guides as inspiration, you will be a blog writing expert in no time. Have you ever received a piece of writing advice from someone that really resonated with you or propelled you to success? If so, post a comment on our Facebook page and share the insight.
