People online don’t tolerate dry content presented like a dissertation. Why should they? They want information that is interesting, easily digestible, scannable, and connects to them on a personal level. If you can nail these aspects, you’ve got a winning post on your hands.
In this article, you’ll learn three powerful writing tips to help your content hit the nail on the head every time. Let’s get started!
1. Target Beginner-Level Readers
At the end of the day, your audience should think of you as the expert in your niche. This builds trust, which in turn leads to more sales. You can display your expertise by breaking down complex topics into posts anyone can understand. This makes it approachable for anyone getting into your topic, not just existing hardcore enthusiasts.
This is desirable because easy accessibility broadens your audience. It’s important because many people who are interested in your topic simply don’t know the right vocabulary or concepts yet. For example, you might write about a favorite email marketing tool. When you jump right into the deep end, only existing experts can follow along. On the other hand, by breaking each step down into its simplest parts, you can reach all levels. Experts will skip through to the parts they need, while beginners can follow along step-by-step.
Once you cement your reputation as an authority and being someone who makes it easy to understand, your blog stands a good chance at success. Here are a few ways I approach complicated topics in my own posts:
- Explain any terms you introduce in your articles.
- Link out to further reading on topics you aren’t able to include in your posts.
- Use lists to organize instructions, so the steps are easily scannable.
- Incorporate visual aids often, wherever you can find relevant images.
The biggest issue with writing beginner-friendly topics is you often don’t have the room to explain everything. Carefully consider which information to link out to, and select your sources carefully. Every article you lead readers to should be from sources you consider reputable. Otherwise, your own reputation will take a hit.
2. Speak Directly to Your Audience
One of the simplest things you can do to engage your readers is to address them directly. When you’re writing for a blog, you want people to feel like you’re speaking directly to them, instead of addressing a classroom.
The key here is to have a specific audience in mind while you’re writing. A useful trick is to imagine you’re writing a letter to someone while working on each blog post. If you know who that person is and what they need to know, you’ll have an easier time explaining everything.
Of course, not every article has the same target audience. That means you’ll need to develop quite an extensive library of imaginary friends, but it’s a small price to pay for a more engaging writing style. Take this short paragraph, for example:
Your content should be as engaging and user-friendly as possible, so your readers pay attention and follow through on your directives.
That’s a short excerpt from the very top of this post. It addresses you directly to establish a connection from the get-go. Now let’s check out how it would read I wanted to address an audience.
Writers should publish work that is as engaging and user-friendly as possible, so readers will pay more attention and follow through on directives.
The gist is the same, but it’s much drier. Most people love the word “you” without realizing it, including you! Don’t get me wrong, some people might like that style, but remember – your goal should always be to create content that’s accessible as possible to widen your audience.
3. Share Your Own Experiences
One of the most effective – yet nerve wracking – ways to write more powerful posts is to inject them with your experiences. People like to hear from others who’ve gone through the same problems as they have and how they solved them.
In a way, the Leaving Work Behind blog is built on that principle. Almost every single one of our posts deals with our own perspectives and experiences. On top of making our articles more fun to read (we hope!) it also helps set us apart from other freelancing blogs and to connect with our audience. Nothing is stopping you from applying the same basic principles on your own blog.
Of course, there are a few caveats. Here’s how I try to approach writing about my personal experiences online:
- Don’t overdo it. If you’re going to talk about yourself, make sure it’s relevant to the topic at hand.
- Sob stories are overrated. They may help you connect with more people, but I like to keep things light most of the time.
- Tone down your sales pitch. Monetizing a blog often involves selling some type of product or service. However, your readers don’t want to feel like they’re being pitched on something 100% of the time.
It’s essential to include some calls to action on your posts. However, once or twice (at the most) is enough for every article.
Your goal should be to make a compelling case on why your readers should convert, using personal anecdotes when possible. Sometimes you’ll hit it out of the park and sometimes you won’t. You can always try again with your next post! Building trust takes time.
Conclusion
Powerful writing isn’t just about choosing the perfect topic. To ensure your content is engaging, it needs to be approachable and easy to read. This way, you’ll attract as broad an audience as possible, which should be your primary goal when you’re starting a new blog.
With that in mind, here are three powerful writing tips to keep your readers hanging onto your every word:
- Tailor your content towards beginners and explain any new terms you introduce.
- Address your audience directly instead of talking to them as if they were part of a classroom,
- Don’t be scared to talk about your own experiences when they can help provide context.
If you need more assistance learning how to write powerfully (and getting paid to do it), we can help you get started through the Paid to Blog course. Check it out if you want to hit the ground running!
Do you have any questions about user-friendly blogging? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!
Image credit: Pixabay.