Content Writing & Copywriting Blog

Every business should have a blog and can have a blog

Feb 13, 2008 No Comments »

Andy at BlogHerald recently commented that the businesses that are not able to run blogs should not run them and to a great degree I agree (and therefore, don’t). He has listed 5 reasons why most business blogs fail to take off

1. Lack of fresh content on a regular basis
2. Not enough RSS subscribers
3. Not enough comments
4. No contribution in terms of traffic to the main business website
5. No clue about promoting products and services through the business blog

These are valid reasons for the failure of a business blog. But it doesn’t mean that the businesses that cannot manage a blog should not have a blog. Your business blog can act as an invaluable tool whenever you decide to use it. You can even promote your products and services when your blog has kicked off. All the above 5 drawbacks can be easily countered by hiring capable people. For instance you can hire an experienced writer/blogger to generate regular quality blog posts and he or she may not even cost your business much if you simply outsource this portion (generating content) of your blogging activity. There are many individuals who can take over the complete management of your blog right from providing fresh content non-stop to interacting on other blogs on your behalf. I think some people are already doing this — providing this as a total turnkey solution.

I don’t provide the complete business blog management service but I do write blog content for many business blogs on weekly or monthly basis and those blogs are doing quite well in terms of all the 5 factors mentioned above. Having a blog doesn’t always mean doing everything on your own. If you decide to use your blog as a business-promotion tool then hiring someone who can manage your business blog any given day is a smart business investment.

Are digital-only newspapers possible?

Feb 10, 2008 No Comments »

I just came across a news that a newspaper has given up its print publication and now it is totally available in the digital format. I’m not sure if it is accessible on every device that can log on to the Internet but it can be surely read on your computer or laptop.

I get a paper newspaper, in fact we get two newspapers, one in English and one in Hindi. Would both my wife and I find it OK if our newspapers only came with digital versions and there was no newspaper delivery person throwing them at our door every morning? I think in our individual case we will be OK with that because we spend a considerable amount of time in front of the computer screens. We can still access all major newspapers on the Internet and sometimes we do access them whenever we are doing some research or if we want to read more about an interesting news. Although we can access possibly every newspaper on the Internet reading the paper newspaper in the morning just after or before the breakfast in our household is a ritualistic practice that we have been following since the times we started reading newspapers during our teen years. We find it difficult to give up this ritual and maybe this is a reason if somehow we cannot read our newspapers in the morning we skip reading them even when we can access them on the Internet. Of course a big reason is that if the morning is gone we are both busy in our respective works and hence have no time to catch up with the news.

In case a time comes when my favorite newspaper is only available through the Internet I won’t mind that and in fact I prefer that. My newspaper is quite thin: I think it just has 20 odd pages. There are some newspapers that have 30 to 40 pages but in India we don’t get newspapers as bulky as in the West. Reading the newspaper on the Internet will save so much paper. The paper industry cuts millions of trees with alarming frequency.

But with current penetration of technology I don’t think Internet-only newspapers are possible; at least not in the countries that have less than 1% Internet penetration. As I told above my wife gets a Hindi newspaper and they often  have it printed on the first page that it is the most widely circulated newspaper in the world. Of course this is due to the population but even when so many people subscribe to the newspaper this Hindi newspaper hardly has an online edition because more than 95% of its readers have no access to a computer leave alone the Internet.

The importance of attention

Feb 09, 2008 No Comments »

Attention is scarce on the Internet and the reason is there is so much there to give attention to. For every kind of information requirement you can find thousands of websites. For instance, you will find scores of excellent blogs telling you how to write and how to promote your online copywriting career. Similarly there might be hundreds of websites teaching you webdesigning and SEO techniques. With so much to see it is very difficult to stay at one place unless you have an overwhelming reason to stay there.

This creates a very big challenge for people who have to generate content to generate business and revenue. In order to generate business you have to make people stay longer on your website. For that you have to make sure that you hold their attention. If you think that loud and hyperbolic copywriting tactics can hold the attention of your readers then you must know that your readers have already gone through hundreds of such copywriting manifestations and have been totally bored by such gimmicks. How can you make your readers stay longer on your blog or website and get their attention  so that they do what you want them to do while they are on your website?

Create compelling headlines

Although this subject has been beaten to a pulp its importance can never be underestimated and especially more so when it comes to writing content for the Internet. Since everybody is in a hurry due to one or the other reason people skim through your web pages instead of reading them. Moreover, they know that there are already tens of other pages waiting to be read or rather skimmed.  They probably have different pages opened in different tags and it’s a matter of just a single moment of boredom or distraction and they are gone. Your headlines keep them glued to your page.

Highlight the greatest benefits that your website or blog can offer at the outset. Even when you are creating blog posts have titles and headings containing expressions your readers are looking for. For instance if your readers want to know how to write better online content then it makes sense to offer them something like “How to write better online content” rather than simply having “How to be a better writer”.

Subject-specific headlines also make it easier to skim through your content quickly. Just by reading your title and your headlines the reader should be able to get the gist of your content. Your headlines and titles can make your regular text irresistible.

Create shorter paragraphs

Since it is often difficult to read on computer screens and even on laptop screens it is advised that you use shorter paragraphs so that they can be read easily. Long streams of text blur the vision and this sends your readers away to other websites. Shorter paragraphs also help you organize your thoughts better. Try to express every new thought in a separate paragraph.

Make use of appropriate formatting and coloring

Format your text in such a manner that the expressions that should attract your readers get highlighted. Make your important expressions bold and if possible even make them appear bigger but don’t overdo it. You can also use colors but try to follow the color theme of your website.

Hyperlink wherever possible

Since the nature of the Internet mostly consists of clicking the hyperlinks people instinctively click them. Whenever you feel that a topic requires further, prolonged narrative, create a separate page and then hyperlink to that page. This also benefits your SEO efforts.

Use images and videos wherever possible

Visual impact is easier to make then textual impact. Complement your written content with well-suited images. If you think that your readers can view videos easily include them too but just keep in mind that it will prove counter-productive if you visitors have to wait long for your video to buffer.

Use a personal tone

Impersonal content makes people indifferent towards you. Write in the first person and directly address your reader. Instead of saying, “one should do this” it is better to say, “you should do this”. You also sound more convincing if you talk to your readers directly.

The Internet economy is often referred to attention economy. The competition is cutthroat but you can make a difference by highlighting certain portions of your content and writing it in a compelling language.

Do your readers remember what you write?

Feb 08, 2008 No Comments »

Some writers generate content just to fill their websites and blogs (or their clients’ websites and blogs) and some write to genuinely communicate. Why do you write? Do you want your readers to feel enriched after reading what you have written? Do they feel encouraged to think about things you have written? Do they feel enraged? Do they admire you for your writing?

All this helps your readers remember you and your website or blog. If your writing has no voice and it generates no feeling it doesn’t register with your readers and they very quickly forget about you and consequently don’t revisit your website or blog.

Your readers don’t remember you for your exceptional writing skill — although this certainly helps — they remember you by the way you write, by what you say and how you mean it. It doesn’t always need to be problem-solving or providing something overwhelmingly unique; you just need to communicate with your readers on a one-to-one basis and they remember you.

Involve your readers; make them a part of your entire writing process. In fact they ARE an integral part of your writing process: there is no meaning in writing if there are no readers. And there is no meaning in writing if you writing does not connect with your readers. Each time you write make an impact.

The anticipation of your readers

Feb 07, 2008 1 Comment »

Anticipation is akin to creating a demand or amplifying an existing need to know or acquire something. Anticipation keeps your readers hooked to what you’re going to say or reveal next. You must have observed this technique in the TV serials; if it is an ongoing story the episode always ends when things are just hotting up and you can’t wait for the next episode. Darren explains on his blog how to create anticipation in order to increase your RSS subscribers. The first step, as he rightly mentions, is to highlight the best you can offer.

I think this is the first and of course the best step you can take to create a sense of anticipation. This happens everywhere: people anticipate your future performance based on your past performance. Your past performance means creating high-value content on your blog or on your website non-stop. Every page, every blog post should give something to your readers and only then you will be able to increase the level of anticipation.

If people anticipate something from you as a blogger it means you have already raised their level of expectation  regarding your performance, and this means you have got an advantage here. Having a similar advantage while writing professional content for your clients or for yourself can be a bit difficult because, although people are okay with you being a novice blogger (maybe because you’re not charging anything from them) they have a big problem if you are a novice content writer or copywriter and this is fairly understandable because they are paying you for the job or buying things from you after reading your copy or pitch.

As a professional content writer and copywriter you have to use the existing knowledge of the reader to create anticipation. For instance if a reader is visiting your website to purchase an MP3 player he or she is already aware of the benefits of owning an MP3 player; he or she just needs to be convinced why it is better to buy it from you rather than from some other seller. Even if you’re trying to sell a product that is totally new, its need already exists and you simply have to highlight how efficiently that product can satisfy the need. If you can do that you are raising the level of anticipation in the reader. Given below are a few benefits of raising anticipation in your readers.

Anticipation brings them back to you again and again

Typically a sale never happens on the first visit; it happens on the third visit. This is not a hard and fast rule but it is a generally accepted phenomena. If you give them something to expect they will keep it in mind to visit your website again; they will either remember your URL or they will bookmark it. A similar thing happens in case of a blog. If you want your readers to come to your blog again and again they must be convinced that you provide good content consistently. When you convince them they not only take measures to keep track of your future posts they also recommend your links whenever they get a chance.

Anticipation generates more business for you

This happens if you maintain a business website and expect people to partner with you after reading your content on your business website. When they go through your content, when they go through what you have previously done, the anticipation level is increased and they contact you to give you work. Here, you don’t increase anticipation by holding back the most exciting things; you present to them the best work you have done up till now. Clients who are planning to pay you don’t like surprises; the only anticipation they have is that you will deliver what you have promised through the copy of your website.

Anticipation makes you an authority

This is something that I have already mentioned above; people only anticipate when they trust that it is worth anticipating. They start expecting good content, good service, or good product from you when they go through your track record and respect you for what you have done so far. When they anticipate further goodness from you they endorse your authority, ability and skill. Being known as some sort of an authority helps you generate business and people trust your message eagerly. Being an authority opens many closed doors easily.

Let me know if you would like to add something more here.