“Writing content is hard?”
“I can’t write content!”
“Why do blog posts have so many words!?”
We know your pain.
We understand the anguish you go through while sitting down at a blank Google doc and staring at it for what seems like hours but is only a few short moments.
We know this pain well because even as a content agency with a team full of fantastic writers, we also sit there and wonder;
“Why is it so difficult to write content?”
It takes dedication and commitment to create a coherent piece of text for our readers to enjoy. It takes hours of research to ensure every fact we use is as accurate as possible.
Writing content can be frustrating. Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic spell to make words appear on your page – or so you might think.
It’s not exactly magic, but it is magical. And we’re going to let you in on the secret.
What we have to help write content is a very particular set of skills, skills we have acquired over long careers, skills that make us the experts ready to show you how to make writing content a whole lot easier.
How to write content the easy way in five simple steps
I know what you’re thinking – stop it! No, this title is not clickbait! I am not lying to you when I tell you that I will show you five simple things you can do to make writing content a little bit easier.
You see, content isn’t just about stringing words together. It’s much, much more than that.
Content is about the topics you cover, the layout you choose, the images you include and the research you put into your piece.
This is why today, I’m going to bring you on a journey through every aspect of crafting a decent piece of content so you can find an easier way to write blogs for your website.
1. I love it when a plan comes together
Without a plan of action, you won’t get anywhere in the content writing game. A content strategy is necessary for the success of your content, and without one, you’ll end up staring at that blank Google doc for longer than you’d like.
Writing blocks happen all the time. Sometimes, you just can’t get over them! But, with a detailed plan set out in front of you, you’ll have at least a bit of an edge when it comes to getting your thoughts on the page.
Did you know that 84% of organizations have a content marketing strategy set up? Planing must be worthwhile if that many companies are creating high-quality content strategies!
But how do you even create a content strategy? And what goes into it?
Before you sit down and write out what your new blog post, you must understand something very important. Two things, actually!
But how do you even create a content strategy? And what goes into it?
Before you sit down and write out what your new blog post, you must understand something very important. Two things, actually!
Who are you writing for, and who are you not writing for?
Knowing who you’re writing for is key to making the whole process easier. If you know your audience inside and out, you’ll have absolutely no problem meeting their needs in the wonderful words you weave.
So how do you figure out who your audience is?
By doing a little bit of research and putting a customer persona together!
A customer persona is a document that lists anything and everything about who your audience is, what they’re like, what they do and most importantly, what they’re looking for from your company.
Once you have these details down in a lovely little document, you’ll be able to reference them as you compose your content. This makes it easy to remember that you’re writing for somebody in the big wide world. You’re writing for them so they can learn something unique from your wise words.
Don’t write for computers
Now, who you’re not writing for is a computer. The search engines are significant, yes – all hail Google – but they’re not who you’re writing for.
So, with this in mind, don’t fill your content with a series of pointless keywords in hopes that Google will boost your blog to the top of the search results.
Spoiler – they won’t.
Google might even penalize you for such heinous acts! That’s right – Google is smart and knows if you’re stuffing your content full of unnecessary keywords and phrases.
Instead, write natural flowing content and put keywords where they work, not just anywhere and everywhere. This natural flow of keywords will help your company much more than keyword stuffing!
2. Be the attention seeker I know you can be!
Have I lost you at this one?
Don’t worry, I’ll explain. It’s pretty simple, actually.
When I say be an attention seeker, I don’t mean pester everybody you see and jump up and down in a banana costume screaming ‘LOOK AT ME!’
Instead, I want you to grab the attention of every single lead that lands on your beautiful website.
Before you write your content, think about how you can grab your audience’s attention. There’s no point in writing an excellent blog post if nobody bothers to click on it!
This is why you have to seek attention! You have to make them click!
But how…?
I am getting to that, I promise.
Getting the attention of your audience is easy. All you have to do is develop a compelling headline that appeals to their needs and pain.
You must show them in one sentence that you hold all the answers to their many problems.
Headlines that turn heads are exactly what you need to come up with. Once you have that, you must keep them entertained for the rest of your article.
Oh, yea, that’s all you have to do – but how? How do you be an attention-seeking maniac for over a thousand words or so?!
By hooking them in!
They’ve taken the bait and clicked on your article. Now you have to keep them there, and the best way to do this is in your opening sentence. That’s right, not even your opening paragraph but the first sentence!
If you can continue to convince them that you have all the answers in that one crucial opening line, then you’ll have them for the rest of the article.
3. You promised them gold. Now deliver!
You’re in a bit of a situation now, aren’t you? You’ve written a banging headline, and your opening sentence, and paragraph, have grabbed their attention.
But now what? You still have about 800 words to go!?
This is where the research comes in.
Before you start any blog post or article, you should sit down and do some serious research about the topic you’re covering.
Sure, you might know your stuff, but there’s always something new out there waiting for you,. Besides, having a bit of proof and glorious data and statistics to back you up will do wonders for your credibility rating.
For example, did you know that approximately 7.5 million blog posts are created daily, and 77% of users read blogs online every day?
Content marketing might be hard to write, but it’s worth it if that many people read blogs daily!
So next time you sit down to write a blog post, be sure to do extensive research on industry-leading websites to have all the information you need to write the perfect blog for your audience.
4. Put your personality into it
I’m sure you have a lovely personality, and I bet that shines through in your business and when you talk with your clients. Well, it should also shine in your content!
Nobody wants to read a dull a boring article. They want to be entertained!
If you’re writing a safety manual or have a serious tone of voice as a business, then maybe don’t be fun and bubbly, but your personality should still be present in all your content.
Your audience is already familiar with how you talk, so if you write the same way as you speak, they’ll feel comfortable reading and engaging with your content.
Try to be consistent with your tone of voice across all your content too. Consistency is essential when writing content, and 87% of customers think brands should deliver a consistent experience.
5. Edit, edit, edit!
Always edit your work – you never know what little mistakes are hiding around the next paragraph.
By the time you’re reading this blog, I’ve probably edited the original draft three or four times – and that’s on a good day!
Editing is one of the most critical steps in creating fantastic content for your audience. It’s a little buffer you use to shine up your article to ensure it’s just how you want it.
There’s no shame in editing your work. All the great writers do it, and some even have other people edit their work for them.
Editing your work means putting in the extra effort and providing your audience with high-quality, premium content that they’ll enjoy.
Well, there we have it, five tips I like to think about when writing content. This isn’t a complete list, but if I gave you all my secrets, I’d have to kill you – just kidding, I’d never do that. I just don’t want to keep you here all day. You’ve got the content of your own to write!
If your hands get tired from typing, I know an excellent team of content writers who would love to help you publish some premium content for your website.
If you’re looking for monthly blog posts, email content, or even a whole rewrite of your website, our team is here to provide you with all of that – as soon as we’ve had a coffee or two.
Get in touch with the team at The Content Lab today if you need help writing your monthly blog posts!
Want to learn how to write your own copy for your website with easy to follow templates and guides?
Check out The Content Goodies Copywriting Accelerator Pack to get everything you need to write premium content for your website or your clients’ websites.
