2.Write a good hook to grab your reader’s attention.

 

Sometimes, it’s easy to write a good hook-particularly if the topic is intriguing or exciting to you, as the writer. In certain cases, writing a good hook requires pulling back and looking at the bigger picture. For instance, while rely-no follow isn’t the most fascinating topic (in my opinion), what is interesting to me is SEO, and how SEO can directly impact a company’s ability to reach new audiences-plus, how Google has needed to change regulations in recent years due to an increase in illegitimate sites.

Which means, when I started writing 3 Reasons Why SEO’s Are Upset About Google’s Announcement, I used that angle to inspire my hook, and painted a picture: Myself as a Wikipedia editor, writing about zebras, and getting paid $500 to link to a fake news website. Oftentimes, the introduction and hook is your best opportunity to use your writing skills to truly inspire, move, surprise, and delight your readers from the get-go. Take advantage of that space by thinking: What would make me and my friends want to keep reading?

  3 .SEO-optimize your content for search engines.

Your writing can be absolutely stunning, but if it’s not SEO-optimized, no one will ever read it. For instance, “content writing tips” is a keyword phrase I found when conducting keyword research on the topic of “content writing” as a whole-it’s not necessarily a sub-topic I would’ve considered covering in this blog post had not done the research to recognize Hub Spot readers are seeking out that Information. Ultimately, learning key SEO tactics will help you become a writer whose more at- ruined with your readers’ challenges, and ensure you create content that more accurately answers those challenges.

4.Consider how you can attract an audience across a wide variety of platforms.

While SEO is critical for ensuring your content ranks on search engines like Google, it’s not the only opportunity for distribution. To reach a wider audience. It’s helpful to learn how to write content that performs well on various platforms such as Instagram, Linkedin, or email.

Plus, you might be a content writer whose sole job is to write newsletter content or social media copy, depending on your business’ needs. To ensure your content reaches and inspires audiences regardless of the platform they prefer, it’s vital you consistently consume content via email and social to pick up writing tips specific for those sources.

5.Incorporate multimedia components to break up the text.

Whenever possible, try to incorporate videos, images, graphs, or other multimedia content to break up the text and make it easier for your readers’ to consume -particularly if it’s long-form content, like pillar pages or whitepapers.

Consider, for instance, the blog post I wrote: “How to Develop a Content Strategy: A Start-to-Finish Guide”. That blog post is long, with over 3,000 words. To break it up, I embedded videos and other multimedia elements to keep the reader engaged throughout.

This is also a good opportunity to increase traffic to your company’s various marketing materials. For instance, if you have a new company podcast, try embedding episodes in relevant blog posts to drive listeners to the podcast while providing additional value for your readers a win, win.

6.Segue into appropriate and relevant calls-to-action.

 As a content writer, your job isn’t just to create good content (that’s what novelists are for). It’s also to ultimately convert those readers, listeners, or viewers into prospects and customers. As such, it’s vital you learn how to appropriately include relevant CTAs throughout your content, particularly if those CTAS can help your readers learn more about the topic at-hand

7.Edit, edit, edit.

Whenever I finish a first draft of a blog post. I take a few hours off and then return to it at the end of the day. With a fresh perspective. I’m able to edit for small grammatical errors or fix structural issues Additionally, small grammatical errors can ultimately make-or-break a readers’ trust in your brand as a whole. If they notice you’ve forgotten periods or misspelled words, they might make the judgment that your content isn’t as authoritative and clean as other content on the web, and look for future information elsewhere.

8.Play around with interesting angles.

Good content writers consistently test out new, surprising angles to keep readers engaged and coming back for more. Consider, for instance, how often “consumer product has been written about. I’m willing to bet if you’ve ever researched the topic, you’ve already seen a wide variety of angles as different content writers try to make an old topic feel new again.

9.Tell the reader why what you’re writing about matters to them and their Daily lives.

 Let’s say you’re creating an eBook: “A Comprehensive Guide to Excel ”Not exactly what excited you most when you majored in English, is it? Consider, however, how critical Excel is for certain functions. Excel can help a company’s financial department analyze year-over-year performance to determine how much budgeting a marketing team will receive in the upcoming year.

That budget contributes to critical growth, and the business’ ability to reach and con- vert new customers. Without it, the marketing team won’t be able to increase brand awareness as effectively as they’d like- and the business will suffer, as a result. When you recognize that Excel can actually be tied to a person’s job security, it suds- deny becomes much more fascinating, doesn’t it?

 

10.Incorporate original quotes from thought leaders or colleagues to paint a well-rounded argument.

 No matter how good my writing is, my readers still don’t necessarily want to hear my advice on protecting your mental health while working from home. Which is why I didn’t try to tackle the topic myself – instead, I found a psychologist to provide well-researched, helpful tips to take my piece to the next level.

 

Even if you’re an expert on a topic, consider how you might provide alternative opinions to create a more well-rounded argument. If you’re writing a blog post like. “Video vs. Podcast: Which Is Better For Your Business?”, see if you can get quotes from both podcasters and video producers.

 

Expert quotes or original insights will impress readers and show them that what they’re finding on your website, they won’t find elsewhere on the web. And that’s powerful.