Content Writing & Copywriting Blog

Should blog writers be paid for the work they do or for their performance

Mar 06, 2008 2 Comments »

In commercial blogging, what they call these days "pro-blogging" there is a very thin line that divides "writing" and "performance". Writing for blogs means simply generating content so that it can be published. Performing means, how much buzz individual blog posts can generate and how many page views or impressions can be generated for the blog as well as the advertisers advertising on that blog.

Gawker media, according to this post, pays its employees by their performance, not by virtue of being its employees; that means, you not only have to write content for Gawker media, you also have to write content that brings in more profit for the advertisers.

Is it right or wrong? Depends on the model your blog publishing is following. Your blog, in order to be profitable, surely has to generate traffic and traffic comes with high-quality content generation and non-stop promotion. Given that the writer produces high-quality content, whose work is it to promote the blog non-stop? Is it the employer’s job, that is Gawker media, or the writer’s job?

If the writer is supposed to generate traffic that isn’t Gawker media dumping the entire responsibility of the blog upon the writer who is just supposed to write quality content? I think for a writer who is hired to write blog content this can prove to be a great distraction. Promotion should be handled by another team and not by the writers.

Again, there is some content that can be easily promoted, for instance technology, gaming, programming, music, celebrity gossip, earning money, but other, less appealing subjects need strategic and targeted promotion. By solely holding the writer responsible for the page views the employer shrugs away from the responsibility. Would I take up such a job as a blog writer? Only if I’m paid lots of money (lots of money according to my standards). If I am both writing high quality content and promoting it I might as well run my own blog and earn greater rewards.

Create content for that single admirer

Mar 05, 2008 No Comments »

You should always generate content for a single person because it is simply not possible to create content that is liked by everybody who comes to your website or blog. It is better to have a single admirer than being read by a thousand indifferent readers to whom it doesn’t matter whether you write again or not.

That single admirer eagerly awaits your next blog post or your next article. He or she not only goes through your suggestions, he or she also implements them on his or her daily life and sees his or her life improving. So he or she comes back for more, and as you consistently provide value to that single admirer he or she keeps coming back and recommends you wherever possible.

This concept of gaining admirers or fans is comprehensibly discussed at this link.

That is why a niche subject is more preferable over a generic subject. When you try to publish on every topic under the sun on your blog or website in order to please a broad section of people it is very hard to succeed unless you are creating great amount of content in very little time. There are blogs that post just one post per week and they enjoy a great fan following and there are some blogs that produce tons of content and still very few people go and read those blogs. What do successful blogs and websites have in common?

• They produce and publish highly focused content
• They produce and publish highly focused content, consistently

These are the two ingredients that earn you hardcore fans and admirers. Strive to cater to selected few and excel in that; earn an authority in that vertical subject matter and give your readers a reason to trust you and have faith in your wisdom.

Quantity doesn’t matter if it doesn’t bring results. Recently I came across a blog that boasted of around 15,000 RSS subscribers and earned about $300 per month as advertising revenue and that was the sole earning of the blog.

I’m not saying that the quality and success of a blog or a website should be gauged by the amount of money it earns, but the thing is, if you’re making a big change in the lives of your readers and there is no tangible return for you aside from a moral satisfaction, then you are doing a social service and not a business. Then content publishing is not your business. Content publishing becomes a business when it earns money for you, directly or indirectly.

The example that I have used above could be a wrong one. Regular readers don’t pay any heed to the ads appearing on a blog or website. It isn’t necessary that every blog and website publishing content should depend on advertising revenue. There can be many other ways a highly-read blog or website can be exploited to make monetary gains. For instance you can sell products and your own services through your successful blog or website.

But I digress here. The main point is that instead of publishing content for a broad range of audience you should create and publish content for a selected few. The reach of the Internet is so amazing that even "a selected few" can turn out to be a few thousand or a few hundred thousand dedicated readers who would like to buy what you recommend, or who would buy your products and services.

How to become an authority blogger

Feb 26, 2008 3 Comments »

Just read this interesting and comprehensive post on how to become an authority in your niche at Dosh dosh. Authority always commands respect and trust. When you have established your authority people believe in most of what you say. In order to become a successful blogger you have to become an authority in your field and only then your readers will come to your blog to seek advice repeatedly. For example check out Dosh dosh and Problogger, and even for that matter Copyblogger; people simply love what these people write because their advised can be immediately used and benefited from.

What benefit do you provide as an authority blogger?

"Benefit" is the central keyword of being an authority. You become an authority blogger when your advice helps many people improve themselves. Your advice should be straightforward and it should not contain abstract meaning. People should be able to implement your advice with minimum effort and derive maximum benefit from it.

Become an authority blogger gradually

I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t start blog unless you have become an authority because then you will get trapped in a vicious circle. You become an authority gradually. In the beginning you don’t even have to act like an authority. Just write about your experiences. For example, if you are an online copywriter then share with your readers all the experiences that you have while serving your clients and all the new things that you are learning. Also chronicle the mistakes that you make and what you learn from them. Sharing your mistakes and using them as your strengths commands lots of respect from your readers.

Talk like an authority blogger

Along with publishing your blog daily keep learning and improvising. This is another thing that makes an authority: talk like an authority. I don’t mean sound like a snob and show disrespect for your readers, but you get my point. You have to sound convincing because if you cannot convince you cannot have people trusting you. Keep improving your writing skills because they come handy when you have to express yourself. If you’re straining all the time trying to "write well" it shows through. This is also a skill that you acquire/learn gradually.

Verify your facts and then talk

An authority blogger knows what he or she is saying and you can only be sure of what you are saying if you know the facts and have the data to back them up. Do your research and make sure you don’t have to eat your words later on. The sky is not going to fall if you have to eat your words, say once or twice every six months — we all make mistakes — but don’t take such instances lightly and try to make sure their occurrences are minimized.

Be consistent and frequent

Consistency is also an important ingredient of success. If you’re not consistent then people soon forget about you, especially on the Internet where things happened so fast. If you write once a week, or once a month, then your readers will have read scores of blog posts, perhaps on the same topic, and by the time you write about it, it may already become an old news to them. Give them something everyday so that you become a part and parcel of their daily lives.

Authority comes with experience and knowledge, and with sharing. The more you share your knowledge, the more deep-rooted it becomes.

Print-on-demand online services reviewed

Feb 24, 2008 No Comments »

At Read/Write Web. If you don’t know what print-on-demand service is, it lets you get your books printed without having to approach a traditional publishing house. One of the oldest and famous print-on-demand services is Lulu.com. A print-on-demand service not only publishes your book — for a fee of course — it also helps you distribute it among the various book retailers and shops. Amazon.com too provides such a service.

I think for a new author it is a great opportunity, provided he or she has some money to invest. I remember a few years ago I tried to get in touch with such a company that had opened a new office in New Delhi. Right now I cannot recall its name but they were so unprofessional that they didn’t even reply. Back then we didn’t have Internet companies.

By getting your book published through a print-on-demand service you can avoid the hassle and the uncertainty involved in approaching a traditional publishing house. The traditional publishing houses are not only overbooked and choosey they also take a very long time in selecting the book, getting it edited, publishing it and then finally marketing it. Hopefully by the time I finish my first book I will have enough money to afford a print-on-demand service.

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.