It’s the end of the day and you’ve been hit with writer’s block. You are wracking your brain for exciting, unique content for your blog. Writing fresh content is not as difficult as you think. Articles are easy to write when you have a winning strategy right at your fingertips.
Target your markets. Think about your online audiences who visit your website or blog. Your articles need to capture and hold their interest. Unique content needs to educate and inform your readers, and keep them coming back for more articles.
Define your niche. Don’t write about generic topics. You need to hit your niche with your articles. For example, if you own a sporting goods store and want to sell more running shoes online, don’t write content about running shoes. The topic is too broad. You need a unique perspective such as the health benefits of running or how to choose the proper running shoe for your stride. Angle your article to fit your specific niche.
Keep up with industry trends and news. Read daily industry news and be “in the know.” Unique content needs to be fresh and timely which makes you look like an expert in the eyes of your readers. Don’t regurgitate information that can be found on The New York Times website.
Write on a regular basis. In order to keep those creative juices flowing, it helps to write on a regular basis. If you write a blog, write consistently and keep a journal or notebook on hand. Jot down notes and ideas as they come to you throughout the day. This will help you create new, interesting topics.
Don’t compare yourself to other writers or industry experts. Each writer has their own style of writing. It will only hurt your creative process by comparing yourself to others. It’s helpful to research blogs, ezines and websites for ideas, but don’t copy another writer’s style. The key to branding yourself as a content writer is to find your own style and stick with it.
Don’t duplicate content. Do not steal or copy information from online or offline sources. It’s acceptable to directly quote information, but copying word-for-word is plagiarism and is illegal. If you summarize content from another website and stick it on your site, you are basically duplicating information. As a result, your site will lose search engine rankings. Unique content bumps you higher on search engines.
Keep your writing simple. Don’t confuse your readers with jargon and complicated language. Write in a breezy, conversational style. It’s okay to bend some of the rigid grammar rules when you write web content; however, it’s still recommended to edit and use spell check. Implement this editing trick: print out your article and circle mistakes with a red pen. When you review a hard copy, it’s easier to find errors.
