In order to have a successful content marketing strategy, excellent writing skills are necessary. Whether it’s a blog post or video, you must know how to write and capture the attention of your target audience. What’s great about writing is that you can always improve upon your writing skills by reading the works of great writers. Successful writers have certain skills that allow them to captivate an audience and keep them wanting more.
Focus on the Reader
Many writers begin by focusing on themselves – what topics he or she is interested in and what writing style he or she is attracted to. By doing this, they completely miss the interests of the reader, who is dissuaded from reading further. You should always think first about your audience when writing a blog post – what problems they face and what is relevant to their lives. Your own interests and motives should never be in your mind when writing; content marketing is about helping your audience in some sort of way.
Make it Short and Sweet
When your writing includes too many words, it diminishes the value of each word you write. By writing concise and specific sentences, each word is important to conveying the message you want to send to your reader. Content that is short and sweet contains intensity with each sentence. In order to cut down the words you use, you have to go through your content with a fine-tooth comb. Ask yourself: “will the message of this article change if I delete this sentence or this word?” More than likely, the answer to this question will be no. When cutting down your sentences, be wary of substituting words for big vocabulary. You want to make sure that your articles are relatable, which includes using vocabulary that people are familiar with.
Be Flexible and Adaptable
Each platform for writing is different. A blog post will require different content from a YouTube video and an email. Great writers recognize this distinction and are able to customize their content to fit in these various formats. As a marketer and writer, you must be able to change along with what is changing around you, which is inevitable to happen in this industry. You should first stick with one platform in order to get your bearings and writing style. After you feel comfortable with that platform, experiment with others and research which audience is attracted to each.
Practice Makes Perfect
Becoming a great writer is something that takes time and effort – no one is ever a great writer the first time around. Having great writing skills is something that can be developed and enhanced over time, if the proper amount of effort is put in. We’re talking 10-15 hours a week of practicing your writing to become great. It’s a huge commitment, but something that will serve you well in the future when trying to distinguish your brand from your competitors.
At the heart of every content marketing strategy is a great writer who can captivate and awe their audience. With practice, attention to detail, and concentration on your audience, you’ll become a great writer in no time! What other skills do you think are necessary to being a great writer?