We’ve all heard that regular blogging is an amazing way to tell the story of your business, boost your traffic and sales. But if you’re not a confident writer, this can be a daunting task that never reaches the top of that to-do list.
Creating and sharing articles is what we spend most of our time on here. I’m not a professional writer, but gradually I’ve moved from being nervous about putting my writing out in the world, to sharing it with ease. And more importantly, the time it takes me to write an article has at least halved with practise!
These are my top blog writing tips for non-writers who want to increase their writing productivity
- Imagine you’re writing for one person. When you’re coming up with ideas and writing an article, think about your ideal customer and write something they’ll want to read. You can’t please everyone, so don’t even try.
- Speaking of which, remember, people don’t read blogs because they love checking grammar and critiquing writing styles. (At least I hope not).
- Switch off your laptop. If you’ve got writer’s block then shutting down your laptop can help. Get out a notepad and pen and try writing the old fashioned way with no distractions (I started writing this on my notepad during a ferry journey).
- Shorter is better. Remember most people are reading on a phone screen, so use short paragraphs, and lots of headings.
- Just write something. Once you’ve decided on your topic, literally just write that blog post. Don’t worry about it being perfect (or even okay). The important thing is to get some words and information on the page. Then…
- Leave it. Once you’ve written it, leave it alone for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. Then you’ll return to it with fresh eyes and renewed enthusiasm.
- Edit, edit, edit. This is where the game is won or lost. Expect to spend just as much time on editing as you did on writing. Cut out excess words, the delete button is your friend! Use an online thesaurus to switch-up your vocabulary and swap the paragraphs around so it all flows.
- Read it aloud. Your blog post should be conversational, so read it aloud to hear how it sounds. Also, if you read it aloud slowly and carefully, you’ll pick up those last few typos.
- Finally, just put it out there, even if it’s not perfect!
And, if all else fails, hire a talented freelance writer – we do this all the time!
Catherine provides personalised support to help small businesses to make a greater impact online through social media, email marketing, blogging and online advertising. www.yourdigitalsupport.com
