Write 3x better content with these quick 12 writing tips
You and I know, writing is less about hustling and more about,
Playing with words…
Not getting distracted…
Getting into the rhythm…
Etc…
But all these things are possible only when you have a bunch of selected strategies and tips in place.
You can also say,
Writing itself is about strategies or techniques (whether you are writing to a business or an entertainment audience)
Well don’t worry at all, you don’t need anything technical here.
Just need to know some secrets and put in the effort and consistency.
The secrets can be like,
Hooking the readers in the beginning…
Engaging them with real stories…
Giving them “ahan” moments…
Impressing them on their first top-to-bottom post scanning…
Providing them with genuine value…
And a lot MUCH MORE…
I just couldn’t stop listing down more of these, but let’s just stop and figure out 12 magical tips all combined with suggestions, tools, and action tips that’s gonna help you write 3 TIMES better content than what you have been writing so far.
So let’s just dive in!
1. Keep these 2 things in mind.
Every skill you learn comes up with some notable formulas.
If it’s copy conversion, you have funnel formulas to convert people, if it’s teaching, you’re supposed to get into people’s shoes, if it’s about learning a language, you’re supposed to work on listening, reading, & speaking…and so on.
Now, what about writing?
Writing although is not anything technical, yet it does have some uncommon rules that will ultimately help you write better content.
It’s the very basic, but extremely Needed to be mentioned!
It’s a 3-rules formula.
a. First Research
b. Second Write
c. Then Edit.
It seems an obvious one, but often we ignore it. We write, research, and edit at the same time, or just unintentionally end up writing and editing simultaneously.
Which is the point where we go wrong.
We take huge time…
We write ordinary content…
We feel messed up…!
Remember, your creator version and editor version have to work separately as they are likely to distract each other.
Booster Tip:
Maintain a 2-hours gap between researching and writing, and a 1-day gap between writing and editing to see the best effective working potential. Also, don’t look back again and again at your written content when writing, as it distracts you and stops your ideas from coming upfront.
Write like a marketer.
Your client has nothing to do with your written piece unless it actually hooks his readers, keeps them engaged, generates more revenue, makes them aware of his brand, and at the same time, has the capability to rank on keywords as well.
Once you succeed in all these, you will not be an employee anymore.
You will be a collaborator...who helps his clients with their goals!
Believe it or not,
Once you start thinking like a marketer while writing, you will actually write really well!
2. Write every day
Make a habit of writing every day, even if it’s just 100 words.
Or, I would say,
Make a habit of having fun writing every day!
It would be easier for you.
Write about yourself, whatsoever you love doing, your goals, your feelings, your doubts, or anything you want!
Another option you can go for is having a social media presence. You can simply post a pic and write a 100-words caption on daily basis. You can also start your own blog where you can tell your readers about your life.
Secondly,
Make a habit of reading every day. It's up to you whether you want to choose blogs or books for this.
I personally go and subscribe to a lot of blogs related to my niche (…which is marketing) so I get to read them randomly when scrolling my email inbox.
I also subscribe to blogs related to my future plans (for example: my own podcast) or even hobbies (such as DIYS), so I keep getting every big and tiny detail regarding a thing I want to know about. (For your case, read emails relevant to top writing tips for beginners)
Action Tip for Writing:
If you want someone to force you to write every day, use this fun tool that sends an email every morning and waits for your response.
3. Assume you are making a conversation with your friend
Don’t try to be complicated when writing.
Instead, write in a simple and conversational style. (Just like you are reading right now)
You won’t believe it, readers actually keep reading on and on when they find someone talking to them!
They feel comfortable, they relate more, and they also enjoy reading, resulting in exploring two or more articles on your site.
Action Tip:
When looking forward to write, find a peaceful spot with a window and plenty of daylight.
4. Hook the readers with bucket brigades
Get a list of bucket brigades to embed in your article, especially when writing the first line of the intro section.
Bucket brigades naturally hook the readers when they give their first glance at the post.
Embedding more and more bucket brigades keeps that audience engaged and consequently, moves them down the article with the right flow.
Let me just show you how they look like:
领英推荐
These words and phrases literally act as engagement tools.
Apart from bucket brigades,
Short paragraphs or one-line sentences are also equally important to maintain that flow. However, make sure to maintain the balance between one-line sentences and short paragraphs constructing the right rhythm.
Action Tip:
Read your blog post loudly to know if it is crafted well enough to take the reader down with the right flow.
5. Put curiosity in Headers
Headers literally play a huge role when the reader is on your page.
Craft titles and headlines attractive and appealing with curiosity-generating words like power words and emotional words.
Take an example of a blog post namely “how to renew your phone cover”
Now here,
Instead of crafting boring headings like “paint your phone cover” try something like “put on funky colors”.
Boring titles are more likely to make the readers tap the back button.
Secondly, these appealing headers also help when readers just scan the whole blog post top to down before even reading a single word. In that case, it is these headers that save you and prevents your reader from tapping the back button.
Also, try creating a story through your listed headers and embedding sections like “Take away” or “Final words” at the end (not in list posts). This also impresses the readers in the very first stage.
Pro Tip:
Make sure your headers are committing to the promises and answering whatsoever the concern is.
6. Clarity is the core point
Let’s say you have that conversational style, those appealing headers, and those bucket brigades as well,
BUT you are complicating it when delivering the message…
OR you are just unable to convey your point…
It’s not gonna work then.
Hence,
To convey whatsoever point you have in your mind,
7. Make sure you do an analysis before starting out
After gathering the researched information, craft an in-detail outline telling everything from the number of headers to the word count required for each header.
This is one of the obvious ones, but AGAIN, ignoring this step brings huge trouble. Possibly, your blog post’s desired word count of 1000 words may reach 2500 or above, messing up everything else around.
8. Smart Use of Words
In terms of grammar and sentence structuring, I’m listing down a few things to avoid, as well as a few things to consider.
Try avoiding these:
Passive voice
Weak verbs (Ex. Walked, damaged)
Filler Words (Ex. Very, that)
MUST add these:
Transitional words (Ex. Lastly, in addition)
Transitional phrases (Ex. As a result, for example)
Power words in titles (Ex. Instantly, Secrets)
Sensory language (only when describing imaginative scenes)
9. Avoid Distractions at all!
You remember I mentioned writing is more about “not getting distracted” at the very top of this post?
Yes, it is 99.9% true.
We all know when we are distracted, we take time longer than usual to complete that whatsoever task.
But the thing is, distraction kills the quality of writing as well!
…which you cannot afford at all when putting effort to become a good writer.
Now, what is the solution?
Here I’m listing down a few options you can consider.
Pro Tip:
Put on glasses every time you do in-depth writing and tell your family members not to disturb the time you’re wearing the glasses.
10. Get access to these tools.
Just like people need calendly, google drive, and tools like Evernote for multi-tasking projects, writers also crave a bunch of productivity tools to boost up their work.
Here I’m listing down a few of the gadgets or tools a writer should really have in place if he wants to level up productively.
11. Be Genuine.
Put value in your content…
Your readers will ultimately get engaged!
Even if you are writing about yourself in one of your blogs, put valuable things inside like pieces of advice and takeaways.
Or, just simply ask yourself “would you love to read this content?” If it’s NO, then edit & add value accordingly.
Apart from this, make sure you haven’t overloaded your content with related as well as non-related information. If you really have so much to tell, get help with internal linking.
12. Don’t make your brain fried.
Don’t exhaust yourself at all!
I know you get aligned with the rhythm once you start writing with extreme focus.
But even if you are working with the right flow, stop as soon as your focus window reaches the end.
Hence in a nutshell,
Write with focus. Take a break as soon as you feel exhausted. Note how long your attention span is. Repeat the process and try to expand your attention span.
Also, try using the Pomodoro technique or find any other technique that suits you.