Basics Of Content Writing

 Basics Of Content Writing

1. Keep your audience in mind.

Consider who will be reading .Prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff? What are they looking for, and what do they need? Be sure the tone, language and organization of content is appropriate for your audience.

2. Be concise.

Writing should be clear and direct. Keep sentences short. Remove words or descriptions that don’t add value to the content. As content strategist Margot Bloomstein says, "Thoreau instructed ‘simplify, simplify.’ You can do him one better. Here’s to snappy writing that gets to the point and knows when to stop!"

 

3. Write meaningful headers.

Readers rely on headers to navigate on-page content. Choose words for headers and subheaders that clearly describe the content they introduce. Boring, useful words are better than clever, obtuse words.

4. Limit paragraphs to 70 words.

I’ve seen numerous recommended word counts, but I’ve found a 70-word limit to be a practical and effective number in most cases. Of course, less is better.

5. Use bulleted lists whenever possible.

Bulleted lists are easier to scan and read than full paragraphs. If you are listing three or more items, consider using a bulleted list. For instructions or long lists like this one, consider using numbered lists for easy reference.

6. Use active voice.

Writing in the active voice is more clear, conversational and engaging than the passive voice. Just ask Strunk and White: "The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive." Also, "when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor" 

7. Be professional and human.

Think like a publisher and less like a marketer. Use a more conversational tone. Avoid jargon and buzzwords like "cutting-edge" or "leverage." Users are turned off by content that talks at them instead of with them. Consider how you would communicate with someone standing in front of you instead of via a traditional TV or radio advertisement.

8.Focus on a Single Purpose.

You should identify at least one key message you’d like to convey before you create your content. Keep this in mind when writing and tie your content back to the main point as much as possible.

9.Write in a Unique Voice. -

The content you publish is the voice of your company and it should be unique to your company’s personality. It’s important to align the tone of your writing to your target audience, business goals and brand personal.

10.Think of enticing titles.

You need to draw your audience into reading your content; keep your titles short and sweet, but indicate the benefit of your content.

11.Hook your readers from the first line.

Start your copy with some exciting data, a one-sentence story, or a question. Make people hungry for the details after reading the first line. 

12.Make your copy scannable.

Most people skim read, so use descriptive subheadings, bulleted lists, and white space between paragraphs to ensure that the text is easily scannable.

13.Use visuals.

Videos, images, presentations, charts, infographics, and social media stories are highly effective ways to communicate with your audience. “What is visual content marketing” is also the 11th most popular question people ask about content marketing on Google.

14 .Choose an interesting angle. 

Millions of pieces of content are going live every day, so what makes yours different? You need a fresh perspective that hooks readers and makes you the leading authority on that topic.

15.Use data. 

This is an excellent way to add credibility to your words.