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In order to guarantee that you’re selling your content, we editors publish only content that is professional quality. There are two elements to quality content.
The first element is reliability. The second element is uniqueness.
Reliability comes from several factors. A reliable article should be factually accurate, it should present information through primary sources, and there shouldn’t be any introductions of opinion.
Uniqueness refers to how thoroughly the article supports its assertion with evidence. For example, if an article makes an empirical claim, it should back up that claim with scientific research or other factual data.
There also needs to be depth. Some articles seem like they want to write themselves – they might address one thing and then move on without covering anything else.
However, most pieces need to have some sort of focus or section, which adds more depth to the piece. This could be the “Home” page, the “Sponsors” line, the “How To” center, the “Health Tips” column, etc.
Generally speaking, you want to find a balance between unique themes and ample supporting evidence. Let your audience follow their preference but appeal to their reasonableness when providing justification for why you’ve included facts and references.
Even if you work independently, copywriting requires no immediate results. If you do not have an established process that you follow each day when writing, you will likely create sub-par content.
Results are what matter most when it comes to copywriting. You must continually focus on how well your content communicates with readers and produces results.
How then, can you improve your copywriting skills?
By incorporating techniques such as brainstorming, story telling, proof reading, keyword optimization, and more.
In a recent article, I discussed how to create more meaningful content for your website. Along with discussing the importance of content, I also want to talk about another form of writing that is just as important — web copy!
Web copy includes all of the written content on a site, including footers, headings, subheads, tags, and other text-based articles. Web copy not only gives visitors an idea of what a site is about and its purpose, it also helps guides them through the site using navigation.
Good web copy succeeds because it is grounded in theory and practical application. It convinces people to take action by making their expectations (theoretically) higher than anything else. A good swipe file can help you write great web copy.
Here are some tips from this article to help you along the way:
Learn one section at a time
The best way to do this is to actually read the page and figure out what each part does. There are very few pages in the world that don’t have some sort of heading or tag. Learning these sections can give you a starting place when trying to come up with a new web copy idea.
There are many different ways to format web copy so that it is easy to read. From keeping the font simple and the length of the lines short to using color scales to indicate changes in tone. Any of these options can make the reading process easier for the reader
Even if you’re not a tech enthusiast, there are still ways to show expertise that will help readers trust you and your advice.
How do you demonstrate your knowledge of a subject?
There are three things you can do
Mobile browsing has changed the way that consumers interact with content. The rise of mobile usage has had an impact on business models, marketing tactics, and creative styles.
If you are writing about mobile related topics, then it is important for you to understand how people use their phones and access information. You need to know what users expect from a given phone app, website, or page.
This includes understanding demographics like age range, income level, and technology knowledge. It also means knowing which tools and features they most prefer- including menus, icons, colors, buttons, and forms.
You will have to research key words, phrases, and trends relevant to your subject. From there, you can begin to branch out and learn more about other web platforms and products.
It’s impossible to anticipate all of these elements and capture them all into one file, but it’s possible to keep tabs on them and be as prepared as possible.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “proofreader,” this is what it refers to: someone who reads over written material to help the writer avoid grammar mistakes and proper usage.
It can also give the reader a better understanding of the writing style. Many bloggers are familiar with using editing tools such as redraft, reshare, and reshoot. However, these plugins have limitations when it comes to formatting and visual changes that make content easier to read.
By having a professional (or several professionals) look at their writings through an eye-tracking device, they find lots of small issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
This tool helps them by eliminating repeated words, sentences or paragraphs that contain too few keywords, segments that lack cohesion, and unnecessary introductions to sections of text.
You can submit your copy to publications, but if you want to get results faster, then you have to work with them directly. The easiest way to do so is by creating swipe files for magazines or newspapers.
These are separate documents where they list what you’ve written, how much space it will need, and when there’s enough time left before the deadline.
When they call, let them edit whatever they wish at that time. It’s their job and reputation to make sure everything is perfect.
That said, try not to over-edit yourself. Also, don’t worry about content too much. All that matters is that you gave 100% of yourself into the file.
The better shape your article/blog post takes, the more time you’ll save editing. Plus, it will be easier to promote since the entire article (hopefully) has one idea and one idea only.
There are some other options you could consider, as well. For example, if you found an article online that was just right for you, you could contact the publication to see if they would be willing to share it.
You also could write the piece yourself and send it to several publications. This could really boost your confidence and help streamline your process.
When it comes to grammatical edits, I fall into the trap of thinking that every word needs to be scrutinized through an editorial lens.
Of course, some words require more attention than others.
If you’re reviewing one of your written pieces for any reason (whether it be writing a paragraph based on another piece or delivering a speech), there is usually something important that can be learned from how other writers write.
The way they organize their thoughts, the grammar that they use, the sentences that they construct, etc. — all of these things are useful tools in the toolbox of your writing.
That being said, there is a very specific edit that can improve most drafts of text, and that is the swipe edit.
Swiping is when you look at two separate texts and you compare them side by side using similar language, ideas, and paragraphs.
You can then read between the lines as much as you want. It doesn’t matter if you are reading a novel, a book, a story, or anything else; the slide-key rule helps everyone regardless of experience.
By showing off multiple versions of each passage, additional insights may occur. You can watch videos online explaining how to do this fun little trick.
Writing is an art form, and creating great content that sells products or services is another one. When you write, you need to have a sense of what is going to sell people and how you are going to use your writing skills to persuade them to buy.
If you know you have a product that can help someone else, there are ways to encourage others to buy it without using any money.
