Can you name your favourite content writers? Probably not unless you are one. While not a J. K. Rowling or a Paulo Coelho, a content writer wrote everything you learned through reading. From your Dad\u2019s Eicher city maps to your Mom\u2019s \u2018mixie\u2019 manuals. From labels of your keto diet foods to those enviable travel blogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content writing is everywhere. How can you distinguish yourself in this field?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One word: Quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If content is king then quality is the queen. To write quality content you need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Charge like a Lion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Content writing is about the target audience. Your target audience has short attention spans with ten others tabs open. Even if you\u2019re writing for the print medium you only have until their next cellphone notification. So be brave. Pen a catchy headline, know your subject and assess buyer persona. Ditch the clich\u00e9s and write crisply. Brevity is the soul of not just wit but also of the article that gets read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adapt like a chameleon<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Educate yourself on the stylistic differences between infographics, blogs, news articles, ad copies, white papers and landing pages. Try writing in bullet points, standard paragraphs and one-sentence paragraphs. Until you find your niche, and especially if you are a freelance writer, say yes to a range of assignments. Interview experts. Experiment with voice. While a conversational voice can be okay for your colleague\u2019s blog, in your company\u2019s sales pitch it would be frowned upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be productive like a cow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideation is important to produce the right content for the right audience. Know the brand\/website\/product\/blog you are writing for inside out. Research extensively (include an audit of competitive content). If someone\u2019s paying you per word, they don\u2019t want fluff. If you want credibility, you don\u2019t want fluff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you find your subject and angle, you need analytics. To attract your readership \u2013 even through Law of Attraction! \u2013 your friend is the search engine. This article\u2019s heading used \u201cContent writing\u201d instead of \u201cContent writers\u201d as the former had higher keyword rankings! SEO trends, on-page coding, social media presence and a basic understanding of marketing are the tools to befriend them. Sign up for online courses on soft skills. Revamp old posts and links. Stay current, stay updated and stay a forever student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be elegant like a swan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeding an audience doesn\u2019t mean starving your craft. Whether an amateur or professional, obscure or famous, content writer or creative writer, you are a writer. So write with conviction and flair. Use active voice, good grammar and varying sentence structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A list of keywords wouldn\u2019t win you clients. Striking a chord would. Enjoy writing for your work reflects your energy. To make a connection you also need to be taken seriously. As Brandeis said, \u201cThere is no great writing, only great rewriting.\u201d Proofread soon as you finish and edit after a gap. Get professional help. Run a plagiarism check. Use resources like Dictionary.com, Grammarly and the Thesaurus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be unpretentious like a dog<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider everything but endorse only what you believe in. Get clear on the charges. Discuss deadlines and meet them. Being a good but consistent writer is better than being an excellent but sporadic one. While you may get lucky because of talent, your staying power comes from positive recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A reader might not pick up their favourite novel every week but they would visit you for your insight, opinion and new articles. That\u2019s the magic of good Content Writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Views Expressed are the author’s own. @copyright2020 Queensbrigade. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Shubha Jaggi is a happy (and sleep – deprived!) new mother , a doctor by profession and a writer by passion living in New Delhi , India . Her work has been selected in anthologies by Hay House India and Eficitionindia , a youtube miniseries bhadaas unlimiited and a medical drama , Emergency #1066 aired on NDTV . Currently she is changing nappies and seeing life with fresh eyes while working on her book and Parenting blog (stay tuned for more !)<\/p>\n
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