Joebots

As you probably know, blogging is very much about writing. And if you’re using your blog as a way to market yourself online then you are going to have to master this skill in a big way… if you haven’t already.

Anyway, a blogger who can’t write is kinda like a tourist in a foreign country. He’ll be lost in no time if he doesn’t learn the local lingo.

So I’ve put together a map, it keeps me on track and I’d like to share it with you. You probably have your own ideas, and they’re every bit as good as mine are. These are just tips that I use every day.

I hope you enjoy.

13 Ways To Write “Better” Blog Posts:

• Write like ya talk.
• Delete, delete, delete.
• Use short sentences.
• Leave out the ten-dollar words.
• Don’t criticize your reader.
• Write to a single reader… not a group.
• Find out what your reader wants.
• Write 10-20 headlines. Pick one.
• Read it backwards for typos.
• Use subheads to increase readership.
• Read your writing out loud.
• Make it easy to read.
• Don’t be afraid to rewrite.

This is by no means a complete list but I hope it’s a helpful one.

Still sometimes you don’t have time to get into the details. So if you’re ever in a rush then I have three quick tips for you.

You’ll be writing up a whirlwind in no time.

3 Quick writing tips:

1) If you have a fancy phone, you might have a little timer on it you can use to time your writing. I personally use an egg timer… it’s a trick I picked up from a great copywriter. Always set your timer… it works miracles.

2) Write an outline before you start. I like to simply write “headline goes here. Story goes here. Close goes here.” And so on. I find it really helps speed things up for me if I know exactly where everything is going.

3) Use reference. I know I mentioned this before but one of the fastest ways to write is to find examples and use them for inspiration. You then add your own spin and make something entirely new.

A final opinion…

Great writing is crystal clear. It’s like a store window. If it’s covered in mud then you can’t see the display.

So keep it clean.

You might think article marketing is dead in the water and I don’t blame you one bit. In fact, I used to feel that way too before I took a hard look at article marketing and discovered that…

90% of the content out there is complete garbage!

Which is great news for you… because it makes it real easy to stand out and build your credibility if you can string a few words together and put a period at the end.

So I thought I’d share a few tips. Things I picked up over time that really made all the difference in my own writing. I hope you like.

8 Ways To Write Better Articles And Website Content…

Once upon a time: Why not tell a story and link it to your message? Stories are hypnotic, they pull your reader in and make them feel your message. They build trust and prompt action. Storytelling is one of the most overlooked talents in professional writing.

Pull Heartstrings: An old selling truism is “emotions sell” so whenever you’re trying to get action of any sort you need to ramp up the emotional words in your writing.

For example…

“Help me” V.S. “I desperately need your help”

“He was angry” V.S “His blood was boiling and his face was red!”

Camera… Lights… Action! If you don’t ask they won’t do it. So how do you expect to get action? You’ll be amazed by the amount of content out there that ignores this basic rule. Ask for action. Tell your reader what to do and show them how to do it. You’ll be amazed at the results this one change can make.

Hook ‘em where it hurts: you have a fraction of a second to grab someone’s attention and get them to read your article. This is your headline and opening sentence. Mess up here and the rest is a waste of time. So you really need to spend more time writing out your headline and opening sentence.

Give the man a hand: If there’s one massively overlooked way to build a reputation as an honest to goodness decent fellow it’s this. Lend a helping hand. Articles that perform well over time always help their readers out in some way. Self-serving content will almost always backfire. Give a little, give a lot. You get what you give.

Be yoo-nique: If you write like everyone else, then your readers will leave you and read everyone else! An easy way to do this is to narrow your focus. Write about very a specific topic of interest to your readers.

Gee-whiz Have Personality: Don’t be afraid to write like you speak and throw in a few “colorful” words here or there. Writing is bonding. It’s about a relationship you have with your reader. So be yourself. You might scare a few people away, but they were probably losers anyway.

Borrow A Hammer: Look, why reinvent the wheel? Chances are that someone out there has incredible content you can study for inspiration. Don’t steal, but there’s no rule that says you have to live in a bat-cave and write your articles with a muddy twig and unicorn spit. Right?