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When you’re writing copy for your own site or another type of written media like a brochure or flyer, there’s no way around it — you need to read every word you write as many times as it takes until you get something that “reads” good.
And when I say reads good, you know how well you can describe what you’re doing in words? You want others to understand what you’re saying even if they don’t have your language skills.
So you need to put yourself in their shoes before you do anything else. Is the reading level of your target audience typically somewhere between 5th grade and 11th grade? Are they going to school to learn a new skill, or are they keeping up with day-to-day chores without taking time to breathe life into them?
You also need to be able to edit your work, and not just grammatically, but emotionally. Does the writing capture the true feelings of those involved at each stage, or does it use too formal or complicated language?
If you aren't being paid to create content, give it away for free, and see what parts of your writing people accept for payment and why. Repeat these steps with all writers, regardless of whether or not you're ready to pay them.
In online marketing, website usability is key. If visitors can’t find what they are looking for on your site, they will leave immediately.
And why wouldn’t they? What are they trying to find that you’re not giving them? What are their priorities? Based on who their target audience is, how do they expect your site to look and function?
It’s important to note that people use websites in different ways. People have different expectations when it comes to shopping, learning information, and engaging with content.
If one of the main reasons people visit a site is to learn more about a product or service, then the way you set up navigation should make sense from that point forward.
You want customers to see the things they might need, then easily access them.
In addition to making sure your site is easy to navigate, also consider how your users feel. Are there any features users could benefit from but don’t know about? It’s best to bring these issues to light before launch.
Add notes to yourself about how to improve the user experience. Then, work hard to implement those changes between releases and keep testing until you get it right.
Key points are to always listen closely to your readers and try new things. That way you’ll always be able to stay ahead of your competitors.
Even if you’re not a professional writer, you can copywrite examples of your own work. And even if you are a professional, you can write things that are useful and meaningful.
Whatever you do, make sure it adds value to people in some way.
You can only provide value for others if you understand their problems and concerns. You can only write about topics that matter to you after you determine what is important to them.
By being aware of their needs and wants, you will also develop more empathy, which is an essential quality for any writer. Plus, you will be able to connect with your readers and help them relate to each other through sharing your content.
Value is given for free, so there's no promise someone will pay for it. However, you can offer values between $10 and $100 (the lower end of our target price range).
Put yourself out there by publishing stories online and in print. Combine different styles and genres together and see how they fit into the category you want to create.
Try writing articles from several perspectives to reveal little-known facts about products or services or to encourage customers to try something new.
This is one of the most important things you can do when writing any type of copy, but it’s especially important with keyword-rich content such as online articles.
Be specific comes down to two things:
Is this worded properly? Is this the best choice for the reader?
There are many elements that go into what makes up proper grammar, including how words are spelled, punctuation marks, and which spelling people should use.
All of these questions need to be asked and answered by looking at each word in your article or page and asking yourself “is this correct?” or “what option is better?”
For example, say you have a heading called ‘How to Live with No Money’. You want to write about how to live without money, so which title does it get — How to Live With No Money
You can keep reading to see how to live with no money, but here’s why it’s not an effective way to spend your time…
Whenever you write, your goal should be to keep it short.
That way, people will read what you write and understand it.
They will know something important is being said.
Writers usually have tons of ideas behind them that they've wanted to say for years.
For example, someone who writes non-fiction might want to tell a story about her life or the lives of other women.
But by keeping the writing focused and direct, she can help others learn something new, easier.
Subheads are one of the most common ways to organize your writing in order to help the reader navigate through your content. A subhead is text that is listed slightly below the main title of your article or story and then repeatedly cited as an H1, H2, H3, etc.
For example, if you have a section called “Things Your Parents Probably Never Told You About Money,” you could create a subheading under that titled “Why Being Rich Is Important.” Then further beneath that, you could have a subsection called “How To Be Rich,” with another subheading.
This way, if someone wants to learn more about a particular topic, they can scroll down and find what information is meant for them. It also gives you flexibility when it comes to writing style. If you feel like adding a creative/funny subtitle to attract readers, you can!
Subtitles can be great tools for writing, but only if you use them correctly.
In online content, bullets are used for emphasis. You might add a bullet at the end of a sentence or create several dots around a key word to draw attention to it.
However, when you write offline, bolder approaches can work well. A bulleted list will make your writing more apparent and concise.
You also have the option of using subbullets. Subbullets are specific statements made within the broader statement that contains them.
For example, in primary school classes, you may learn that students with disabilities tend to be identified earlier than those who do not. That is why they need to get help before later grades.
Subbullets include this by testing understanding of the main concept. For instance, “students with disabilities” tends to identify younger readers as students likely to have difficulties in school.
Given that most students don’t have disabilities, however, it makes sense to leave this information out altogether.
A large part of good writing is grammar. But it’s not the whole story. You also need to pay attention to your usage and your style.
How you write depends on what type of writer you are, so keep practicing but here are some lessons that will help you get started:
Avoid clichés.
Don’t use too many similes (comparing something with another thing). It makes things harder to understand. Also avoid overused adjectives and adverbs.
When you can combine words with synonyms, do so. That way you create more variety in your writing and have less risk if someone quotes you.
Also try not using single-purpose verbs. For example, don’t just use “read” or “write”; use “readable” and “writable”. This helps make your content more interesting.
Lastly, remember who you are talking to. Most people reading professional content form an opinion about you. And they will probably share their opinion with others. So choose your language carefully to ensure you are being respectful and informative at all times.
Most sentences in copywritten articles are short. Don’t include more than one sentence! If you need to use a phrase or two, then use subheads.
But most of the time, short sentences work better for written prose. Why? Because readers take longer to read short sentences than long paragraphs.
Also, when writing nonfiction, you don’t have any room to expand the sentence. A fact is a fact, so make it a straight shot.
Strong verbs work better than weak ones. It’s hard to say “no” to a strong verb. The stronger the verb, the shorter the sentence will be.
However, not every word can be strong. You can only add strong verbs to words that start with a vowel (a sound like “ah”). There aren’t many verbs that begin with a vowel.
You can find hundreds of strong verbs online. Or, you can create your own list by starting with adjectives and their conjugations (adjective forms) instead.
Adjectives are words that describe nouns (names of people, places, things, etc.). Adjectives are followed by adverbs (words that help us tell how we feel, such as “slowly” or “quickly”).
