9 Writing Habits You Need to Unlearn
Welcome to your firm but friendly reminder that essay writing is not the same as online writing. At all. Crafting and perfecting an essay-style piece will get you an “A” for effort but a giant “F” for “flop” in the online space. You’ve probably adopted writing habits that permeate every kind of piece you write. Habits either contribute to your style or completely bog you down. It’s time to fix that! In this post, we’ll introduce you to nine writing habits you need to unlearn.
What is Content Marketing?
First, let’s discuss what content marketing is and why it’s beneficial to your business. Content marketing is the art of producing and sharing content that promotes your business while engaging potential customers. Releasing supportive and pertinent content about your company or industry is the crucial component of content marketing. It’s not just about selling something. It’s about providing valuable information and encouraging loyal fans to promote and share it with those around them. A boost in sales will most likely occur, but that’s not the primary purpose of content marketing.
Content marketing, which comes in many forms, is arguably the most critical component to making a business “successful.” Social media accounts, podcasts, blog posts, videos, etc., all have their purpose and unique set of supporters. You need multiple formats for your content to impact your various audiences.
Content marketing is essential to your business because of its effectiveness. It costs 62% less than traditional marketing yet results in about three times as many leads. So, it’s more affordable and more effective. If you want to grow your business, you should set aside funds and time to implement content marketing strategies.
9 Writing Habits You Need to Unlearn
To deliver amazing content to your audience, you must adjust your writing style to fit the formula for content marketing. You don’t have to lose the flair that makes your writing unique, but you also don’t want your audience reading a literary novel as an Instagram caption or blog post. You can throw out a lot of what you learned in college when it comes to content marketing.
1. Nix the Stuffy Writing
Boring is boring. Don’t be boring! Your brand personality needs to shine through in all of your writing. Even if you write for a funeral home, your content doesn’t have to be boring. Funeral homes are not the kind of business that should crack jokes in their content or attempt to shock people. But instead, they can make people feel valued, cared for, and understood. They should wrap their audience in comfort with their words. They could even do helpful pieces like “the healthiest ways to cope with grief” or “where to begin when planning a funeral for your loved one.” It may be heavy, serious content, but it’s far from boring or stuffy. And it’s helpful.
2. Stick to Short Paragraphs and Sentences
People tune you out when you run on and on and on and on and on and on and…see? You’re over it already! Keep your information in bite-sized chunks so readers aren’t overwhelmed. It’s also a good idea to keep up with internet grammar rules, but feel free to break some of them occasionally. If it makes things more digestible, it’s probably okay as long as it’s not sloppy.
3. Skip Bloated Sentence Structure
Go back through your content before it’s published and apply essential editing tips. Delete any unnecessary words. Don’t overwrite. Keep your sentences brief and clear. Read your writing out loud. If it flows well, keep it. If you’re stumbling over every sentence, you need to rewrite.
4. Lean on Your Expertise
Don’t just rely on statistics and what bigwigs in your industry say. Your audience wants to hear from you about your experience and how you can help them. You’re an expert in your field too! Even if it’s on a smaller scale, don’t disregard your knowledge.
5. Skip Passive Writing
Keep it active! Active writing is an adjustment, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll soar! Active voice keeps your audience engaged and reading. It’s the preferred structure for most writing, especially that done online.
6. Avoid a Robust Vocabulary
It’s beneficial to use a wide range of words in your writing to keep things interesting. But, be clear, not clever. Regardless of how intelligent and vast your vocabulary is, people want to understand what you’re trying to say. Remember to assume that your audience’s reading level is that of middle school students. No need to break out your thesaurus for online writing.
7. Write Only What Needs Written
Don’t try to fill up the internet or write everything there is to write on a topic. Be business-specific. It’s not necessary to include nonspecific information that doesn’t drive home the purpose of your content. You don’t need to tell your audience everything about a topic. They only need what’s pertinent to them.
8. Dump the Pressure
The things you write online aren’t in stone. It’s better to go back with fresh eyes to edit something rather than fixate on the same portion of your content for hours. You can update and publish later. Your content is editable even after you post it! That’s not ideal, but it is a possibility if need be.
After You Learn What to Unlearn
It takes work to undo habits. Content Journey can make that workload a little more bearable. Contact us to help you format and distribute your content in an innovative, effective way. You don’t have to go it alone! Let us help you on your content journey.
