8 Invaluable Writing Lessons from My Journey to Better Content
My writing today is so much better than it was when I started.
When I first embarked on my writing journey three months ago, I had no idea how transformative it would be.
As someone with a background in sales and marketing, writing was a tool I used, but I never saw it as a craft to develop.
I have never thought of myself as a writer. Even in school, I wouldn’t say I liked writing. Writing essays was my nemesis.
My test scores in English proved the point. Coincidently, I enjoyed history, and as we know, you have to write essays in history.
So much for essays being my nemesis!
Fast forward to today. I am in business. Content marketing is one of the ways to connect with your target audience.
You use content to build trust and authority. You bring attention to your products and service, building interest and desire for it. Finally, you use content to influence your new prospect to buy from you.
Whether it is in the form of an email, or an article, it all starts with your writing.
So here is what I have learned:
#1 Write for your audience
Remember, it’s not about you. It’s about them — your readers. They only care about themselves.
You have to write about their problems, and how to solve them; their needs, and how to address them.
#2 Write to inform, entertain, and sell
There are only three things that benefit your audience. They are looking for information on a topic that interests them.
As humans, we crave entertainment. We want to laugh, cry, vent our anger, or express our gratitude.
On a practical level, you want your writing to spur action.
#3 Write in an engaging style
To connect with others, you have to write how you would speak to someone. In other words, you have to write to engage.
Ask questions and follow up with a response to what they would say.
Think of a single person you are writing to. After all, it is a single person who will read your story.
#4 Tell stories
Storytelling is in our DNA. It stems from our early development when there were no books or schools.
Communities learned and elders taught through storytelling. There were no movies, television, or the internet. Communication happened around the bushfire, during a meal, or on a hunting trip.
For your communication to stick you have to connect with your reader on an emotional level. Storytelling is the best way to write something memorable.
We all love a good story.
#5 The title is the most important part of your story
People are busy and are easily distracted. Your title must compel them to stop and force them to read on.
If they are not grabbed by your title, they will not read. Think of a fish who notices your bait.
#6 The hook
After the title, the most important part of your writing is the first few lines. You must hook the reader like our proverbial fish.
So, the opening sentence or paragraph is the hook. You want the fish to bite. You want your reader to read on.
#7 Structure your story for an easy reader experience
In today’s internet world where there is so much to consume, readers don’t read, they skim.
Their eyes scan over the page, looking for something that interests them. They only stop when something grabs their attention.
There are a few things that you can do to structure your content.
Space out your content into short paragraphs.
A paragraph could be one sentence. See my example in this article. Write short sentences, one simple idea per paragraph.
Include Images to break up a sequence of paragraphs.
Images can be intriguing. It will keep the attention of your reader for a few seconds.
At the same time, it relieves the eyes from reading text all the time.
Use headings
Because people are browsing, titles will catch their attention.
Let your titles tell a story so that readers get an idea of what your writing is about.
If your title intrigues them, they will want to read more.
Use stats and graphs
You can make a point much clearer with stats or a graph.
At the same time, it is a device to draw your reader’s attention and focus for a few seconds.
#8 Edit your work
I have learned that editing is the key part of what makes for a good writer. You can always improve your piece ten times through good editing.
Here are a few quick rules.
- Don’t edit while you are writing. Writing is a creative process, while editing is an analytical process.
- Remove unnecessary words and sentences. You want to tell your story most efficiently.
- Replace words with simpler ones. Find words that will better convey your message.
- No spelling and grammar errors. With tools like Grammarly and the Hemingway App, there is no excuse for errors.
- Read your piece aloud. Listen for parts where your writing does not flow.
I have learned a lot about writing, and I can sense that my writing is improving.
Writing is a daily practice and with practice “perfection” comes over time.
So, keep at it. Your writing will improve.
You already know some of the keys to writing.
I hope I have put a different perspective on some aspects of writing that you found helpful.
