You’ve done your outline. You’ve done your research. You have an idea of your audience and how you want to solve their problem.
It’s time to get to the writing.
For some people this will be the most challenging part. I’m not gonna lie, it does require the most time and effort. But I want to encourage you. Some of you may spend a week doing your first blog post, but writing is like exercising a muscle you never knew you had. It may hurt at first, but the more time you spend doing it the easier it becomes. At some point you’ll start writing blog posts in one or two days, or less.
Here are 4 tips to help you stay on track with your writing:
- Make your intention clear at the top of the page: Write a statement of what your piece is about at the top of the page. I find doing this keeps me from veering off-topic as I refer to it as I’m writing. It’s a useful way for keeping me on track.
- Make it scannable: With only 16% of us reading websites word-for-word (Nielson Norman Group) it’s important to make sure that the words our audiences are hunting for are in our content. Google Adwords can be a great way to help you identify those keywords. But avoid keyword-stuffing. Think about how it looks on the page. Include subheadings, bullet points and numbered lists to break up blocks of text.
- Make it readable: Use plain English and keep sentences short and making sure complex issues are broken down so they’re clearly presented. Think about visual ways to present information.
- Start and finish strong: Use descriptive headers rather than clever ones with a keyword that your audience is looking for. I discovered online title-making tools, such as Portent a potential way to get the juices flowing. I tend to draft something at the beginning and leave it till the end to refine it. Find what works best for you.The first line is a great way to hook people. You could start with a startling statistic, tell an anecdote or ask a question.Have a clear call to action at the end that helps your readers take the next step in their journey with you. Remember, it’s about building a relationship of trust with them that will convert them to customers and supporters.
These general tips will help guide you through your writing process. If you need more help with planning or writing your content drop me a line to arrange a 15-minute chat.
Photo by?Nick Morrison?on?Unsplash