Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Writing for the Web – 3 Simple Strategies to Make Your Content Stand Out

Writing for the Web – 3 Simple Strategies to Make Your Content Stand Out
By Amanda Wray

Amanda Wray is the communications director for a national nonprofit organization and a professional writer. Her previous experience includes reporting on sustainability and dining services for the Utah Statesman. She also covered politics and community events in Providence, Utah while writing for the Hard News Café.

In addition, Wray is launching a content creation and web design business that teaches professional bloggers writing and tech skills.

She is currently enrolled at Weber State University pursuing a master’s degree in Professional Communication. Ultimately, Wray hopes to be a full-time travel blogger.  

A native of Melba, Idaho, she received a bachelor of science degree in journalism and communication from Utah State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Her hobbies include travelling, writing and eating. Married for two years, she and her husband enjoy backpacking in the Utah wilderness and exploring national parks.

In the last minute, nearly 1,400 blog posts were published.
For a content creator, that may sound like bad news. How can you compete and generate tons of traffic when the statistics aren’t in your favor? I’ve had those same fears.
While preparing to launch a content creation and web design business, I’ve researched the most effective strategies to write for the web, and I have good news: Making your content stand out is simple and doable. It will take some work, but your readers will come back wanting more when you learn to write better than before, to write for your audience and to write for the web. I’ll be using these strategies in my own business, and I hope you will, too!
Check out the simple strategies for making your content shine:
1. Write Better than Before
It may seem obvious, but good writing attracts readers. You need to write better than you did yesterday to compete. Writing well can be learned. It’s not some “fine art” that someone is born with. Like any skill, practice makes better. Using these three methods, your writing will improve.  

·   Write every day

If you’ve been blogging or publishing for a while, go back and look at your first posts. Does that make you cringe a little? You’re not alone. You become a better writer by writing; it’s as simple as that. It takes hard work, and one of the first things you should do is make it a habit.  For Ann Handley, marketing expert and author of “Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content,” committing to writing is like committing to her gym trainer. It is painful at first until you “build muscle.”
Best-selling author Jeff Goins suggested three steps to creating a writing habit in “Start Writing Daily,” which included:
1.     Pick a space
2.     Set a time
3.     Choose a goal
Each day, write at the same spot at the same time, and compose the same number of words. In Goins’ opinion, writing for 30 minutes daily is more beneficial than a marathon session that lasts all of Saturday. As you “build muscle,” writing becomes easier. Handley adds that setting a word-count goal works better than setting an amount of time.  Creating a writing habit improves your writing and with so much competing for your reader’s attention, you can’t afford NOT to write better.

·      Use a consistent style

The thing about style is that nobody notices it until you don’t have it. Then it’s painfully evident and ruins your credibility as a writer.
It doesn’t matter what style you choose to follow - AP, APA, Chicago, MLA or AMA. As a trained journalist, I live by the AP Stylebook, but style is your choice. Consider the damage if you don’t:
Readers notice when you use the serial comma in one paragraph but not the next, or you refer to the United States as U.S. in some instances but US in others. Or you sometimes use courtesy titles like Mr. and Mrs. but other times refer to people by first or last name. Even worse, your audience notices if you switch verb tense or go from first to third person in the same piece. It’s distracting to your reader, and it’s time to cut it out.
The point is: Pick a style and stick to it. Your readers will thank you for consistency in grammar, usage and punctuation.

·      Cut the clutter and simplify to say what you mean

“Clutter is the disease of American writing.” 
-       William Zissner in “On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Have you ever received a company email or read a brochure that used so many big words, buzzwords or jargon that you didn’t even understand what they were trying to say? Yeah, me too. As a professional writing for the web, DON’T DO THAT.
Clutter is everything in our writing that isn’t necessary. Be clear and concise. I love Handley’s lament for today’s business language:
“Our writing and content are still littered with revolutionary, value-added, impactful, cutting-edge, best-of-breed, go-to ideated words designed to leverage and incentivize and synergize the current paradigm.”
If you want to write better, be clear about what you’re trying to say by using appropriate words. Some general rules for simplifying include:
-       Avoid adverbs
-       Avoid “buzzwords” and jargon
-       Use active voice
-       If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t say it in writing
-       Use short words in place of long words
-       Don’t pad your writing
For me (and most Americans), simplicity is hard. My academic and professional background taught me to use my vocabulary to impress and show expertise. But we see enough of that content without creating it ourselves. Focus on using just words that are necessary to convey your message.

2. Write for Your Audience

Your audience is the only reason your content matters. Without them, your writing is useless. Everything you write should be for them, and following these three tips will help you focus on your readers.

·      Be useful and to the point

What are your audience’s needs and goals? Everything you create should support those needs and goals. As you’re writing content, put the goal of the piece at the top of your document and continually check to see if what you’re writing aligns with it. If not, get back on track.
 “Good writing serves the reader,” Handley writes. “Good writing anticipates the questions that readers might have as they’re reading a piece, and it answers them.”
Content marketing focuses on being useful to your audience. Give them the information they need, and answer their questions. But don’t be exhaustive in one piece. One of the benefits of writing for the web is that you can link to other sources. (We’ll discuss linking in detail below.)
If you think a reader may have a question but you don’t have the space or time to answer in detail, link the text to another source that explains the concept in detail.
Using this technique, you get to the point and empower the reader to “choose his or her own adventure” if they need more information. What could be more useful than that? 

·      Tell stories

It’s critical to make your content useful for your readers, but stories are what make your content memorable. People resonate with stories.

In Fizzle’s “10 Fast Ways to Become a Better Writer (Even When You’re Burning the Midnight Oil and Can’t Afford an Editor Just Yet),” Sarah Peck writes:

[Stories] are, in fact, how we wire information into our brains. Great writers on the web today hook readers in with stories, creating fictional (or narrative non-fictional) scenes with detail, specificity, and color.

Typically we’re taught how to write fictional stories, but writing stories about your business or product is an essential, powerful and difficult skill. As a master of marketing, Handley offers fantastic advice for storytelling for business:

Storytelling as it applies to business isn’t about spinning a yarn or fairy tale. Rather, it’s about how your business (or its products or services) exist in the real world: who you are and what you do for the benefit of others, and how you add value to people’s lives, ease their troubles, help shoulder their burdens, and meet their needs. At its heart, a compelling brand story is a kind of gift that gives your audience a way to connect with you as one person to another, and to view your business as what it is: a living, breathing entity run by real people offering real value. … Your content is not about storytelling, it’s about telling a true story well.

Part III of Handley’s “Everybody Writes” focuses on writing stories, and I highly recommend it as a resource. She also indicates the components of a compelling story:
-       It’s true
-       It’s human
-       It’s original
-       It serves the customer
-       It tells a bigger story that’s aligned with a long-term business strategy

As you write for the web, consider the stories that connect with your audience. Humanize your business, and make it clear WHY you matter to your readers. 

·      Make it conversational

“Never say anything in writing that you wouldn’t comfortably say in conversation,” wrote William Zissner, a lifelong journalist and nonfiction writer. He was an advocate for simplicity and clarity in writing. 
This may seem obvious, but too often I see “professional” writers showing off their expertise by using big or unnecessary words. Quit trying to sound smart by making your reader feel dumb. The reader won’t like it, and your content will be wordy and unnatural.
Speaking of wordy, let’s examine the first line of congrats I just received for making it onto Dean’s List:
Congratulations on this noteworthy achievement! This is an accomplishment of which you can be proud.”
Just read that out loud. Imagine if I responded to the university with the same style:
“I very much appreciate your sincere congratulatory praise of my remarkable achievement. This impressive accomplishment garners great personal pride and pride in my superior university. Go Wildcats!”
All the email needed to say was, “Congratulations on your achievement! You should be proud.”
This option is seven words shorter, more clear and straight to the point. For me, it also feels more like it’s coming from another person (the dean) rather than an institutional robot. This goes back to connecting with your audience. Conversational writing is more inviting for readers, so write the way you talk.
How do you do it? Write your content to a specific person. That may be your mother, a friend or a customer you’re fond of. As Handley states, “By framing your writing as a conversation with someone specific, you become more … well, conversational."
3. Write for the Web
Every writing platform has its rules, and it’s critical to use these three hacks to improve your web writing. Otherwise, it may get lost in the millions of posts published online each week.
·      Write for Search Engine Optimization
SEO can seem daunting. You may think: There are so many posts out there, how can I ever compete in search engine rankings? But the truth is, you can. And it’s not that difficult.
To start, plan your content with SEO keywords in mind. Consider what you might search on Google, Bing or even Pinterest to find information on your topic. If you’ve written your goal at the top of your document like I suggested earlier, look for keywords in it. You can also use web tools like Google Trends or Moz Keyword Research. (For more information on keyword research, check out Moz’s “Beginner’s Guide to SEO.”)  
Now make sure those words are incorporated into your writing in the right places. According to Mad Lemmings, you should add your keywords into your:
-       URL
-       First image alt tag
-       Post or page heading
-       First 100 words
The earlier you add those keywords, the better. Consider this post’s title: Writing for the Web – 3 Simple Strategies to Make Your Content Stand Out. I often see posts written the other way: 12 Rules the Pros Follow When Writing for the Web. I intentionally put “Writing for the Web” at the beginning of my title to help my SEO.
Another SEO tip is to write longer pieces. MarketProfs reported longer posts rank better, get more shares, get more backlinks and convert better. Their advice: publish posts between 1,500-3,000 words. Handley, on the other hand, says blog posts should always have fewer than 1,500 words (the ideal length). Consider your audience, content and goals to determine the best length for your material.
Just remember, good rankings drive more traffic to your site, but good writing keeps it there.  

·      Format for readability

There’s nothing that makes me leave a website faster than a giant, unbroken body of text (except maybe a video ad that starts playing automatically). Don’t do it. Part of great writing is presentation.
Make your content inviting for readers. Writing for the web isn’t like writing for Mrs. Walker in 10th grade English class. You don’t need five to seven sentence paragraphs with big, academic terms. You need short, catchy and readable content.
MarketProfs states, “The future will belong to publishers who can present content beautifully.” (Click here to read the full article.)
How do you make your written content prettier? Keep these rules in mind:
-       Remember bullet points are your friend
-       Use images and graphics
-       Don’t put more than three sentences in a paragraph
-       Keep sentences short
-       Use headings and subheadings
-       Use lots of white space
-       Highlight key points in bold or italics
Also remember that half of your visitors are viewing your website on their handheld device. If you don’t follow the rules above, people won’t stay on your page long enough to read it – no matter how good your writing is.

·      Use links

We live in a digital era, so a blog post doesn’t have to be comprehensive. Link headings, words or quotes to other sources. This gives your readers the opportunity to read more about a topic or check out a source. You should also give credit back to the author of anything you reference or use in your content.
For example, I didn’t go into detail on SEO in this post, but I linked it to another blog post that can give you that information. I’ve also referenced several great writing sources and linked to those.
Another great technique is to link to your own content. Backlinks generate more traffic, establish your credibility and create devoted readers. If you’ve already covered a topic in-depth, be sure to add a link any time you mention it. It may be just what your reader is looking for.


Expert Advice
Kirsten Oliphant is a professional writer, blogger and podcaster for her two websites: http://kirstenoliphant.com/ and http://createifwriting.com/. She graduated with a MFA in Fiction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2007. Now mother to five, Oliphant blogs on her personal site and teaches authentic platform building for writers, bloggers and creative types.

Oliphant writes for the web across many platforms, including her websites, blogs, social channels and podcasts. During an interview, she offered several tips on writing better than yesterday, writing for your audience and writing for the web.

1.     Find your online voice

For Oliphant, writing online is all about having the right voice. When she writes fiction, it’s a much more immersive experience than when writing for the web. But her nonfiction voice is like her speaking voice. The way she writes, however, differs by platform because her audience is a little different on each.

“It’s important to ask yourself: How personal do I get? What are off-limit topics for me? What tone am I going to use?” she said. “All of these things represent you and draw a certain audience in, so I suggest writing a style guide.”

Creating a style guide for your online writing voice is one of the first steps Oliphant encourages online publishers to take. She developed a free resource to help writers on any platform define their voices. It’s called, “Creating Your Persona Guidelines: Developing the Rules to Keep Your Writing Voice Consistent.”

2.   When writing, make it your priority

As the mother to five, Oliphant has plenty of distractions when she’s writing. To improve her efficiency and quality of writing, she makes writing her priority while she’s doing it.

“I have to really shut everything else off or I lose my place. I can’t have Netflix going on in the background,” she said. “You should close out of all of your tabs and programs to focus your attention on writing and be distraction-free.”

She also writes when she has the least distractions at home. For Oliphant, that means spending her evenings writing while her kids are in bed. She says it’s easier to get things done when she can focus.

3.   Read your work out loud

Oliphant considers herself a “clean writer” but still takes time to edit her content before she publishes it. Her biggest advice is to read everything out loud. While writing for her campus literary magazine during grad school, she caught a mistake even after a story had gone through several edits.

“I was on the fifth reading once, and I caught a huge mistake,” Oliphant said. “It’s amazing what skilled people miss, so reading out loud is a really big trick.”

For larger content, such as e-books, she suggests hiring an editor or sharing with trusted friends for review.

4.   Publish consistently

When Oliphant started blogging, she was publishing several times a day. But people read blogs differently now, she says.

“People don’t as often just go to yourblogname.com and see what’s new,” she said. “People tend to read blogs when they see a link posted on social media, and they click through. Or they’re subscribed to your email list and you send an email out with your post for the week.”

You don’t have to blog every single day, according to Oliphant. She says the key is to publish consistently and to publish quality content every time. For her, that’s a weekly post. For you, it should be whatever timetable allows you to produce compelling and useful content for your audience.

As Zissner said, “Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.”


For more advice on writing for the web, check out these great resources:
·       10 Fast Ways to Become a Better Writer” by Fizzle
·       Beginner’s Guide to SEO” by Moz
·       Start Writing Daily” by Jeff Goins
·       On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction” by William Zissner
·       How to Write a Killer Blog Post Every Time” by Pineapple and Main
·       6 Steps for Writing Simple Copy that Sells” by CopyBlogger
·       75 Resources for Writing Incredible Copy that Converts” by Kissmetrics

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