Whether you’re writing blogs, articles, social media updates or biographies, there are some key things to consider which will take your content from good to great. Check out some of our top tips here.
Much of it may tumble into the ‘stating the bleedingly obvious’ file, but there’s still value in reminding yourself from time to time.
What’s your point?
What three things do you want to say? Figure that out before you start writing. It’ll really help you waffle-dodge.
Who cares?
Who is likely to read your article? Understanding your audience is critical for success, as it’ll help dictate your tone and the level of detail you go into.
Short is sweet
Short sentences work. They grab attention. They’re super-easy to digest. If you find yourself wrangling with commas, split the sentence up. Make paragraphs short too. Like this one!
Subheadings
Subheadings help readers swiftly navigate your prose. Make it easy for them to get your point, even if they’re only scanning it. And readability/digestibility is great for search engine approval, too. Try and make your subheadings interesting, too.
Congratulations on your engagement
Ask your readers questions to really engage them. What do they think about XYZ? Write in a conversational tone, as if you were actually speaking to your reader. And it should go without saying that jargon and acronyms need to get in the bin.
Call to action (CTA)
Decide what you want your readers to do next. Then, tell them. Good copywriting always includes clear signposts to the next action to take. It’s easy to forget your CTA, so always check back to make sure it’s there.
Draft and craft
Write your first draft. Then, cast your eye over the third paragraph. What does it say? In many cases, that’s where you’ll find your leading point. Send it up to the top, and see what difference it makes. This is also a good time to sift through your writing, identifying superfluous words you could afford to lose in order to make your writing easier to read. Be brutal!
Watch the pros
Professional journalists always start with the big messages, and so should copywriters. And check out the ‘inverted triangle’ technique for telling a story.
The pudding’s in the proof
Always ask someone to check your work over before you set it free. Ask them to look for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. And, crucially, ask them if it makes sense.
Read, read, read
Reading other people’s blogs and articles is really valuable. You’ll find loads of inspiration, and plenty of examples of ‘how not to do it’ too.
Exclamation marks
These little sprites can easily scream ‘desperation’ and can make your writing sound a bit junior or like an overexcited puppy. Use them sparingly, if at all. If something’s funny/shocking/scary, the right language will convey that. Basically, if Donald Trump does it, then probably don’t.
Short on time? Hate writing? Let us help. Profound Content creates compelling and engaging blog posts, articles, letters and more. Give us a shout.