Content Writing Tip: Write what you don’t know!

As a writer, I have heard the phrase ‘write what you know’ way too often. And seen it misinterpreted just as much.

New writers ( I’ve been there too) think they should only write stories about their own lives and experiences.

But if we did that, we’d have no Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Horror. No King, Pratchett or Tolkien.

I think the advice should be, know what you write. That’s harder to misinterpret.

You should know your subject in depth. You should research, read and revise to ensure you know the topic like the back of your hand. Only then, should you start writing.

What you need to know before you write

But what are the vital elements you need to know to ensure you create successful content?

I would include:

• The sentiment around your subject matter. Before you start writing you need to know whether you're tackling a positive or negative subject. If you want to harness an emotional connection with your audience, you need to understand what that emotion is.
• The trending topics. Find out what conversations your consumers are having about your subject. Is there anything that stands out, or is unexpected? If so, that could be the unique angle you need for your story that'll mean you're original, but still engaging.
• How your competitors have tackled the topic. Whether you want to emulate their success, or ensure you don't cover the topic the same way, some competitor analysis can make a difference.
• Visual research. Don't just consider the conversations people are sharing, but also the images. Social media is a visual medium, so try to include images that your consumers engage with.
• Who's sharing stories? Once written, you want to get as many people as possible to share your content. You need to know who's driving your industry conversations, so you can engage them with the content you're creating.

That's a lot to understand before you write. But the more you know before you start writing, the more impact your content will create.

  "If you invest some time analyzing the market trends, understanding engagement with other brands and analyzing your own engagement you can make dramatic improvements."   Ian Cleary

The writer's challenge

This is all well and good. But there's one thing that stands between you and this research.

Time.

As a content writer, you could be working on several articles every week, possibly every day. Where can you find the time to research what you need to know and still hit those all important deadlines?

The Solution: The 2018 Campaign Playbook

That’s why we came up with the 2018 Campaign Playbook.

We analyzed some of the biggest brands in the world, to see how they garnered audience engagement and created campaigns that made an impact. Then transferred that into quick and simple research methods that you can follow for your next piece of content.

It’s not meant to be complicated, or time-consuming. These are simple processes that anyone can use to get a knowledge of a product, audience or industry in seconds.

Content covered

The point of the playbook was to make it as accessible as possible. That’s why we have included a variety of brands, from a range of industries, including some of the biggest names in the world, like Apple, Tide, Kellogg’s, ASOS, and more.

We’ve covered -

• How to build engagement for a negative brand
• How to source ideas in a busy market
• How to compare brands to find a product niche
• How to use consumer aspiration trends to drive engagement
• How to analyze competitors for marketing inspiration
• How long-term trends impact your marketing
• How to use consumer sentiment to find engaging campaign images
• How to find the perfect influencer for your campaign
• How to use trends to convert from a negative to positive brand
• How to assess images for more focused marketing
• How to analyze industries to find your product’s place
• How to compare the impact of your influencers

Get writing

Being a copywriter is hard work. I should know, I've been doing it for nearly a decade. And I know what it's like to bang my head against a wall trying to think of ideas, or spending months on an awesome campaign only to see it fall flat.

But I honestly think the 2018 Campaign Playbook will make a difference.

By knowing what to write (and knowing where to find that information) content ideation will be easier. And ensuring that content gets the results you want will be easier too.

You can grab your copy for free here: https://ow.ly/5Gly30iv9Bi

Take a read, try out some of our techniques, and get to properly writing what you know.