12 Tips to Write Great Content - For Anything!
Maybe you love writing… or maybe you really, really don’t. Either way, you can be good at it with practice, and maybe a few tips along the way. Today we are giving you our process for building great content – even if you are not a writer!
For this example, we’re going through the creation of a basic email that you might send a client as a thank you or follow up after working together. This model works especially well for longer-form content, however; it can also easily be adjusted for shorter pieces.
At the end of these first four steps, you should have something that looks a little bit like this.
Get Out of Your Head!
Write out what you think you want to say - using your normal language. Don't try to be fancy, yet. Write as little or as much as you want here. Not sure what to say? Just write something. Anything. Really stuck? Write “write something”. Even a word or a bullet point is a great place to start. Once you start, the words will begin to flow as you explain more about each idea.
Break it Up
Split your message into smaller paragraphs or individual thoughts. Think 3-5 lines of text. Too long, and people will start skimming; too short and it can look a little sparse, or may lack information. You can also use individual sections to spin-off other content like social media posts.
Announcing… A New Section!
Give each section a heading - again, don't worry about being fancy yet – just write something that describes what the following text will be about in a few words. Websites, blogs, newsletters, and tip sheets use headings to help draw the eye and highlight information so skimmers don’t miss something important.
Shape Up
Fluff up or trim down your content. There are two types of writers. Those who build up from an outline and those who brain dump and then edit out the excess. Think 3-5 lines of text. Too long, and people will start skimming; too short and it may look a little sparse or lack information. Include the points people need to know, and eliminate overly wordy sentences.
Steps five to eight should leave you with a nice looking draft.
Set the Tone
Are you serious, witty, educational, eloquent? Write with the same attitude that you use when speaking to clients. Highlight some of the words you often use in your business, and keep them. These should be fairly simple to understand, but related to your field or the way you describe certain products or services. This is how you build a consistent tone.
Speak Their Language
What words might trigger your audience to buy or ask for information? This will be different for everyone. You’ll need to have a good idea of how your ideal client communicates, what they search for, and why they would choose you. Swap out or add terms in to build resonance, but make sure they are still something you might say if you saw a client in person.
Be a Little Fancy
Conversational English does not translate well to paper, it comes across as disjointed and odd. Think you, but make it a commercial. Avoid slang, and mix in some fun words to hold interest. You want to convey your knowledge with a sense of your personality, only smoother and almost set to rhythm.
Finishing Touches
Add an intro or a summary if needed, as well as any personalization like merge fields, and a title or subject line. Always have a call to action, so add links or buttons to tell your reader what to do next. The true goal of all marketing material is to keep a potential client interested until they are ready to buy. There should always be a "Something else", whether it’s read more, sign up, follow us, or buy now. Don’t leave your clients hanging!
In step nine through twelve, we are focused on honing a publish-ready piece. Then walk away, like we’re doing above!
Spell Check Everything.
If you aren't using a spell check program, we can't be friends. Nearly half of buyers will not make a purchase if they find a spelling or grammar error in marketing material. If you write in a notes program, drop your text into word or an online app so you don’t miss anything.
Get a Thesaurus.
Look for words that are repeated often. We often have favourite words, and using the same words too often... well... see what I did there? Aside from words like "the", "and" etc. I try not to use the same term more than twice in a paragraph. Seriously. Get a thesaurus.
Read it Out Loud.
At this point, I need you to read it out loud. And I actually mean OUT LOUD! Our brains are wired to weed out background information so we can focus on what's important. Reading in your head allows your brain to skim and you will miss oddly phrased sentences or words that may be spelled correctly but are in the wrong context. It's also a great way to see how the content really flows.
Just Walk Away
Okay, it's time... just walk away. Take the dog for a walk like you see my sister and I doing in the photo, or go on Instagram... or maybe even get some other work done. Don’t worry about writing and finalizing all at once. Take a day, or even a week before your last review. Your brain will continue to keep the project simmering in your subconscious, and when you return to it, you will not only be able to view your content with fresh eyes, you may also have some new ideas to add. Edit one last time, and now you’re ready to publish!
Want to see the finished email?
Enter your email to have it sent to your inbox!