Copywriting
SEO
The Tribe
What we will cover
Research and planning first
If you’ve read anything else on this website, it likely goes without saying that we’re going to suggest you work out why you are writing before you worry about how to write a blog for a website.
If you’ve just been handed a crisp keyword research doc from Vu with a whole bunch of why, when, or how do I…[insert your business expertise] then pick one and let’s go.
If not then, that’s the place to start, the point of writing a blog is for someone to read it, if you don’t know what someone is searching for, how do you know if your article will ever get found?
Ranking top for something like “How to write a blog for a website” may be a more searched topic than “how to write the perfect social media post” and it can be subtle too, it may be more competed or less traffic than “how to write a blog post” – without keyword research you are stabbing in the dark.
Of course, we would suggest that you pick a topic of value to add to your audience, and create lots of similar topics so the message is consistent and succinct (it also shows google you’re an expert).
Then get yourself a content calendar set up so that you don’t let it slip down the list, no marketing task ever becomes urgent!!
Now we’ve covered that, let’s look at how to write a blog for a website…
Get their attention
Your potential customer’s attention is not something to take for granted. You have a matter of seconds to impress them before you lose them – perhaps for good.
To get them interested enough to stay with you, here are four ways to remove the clutter and keep your copy (or video, or infographic…) on point.
Go for Personal Wherever Possible
If there’s one thing that’s almost guaranteed to grab the attention of a passing browser it’s appealing to them and their priorities. This is the reason why ‘you’ is one of the most powerful words in copywriting.
The sooner you can understand what a person cares about and start talking about that, the more likely you will be to hold their attention. Then you can work on guiding them where you want them to go.
Being Smart Isn’t Always That Smart!
One of the fastest ways to turn off a prospective customer is to throw industry jargon at them. Specialists in certain subjects, whether it’s SEO (search engine optimisation) or DNA sequencing often feel they have to sound clever when talking or writing about their field. But if you’re alienating the majority of your listeners or readers in the process, that really isn’t so smart!
The most accomplished communicators spend time adapting their content so that it can be consumed by the layperson.
The more technical the field, the more challenging that is. Stephen Hawking once said that the next generation of experts will not necessarily be the most intelligent but those who can actually communicate difficult concepts to the masses – and he was a pretty smart guy!
Ditch the Detail (and Don’t Digress)
One of the toughest challenges when creating content is adding the right level of detail. A good piece of content should have a clear progression from beginning to end.
Once the audience has been hooked by the introduction, every bit of information should move the narrative forward.
Too much detail on one point can slow down the momentum and, even worse, increases the risk of digression. This is the surest way to confuse the reader or viewer.
The end of the piece of content should include a brief summary to wrap up the message, followed by a clear call-to-action.
Test Drive Your Message
Before you release your content on your favourite platform, it is a good idea to test it out on a few people who don’t know you. That’s right: no family members, friends or work colleagues.
Perhaps you could talk at a networking event, share on your personal Facebook profile or guest post on a blog with an active community of followers.
This will help you to gauge how your message comes across. Did people engage with the content. Did they understand the message. Was their any confusion?
Use the feedback you receive to strip even more clutter from your content before going live on your professional marketing channels.
To summarise, you can simplify your message in four steps:
- Address your audience on a personal level.
- Replace jargon with plain language.
- Move forward from beginning to end with minimal detail and don’t digress.
- Test your message with an objective audience before going live.
If you’ve been staring at a blank page for half an hour, you can probably start to see the value of copywriting, let the experts do what they do, and spend your time being the expert you are.
Let Vu support you with our ongoing Tribe packages.
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