When you are preparing to launch a blog, coming up with original, compelling content can often be the hardest and most time-consuming part. If you are new to the world of content writing, learning the ins and outs can be overwhelming until you get the hang of it. Here are a few content writing tips to help improve your writing instantly.
Luckily, there are plenty of content writing tips and tricks to make the process a little smoother. Read on for our top writing tips for bloggers, and learn how to level up your blog content to draw in readers and wow them with your words.
Create a content calendar.
One of the best tips for bloggers is to create a content calendar. Planning your posts ahead of time allows you to see the overall content landscape and make sure you are diversifying your content, instead of posting too many similar topics back-to-back.
This also gives you the opportunity to plan your posts upfront, rather than coming up with ideas on the spot when you’re sitting down to write, leaving you ample time to research, source photos, or gather any other information you may need upfront.
If you’re not sure where to begin, try using a free content calendar template (tons are available on Google), and adjusting it as you go to fit your needs.
Craft content with a purpose.
When you are coming up with content for your blog, it’s important to first understand why your readers are there. How many times have you Googled a topic, and had to weed through blog post after blog post before coming across one that actually provided real value? Writing content just for the sake of writing is only going to waste your time and your readers’ time.
Instead, learning to craft content in a way that adds value to your readers is one of the most important writing tips for bloggers. If they don’t feel your content is answering a question they may have, or providing actionable advice for them to use, they won’t be returning to your site or clicking through to other posts.
Make your content easy to read.
Let’s face it – nobody wants to read a big wall of text. If your content isn’t easy to digest, you may lose readers before they even get through your post. But, the beauty of blog writing is that you don’t have to follow a specific format. Use this to your advantage.
Keep the tone casual, and break up your information into multiple paragraphs of easily digestible bits of information. This post by Written explains ways to improve your formatting. Add images where it makes sense, or even try incorporating infographics, bullet points, gifs, or videos into your posts to break up more long-form content.
The easier it is for readers to process the information you’re sharing with them, the more value they’ll find in your content.
Write on evergreen topics.
While it may seem fitting to write about current events, focusing too much on time-sensitive topics will make your content feel stale, fast.
Instead, focus your efforts on developing evergreen content with more staying power. A topic that’s relevant all the time will do much more for your analytics in the long run, especially if it’s a topic people will search for year-round, and even for years to come.
The best way to do this is to think about topics in your niche that people might typically search for. Then, figure out the best way to answer their questions with the knowledge you have. Try writing your content in a how-to format, or as a listicle. Remember to stay true to your voice as a writer to successfully build trust and establish a connection with your readers.
Focus on SEO, but not too much.
It’s always a good idea to keep SEO, or search engine optimization, in mind when writing content. After all, it’s how many new readers will likely come across your blog. By optimizing your post with targeted keywords, you’re more likely to show up in a Google search.
But don’t let those keywords become the be-all and end-all of your content. Going overboard on SEO can sometimes hurt instead of help. Stuffing as many of these keywords as you can into your title and throughout your blog post often decreases the readability of your content, and can come off as disingenuous to your readers in the process.
Always proofread your work.
One of the easiest ways to discredit your work is to publish it with a glaring grammatical error.
While it may seem like a no-brainer, proofreading your work is one of the best tips for beginner content writers.
Try reading your content out loud before publishing. This often helps you catch missing words, and will also enable you to adjust any sentences that might not read smoothly. You can also run your content through free grammatical checkers online, which can catch spelling mistakes or small grammatical errors you might have otherwise missed.
The content you publish is a direct representation of you or your business. Don’t lose your readers’ trust because of a simple typo.
Just start writing.
If you’re not sure how to begin or feel stuck in a bout of writer’s block, sometimes the best way to get through is to just begin writing!
By jotting down your ideas, even in just a very rough draft, you’ll soon figure out what direction your content is going in. Then, it’s much easier to go back through and spice up your word choices and add in additional information once the general outline is written down.
Give this a try the next time you have trouble getting started on a blog post, and you might find it’s the best way to put your ideas to paper.
