Writing content is not difficult. Writing great content, however, is the whole other deal. In a sea of information, writers have to compete for readers’ attention. However, we also have good news: remarkable content is in demand more than ever. Writers can publish guest posts in national magazines (such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, Huff Post) and make business merely on writing. There are tons of platforms and opened blogs to publish your work. It’s only about the quality.
How to create a unique writing voice?
You don’t have to be perfect but you need to be different. Develop your own personal style. It means, choosing unique topics, find distinct sources of inspiration, and stay true to your life experience. Now, let’s deconstruct these components with expert’s tips, based on the advice of senior editors of The Atlantic and Huff Post.
Tip #1 – Develop your writing around an insight
The task of a writer is to find a path to the reader’s heart and soul, and looking for insight is the shortest way to get there. An insight is a factor of creative solution that describes a common situation or a feeling but from a unique point of view.
A common statement: all people eventually procrastinate
An insight: it’s possible to achieve success even while procrastinating
Creative solution: a blog post with a personal experience of procrastination where a writer honestly talks about achievements and drawbacks
The result: a post on Medium, built on this insight, is one of the most popular texts on the platform with more than 11 000 claps and thousands of comments. With such outreach, you can build a solid foundation for your brand’s online presence
Tip #2 – Be a journalist
Content marketers don’t live in a vacuum. You need to keep track of the recent events and big news to incorporate them in your writing. Derek Thompson, a senior editor at The Atlantic, prefers to scroll Twitter and look at trending hashtags. Think big: from global political news to social media memes and incorporate it all into your content.
Our checklist of sources includes:
- Leading news sites: CNN, The New York Times, HuffPost
- Trending Youtube videos – they provide a relatable and often funny take on the topic
- Check out viral advertising – it’s full of trends and insights.
- NaMoWriMo – an international writing community
- HandmadeWriting – a writing service that helps to create excellent content with useful information for readers.
Tip #3 – Hold yourself to a high standard
Today being a good content marketer is both easy and difficult, especially if you also want to build your brand’s presence online and increase your website’s traffic. On one hand, we have free access to national magazines and can learn from best writers in action. However, we are also exposed to all kinds of bad examples. When content marketing became a common practice, companies dropped the bar of quality and the quantity became the industry’s standard.
You write what you read. After consuming second-hand content you will not produce anything of quality. Cultivate a reading culture. Create a list of trustworthy resources and go through it every day. If you decided to write content on your website, you are more than a marketer or a business owner – you are a committed writer.
Tip #4 – Find a balance between real-time and evergreen content
Successful content marketing stands on two pillars:
- Real-time texts – news, urgent updates, trends. These are time-sensitive materials.
- Evergreen content – comprehensive analytics, ultimate guides, white papers. It doesn’t lose relevance over time.
Which one is more important? Depends on what your audience likes. The answer, as ever, lies in the middle. Combine both types of content to get both immediate and long-term response. It will provide you a steady amount of website visitors and improve SEO page-value.
Tip #5 – Pick an emotional headline
Content creators already know the basic rules of a successful headline: use numbers, prey on sensations, include key facts. The emotional component is, however, often forgotten even though it’s so efficient.
The example of a rational headline: 25 Best TV Shows Of All Times
The headline is focused on facts and numbers. It conveys information but lacks the author’s voice, attitude.
The example of an emotional headline: 25 Best TV Shows For The Best ‘Netflix And Chill’
This headline gives an emotional take on the subject. It’s more specific and finds a better response from a younger target audience.
That’s not to say that rational headlines are worse than emotional ones. Combining is the most effective strategy – just like in this post about business failures.
Tip #6 – Write in a conversational tone
Pathetic phrases and complicated sentences are not in vogue anymore. The Hustle newsletter, with more than 1, 000 000 readers provides a friendly take on the news of technology, says that they aim to be friends with their subscribers – and it reflects in their writing style as well.
Using idioms, pop-culture references, quotes from TV shows and songs make your company blog relatable. That’s also why a content creator should be interested in all major cultural phenomena. If you have never seen Game of Thrones, you’ll never understand your reader’s jokes about holding the door or knowing nothing.
Conclusions
- Content creation is not a job in a classical sense. You can’t do it 8 hours on workdays and then go home.
- Creating remarkable content is a lifestyle and it requires you to be constantly engaged in the process of researching, exploring, and saving ideas – headlines, quotes, insights.
- Read great writing and try to imitate it and eventually your original voice will emerge. If your content sounds original, you will reap commercial benefits as well.
About the Author
Josh Carlyle is a business developer and writing expert Write my essay today, who is experienced in content management and copywriting. Working at Writing Guru, Josh is aware of the latest trends in the digital marketing industry as well as online business. He is always willing to share his knowledge and ideas with entrepreneurs and write for the blogs from the insights of a professional businessperson.
