The right content that engages your audience is key to success for any website. From biotechnology to the software industry, all websites now use content in their marketing efforts.
It is easy for industries with big budgets to hire help to fulfill their content writing goals. So what about a website that may not have any budget to outsource talented writers? The good news is that although content writing may seem difficult to deal with, it is not as daunting as it seems.
You don’t have to become the next J.K. Rowling or R.R. Martin, but using a few simple tricks can help improve your content writing skills which is enough to help your website. All you need is diligence, perseverance and commitment.
Deep dive into these simple and doable 5 tips to improve your content writing.
1. Get to Know Your Audience
Before you start developing content for your website, you will need to understand who your online audience is. Here are a few ways to get to know your audience:
- Study the demographics. Understand the age, sex, location and other details of your audience. Being aware of all this will help you create engaging content, whether on your website or on your social media accounts.
- Go deeper and learn about the lifestyle your target audience leads; what are their values? What is the best time your audience would use your product and so on.
- Check out your competitors who are doing well and look at their content strategy.
2. Write content that you would read
Great writers and even better readers! You need to make reading your daily habit. Make it a point to read or listen to other writers every day. Read white papers, blogs, industry news. Yes, listening to podcasts, vlogs and YouTube videos count too!
When you spend time reading or listening to other writers, it opens up your mind to new thoughts, ideas, perspectives and of course, keeps you updated on current trends or happenings. Reading every day improves your vocabulary as well.
Speaking of vocabulary, remember to use words that match the longo of your target audience. You don’t want to get too technical and bore your readers into clicking away from your web page.
List your courses and give credits. External links add credibility to your content!
3. Be careful with your spelling and grammar
This is one of the most important aspects of getting quality content. Instead of focusing on quantity and being stressed about getting ‘x’ number of articles or posts out in a week, focus on the quality instead.
Visitors, and potential customers are turned off by content that is poorly proofread. You need to spend time rewriting your content, proofreading it for spelling, grammar and sentence structure errors, and editing some more.
You don’t have to do everything by yourself. You can always rely on online tools and websites that help you with editing and proofreading. You can use the free or trial versions of these tools if you are especially low on budget, yet, investing in a paid or premium version of a good tool can be of great help. It can also save you time and effort in churning out good content.
4. Use visual content
Using images can improve your content in a drastic way. When you run out of words, use relevant images to fill in the gap.
If you have a concept that you want your audience or readers to know about, then instead of detailing it in words, you can use images or infographics to get your message. Using images between text gives readers a much needed break to rest their eyes.
High-quality visual content will help you promote your article on social media. You can use your visuals and videos to create ads and put together engaging social media updates.
5. Welcome feedback
When you’ve taken the pains to know your audience, writing in their lingo and proofreading it to the T, have your content read by someone you trust. It would be even helpful if you approach someone who reads regularly. Take their feedback and apply it to your current draft.
If you get feedback directly from your audience then make sure you apply it! It shows your readers that you’re listening and this helps build credibility and trust for your brand. Use conversational forms to encourage your readers to share their thoughts and feedback.
For years, content has been used to gain more audience and customers. Good content can always help attract new customers. Think about the last magazine you picked up or subscribed to. What made you do that? It was because you found value in that content. So bring forth content that adds value to your reader.
Although writing compelling content can be difficult, improving your content writing is not that hard. Learn from your mistakes and don’t be too hard on yourself. Writing should be fun! Have fun with your content writing.
Image via Pixabay