If you are a blogger, I am sure you want to make sure you are getting better and better at writing. Here are some tips on how to become a better writer. Today’s online marketplace has a high demand for good writers, but the competition is heavy, so you’ll want to be the best writer you can be.
How To Become A Better Writer
Here are my favorite tips on how to become a better writer. Remember you don’t have to be a best selling author to make your writing good. Mostly you need practise, and remember, the more you do it the better you will become.
- First, you need to take a look at article and books that you have written in the past. You can then acknowledge just how far your writing has come since then.
- Every morning write something – in fact, make it one of the first things you do for the day. It’s a great way to make writing a priority and improve your skills.
- When you feel inspired, stop and write. Let your creative juices out when they feel like flowing. Using a journal is a great way to do this, because you can put all your ideas, down while you are going about your day.
- When someone asks what you do, tell them “I’m a writer.” In fact, tell people you are a writer every opportunity you get.
- Once you have written something, let it rest for a few hours, then return with fresh eyes and read it over again. You will be surprised at how many mistakes missed the first time, and how many tweaks you come up with to make the piece better.
- Commenting on other peoples blogs is a great way to get yourself out there. You will not only practise your writing skills, but you will start to make a name for yourself, especially if you include a link to your website.
- Use the KISS formula in your writing. Keep It Straight And Simple.
- Determine what your most productive hours are. Many writers do much better late at night when the world is quiet and peaceful. Other writers are most creative first thing in the morning.
- Get another person to proof your work whenever possible. This is especially useful if you are writing a book or an e-book. If you have to pay someone a moderate fee, it’s certainly worth it.
- Set up a time when you’ll do your research so that you aren’t having to jump between research and writing. Keep the two tasks separate.
- Write in the language of your readers. While there is a great deal of focus around writing high quality English copy, what you need to keep in mind is that the writing should be in the language that your reader will be most comfortable with. It is important that you know who you are targeting before you start.
- Understand what type of story generates what type of emotion and what type of action. Use storytelling as a powerful tool in your copywriting to get the reaction you want.
- Always include a single question that the reader will answer ‘yes’ to. This will precondition the reader to agree with you throughout your copy, and later you should be able to get another ‘yes’ out of them when you most need them.
- Don’t be afraid to use personal history and facts to build a relationship with the reader. Empathy is an excellent tool to show the viewer or reader that you are feeling their pain.
- Think of your sales copy as a conversation that’s going down in a bar with your best buddy. It needs to be conversational, sound like it would if you were speaking, and not be stiff. You should always read sales copy out loud.
- Study other successful copy and learn from it. Note key phrases that are used, how the copywriter makes the sales copy punchy, and how it generates sales. Who better to learn from than the most successful? That just makes good sense.
- Vary the length of your sentences so that you have short, medium, and long sentences. This will create rhythm within your writing. Make your average sentence 15-18 words in length.
- Take your scalpel and cut out those overweight sentences and the words that aren’t needed. Keep your writing clean and crisp so it is easy to read and understand. Don’t use fluff!
- Split sentences that are too long into two sentences, sometimes even three. Use connecting words like and, because, or, etc.
- Keep your paragraphs short and containing only one thought. Two to three sentences is good. Always start a new paragraph when the thought changes.
- Sales writing requires patience, especially if you plan to be good at it. Readers are also impatient. They want to read and know what’s going on. They don’t want fluff or long windedness. They want clear, concise writing.
- Break up your page’s content by using headings, and bulleted or numbered lists. All of these make reading much easier for the visitor.
- Use language that’s positive in nature. This means tell your reader what they can or will achieve using the product or service. Avoid using negativism because this actually puts the reader into poorer spirits and they are far less likely to buy.
- Don’t confuse showy writing with sales writing. Don’t use words just because they have a buzz and sound impressive.
- Write in a language the reader can easily understand. Your writing grade should be no higher than a Grade 8 on the Flesch Kinkaid scale.
- Have a refined keyword strategy. You should have a main keyword and two or three secondary keywords that will be used in your marketing copy. Aim for around a 2% density with your main keyword.
- If you own a blog, Include a sign up form where visitors can subscribe to your monthly newsletter, new product information, etc. This is very important because the minute they sign up you now have access to send them product information and market to them. You have effectively converted your visitor. Build a relationship with them via email and use these tips on how to become a better writer in your newsletter content.
- Article marketing is a very powerful marketing tool. You write articles submit them to article banks or create a blog where you post them, and then you provide a link back to your website. This one way link is very powerful in the search engines so it helps your rankings, and you also grow your traffic because they found your article interesting and so clicked the link to your site. Guest Blogging is an even more targeted way to get fresh readers to your website.
- Placing your marketing copy on your blog is a great way to generate traffic. Blog posts are indexed very quickly and you can even ping them which lets people following your blog know that you have posted new content. Make sure you take advantage of what a blog can do for you.
- People Watch – You might be surprised that people watching can be of any help to you, but actually, it is extremely beneficial. That’s because by watching people you learn how to read emotions, what excites them, how they react to certain stimuli, etc. So when you are writing copy you can transfer what you’ve learned into producing better writing.
- Join a Writing Group – There’s nothing that will get the creative juices flowing better than open dialogue with other writers. You can also help each other with proofreading, editing, and even just to bounce ideas off. Many times there are writing contest. These can help you improve your writing skills and is one of the best tips on how to become a better writer.
- Visit the Scene – What this refers to is simply this – if you are writing about a beach then go to the beach to do the writing, or if you are writing about a baseball game then go to one and write. Your visual description will be much better when you “live it.”
- Reach Beyond Your Comfort Zone – If you want to become a really good copywriter, you need to reach out beyond your comfort zone. That’s because if you stay in your comfort zone there is really no challenge to your writing, and therefore no improvement. You also won’t learn anything new when you stick to your comfort zone.
- Analyze Other Peoples Writing – Find authors whose writings you enjoy and then analyze them for content, grammar, flow, etc. By doing so you learn from their mistakes and you are far less likely to make the same mistakes.
- Monotask – Writing is one of those skills that actually require focus and concentration if you plan to do your very best. So set a timer for a specified time and write uninterrupted until it goes off. You will be surprised at how much faster you write and how much better your content is.
- Know the architecture of your story – You would be surprised on just how many people do not understand their story’s architecture, which is about the same as doing heart surgery by the seat of your pants and without the right training.
Tips On How To Become A Better Writer On Your Website Or Blog
- Make sure your website has a welcoming approach, as you want your visitors to feel welcome when they land on your home page. Be upfront – say “Welcome to ….”
- Establish your credibility by assuring your visitors that you are an excellent resource for the products/services that you offer. Tell them what it is you do and what you offer. “Your source for…”
- Help your visitor get orientated – tell your visitor about your site, what they can find where, and always remember to answer the #1 question going through their head, “What’s in it for me?”
- Easy navigation as nothing will have a visitor hitting the back button faster than a navigation system that is hard to follow or understand. So make sure when you are creating your website to keep it easy to understand and follow. It should have a good flow.
- It is important for your contact information to be readily available. If you don’t share your contact information there are legal ramifications, but it is also difficult for visitors to build any trust if they don’t know who you are or how to contact you. Also make it easy for your visitor to email you, or access live help. Yes, they can phone, but many people prefer email.
- Write every single day – don’t miss any!
- Don’t be lazy – if you are going to write then write and write intelligently.
- Stop worrying about whether or not you are a good copywriter and just continue writing.
- Don’t focus on getting published, just write and eventually you will get published.
- Write about things that are worth writing about or that mean something to you, don’t write for fame.
- Write about what you believe in, because that way you can write with conviction.
If you need help with your writing there are many excellent sites, groups, and forums that can help you on the internet. You can share ideas, ask questions, and learn. Being a writer means you have committed yourself to a lifetime of learning. It’s exciting, rewarding, and it can also be financially lucrative for the best copywriters.
There you have it – some of the best tips on how to become a better writer. So, why not put them to the test?
