How To Become A Better Content Writer
Meet Sue and Jay.
Sue heard from a friend that she could make money writing online. She likes writing and has written a few guest posts. But she hasn’t been attracting the gigs she wants.
Jay is different. He’s been a content writer for years and has gotten a few gigs. He has a small portfolio but he doesn’t seem to be attracting good clients. He wants more. So much more.
Does either of these scenarios sound familiar?
Many factors are at play for both Sue and Jay. But there’s a solution that should be the starting point for them both. They both need to put in the work to become better content writers so that they can attract opportunities.
This is a reality I’ve had to face several times during my content writing career. Some potential clients have given me harsh feedback. An editor completely marked up my article outline. People have told me my writing is too formal. I’ve heard a lot of feedback…some good, some bad.
The bad feedback made me feel, well, bad. I genuinely felt useless and unworthy. Instead of learning and bouncing back, I internalized what was said and became highly critical of my work going forward. I would become so critical of my work that I wouldn’t want to publish anything at all. No articles. No LinkedIn posts. Nothing.
I quickly realized that wasn’t the approach I should take if I wanted my business to grow. Instead, I had to learn how to become a better content writer. The reality is that I’ll never be a perfect writer and that’s okay! What matters is that I work hard to improve my skills and make daily strides towards becoming a better writer than I was yesterday.
Your situation may not exactly mirror Sue’s or Jay’s. But you’re reading this because you want to become a better content writer. So, your quest should begin with understanding what it takes to improve your skills.
I hope you’re in a comfy position getting ready to dive into these important truths about improving your content writing skills. Ready? Let’s go!
Writing For SEO Doesn’t Mean You Should Sound Like A Robot
Isn’t it sooooo easy to fall into the trap of writing just to fit keywords into an article? After all, you’re often tasked with strategically using keywords so that the article has a better chance of ranking. But you should think differently because thinking with a keyword-first mindset leads to an article that sounds unrelatable. You want to create an article people will enjoy reading!
So, write as though you’re sharing a story. Forget about keywords for a bit and just focus on the narrative. One of the things I’ve done to build a narrative for a business blog post was read the reviews for the business. Those reviews revealed some great stories of real-life experiences customers had with the brand. I used some of those stories to make the articles more relatable and interesting.
Another tactic you could try is putting yourself in the reader’s shoes. How would you want the information to be presented to you if you were searching for answers to the search query? What challenges are you facing? How are you feeling? Your writing should convey the emotions, challenges, and writing style that would appeal to that audience.
When you focus instead on building an interesting story someone would want to read, you’ll discover that keywords naturally fall in place. Focus on telling stories, sharing experiences, and providing actionable insights in your first draft. You can then reread it to figure out how your target keywords can be added without disrupting the reading experience.
The point? Write naturally and share practical advice people can relate to. Use stories and share experiences that help make the article come alive.
Obvious Phrases And Hyperbole Be Gone!
I interviewed Erin Balsa for my video podcast series last year. In that conversation, we discussed some of the common mistakes content writers make. She mentioned what she calls water is wet statements.
Let’s say you’re writing an article about making content planning easier. Starting with the sentence “content planning is hard” adds no value to the article. Your reader already knows content planning is hard; that’s why she’s reading your article so that she can learn how to make it easier. Instead, start with a shocking statistic or compelling story.
Also, Erin gave me feedback on one of my articles last year. She told me to avoid hyperbole. Exaggeration only works within certain contexts and with brands that have more laid-back personas. If the brand has more of a casual persona, you could get away with using hyperbole occasionally. My advice…avoid it altogether to be on the safe side.
Write For Clarity
Someone recommended me for a writing gig last year. The prospect asked me to send some writing samples. After viewing what I sent, he told me that what I was offering wasn’t quite what he was looking for.
I probed further so that I could understand what he was looking for. He told me that the issues he had related to the clarity of my thoughts. He felt that when I started a thought, I didn’t fully complete it before starting a new one. My thoughts seemed clear to me, but they weren’t to him. Other readers have probably felt the same way.
That was a lesson I’ve used to improve my writing. I now spend time thinking through each paragraph I write to ensure I’ve fully developed my points. Now, I ask myself these questions as I write:
- Why are you writing this piece?
- Is the reason you’re writing this piece clear?
- Can you say anything else to further develop a point?
In last week’s article, I mentioned I’m not a perfect writer. That will always be my reality because there’s always room for improvement. So, I’m constantly trying my best to improve the clarity of my writing so readers can get something useful from what I create.
Know Your Stuff And Stand Your Ground
Chima Mmeje shared a post on LinkedIn recently. She was saying that she loves working with clients who listen to and implement her suggestions. She knows her stuff and wants her clients to trust that she knows her stuff. Here was Erin Balsa’s response to that post…
Great advice from one content marketing expert to another. But here’s the thing…
You can’t be a content writer who pushes back if your knowledge is limited. The best way to improve your knowledge is to complete courses that will help you improve your skills. Complete those courses and implement what you learn. It’s through implementing what you learn that you actually gain experience and prove that you can deliver results. That’s when you can start being a “pusher-backer”.
Here are some courses you can try:
Erin Balsa’s Research Report Playbook Course
Chima Mmeje’s Topic Cluster Course for Freelance Writers
SEM Rush’s Content Marketing Toolkit Course
Suggest Creative Content Ideas
Prospective clients are often looking for content writers who not only create content based on a content brief but also suggest content ideas that will deliver results. I recently interviewed Melanie Deziel, author of The Content Fuel Framework, about strategies that can be used to come up with great content ideas. She shared:
- Three common mistakes content marketers make when coming up with content ideas
- The value customer research brings to the content ideation process
- How combining focus with format helps with content ideation
- Tips for humanizing content so it’s more appealing to readers, listeners, and viewers
- How to choose the right content format so that the message of the content is effectively delivered
Here’s a snippet from the interview that relates to the value customer research brings to the content ideation process.
I highly recommend listening to this interview because content ideation requires far more than keyword research. Embracing this fact is your first step towards becoming a better content writer.
Develop A Curious Mind
The best content writers think like a journalist. Journalists are always looking for a story and know how to use that story to humanize articles. They’re always asking questions and looking for ways to make even the most uninteresting topics far more interesting.
You should be a content writer who does far more than Google research to write articles. Convince your clients to allow you to speak with experts within their organizations. Reach out to people on social media who you can interview to add a fresh perspective to the content you’re creating. If possible, speak with customers or ask for transcripts from customer interviews. Those customer success stories can really help enhance a piece.
Work With An Editor (Or A Work Double Checker Person☺️)
Some writers use Grammarly to double-check their work. That’s definitely a worthwhile option to catch typos, punctuation, and grammatical errors. But there’s a way to take things a step further so that you can get critical feedback on what you’ve written from a holistic perspective. Work with an editor.
Chantelle Marcelle explained this point well in one of her tweets.
If you have a friend who’s an editor and willing to look at your work, that’s great! Chances are you don’t. So, you may need to invest in an editor who provides feedback on your work.
I haven’t started to do this yet. But I do see value in this recommendation. Sure, it’s really hard to see so many red lines and suggestions in my work. At the end of the day though, those corrections are what will help me become a better writer. I hope you’re also developing that mentality so that your writing can improve.
Final Words
A lot of work goes into becoming a better content writer. But it’s only through improving your skills that you’ll make yourself more marketable and attract better clients. Remember that you’re a constant work in progress.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you did, let me know in the comments section below. Also, feel free to share any additional suggestions you may have for becoming a better content writer. I’m looking forward to chatting with you in the comments!
