Writing is hard. You can’t just put your fingers on the keyboard and expect to come up with a masterpiece. It takes hours of practice, tons of research, and a lot of experimenting with different styles.
Just like any other art form, writing takes practice, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not getting published right away!
Over time, though, you’ll notice that your writing improves…and maybe even gets published too! But how do you get there? By following these 17 tips for writing better posts
| Takeaways |
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| 1. Use concise and clear language to convey your message effectively. |
| 2. Craft attention-grabbing headlines to entice readers to click and read your posts. |
| 3. Incorporate storytelling elements to make your content more engaging and relatable. |
| 4. Utilize visuals such as images, infographics, and videos to enhance your posts. |
| 5. Create a strong opening to hook readers and keep them interested throughout the post. |
| 6. Format your content for easy readability with short paragraphs and subheadings. |
| 7. Use bullet points and lists to organize information and improve scannability. |
| 8. Include relevant data, statistics, and examples to support your points. |
| 9. Be authentic and write in your unique voice to connect with your audience. |
| 10. Proofread and edit your posts to eliminate errors and improve overall quality. |
| 11. Interact with your readers through comments and social media to build a community. |
| 12. Incorporate call-to-action to encourage readers to take the desired next step. |
| 13. Research and understand your target audience to tailor your content to their needs. |
| 14. Stay consistent with your posting schedule to maintain reader interest. |
| 15. Experiment with different content formats such as lists, guides, or interviews. |
| 16. Collaborate with other bloggers and experts to expand your reach and network. |
| 17. Continuously learn and stay updated on writing trends and best practices. |
1. Read Your Post Out Loud And Make Sure Each Sentence Sounds Natural
One of the best ways to ensure that your writing is clear and understandable is to read it out loud. If you’re saying something like, “the post has a really good hook,” you may want to rephrase it as something more natural. For example, “The hook of this article is very good.”
Reading out loud will also help you make sure your post flows well and doesn’t sound like a long list of facts or instructions.
Reading your own writing aloud allows you to hear if there are any words in there that stand out awkwardly or don’t sound right when spoken aloud (e.g., “kinda” instead of “kind”).
You’re also less likely to leave out necessary words this way because they’ll just feel wrong when spoken aloud if they’re not there!
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2. Proofread For Spelling Errors, Grammar Mistakes And Typos
The last thing you want to do is publish a post with spelling or grammar errors. It’s embarrassing, and it makes you look unprofessional.
Before you publish your post, proofread it for typos and errors that are easy to spot (like “your” instead of “you’re”). But don’t stop there! Use a tool like Grammarly or Hemingway to check for more complex problems like sentence structure and readability.
3. Keep Your Sentences Short, Clear, And Concise
It’s important to keep your sentences short, clear and concise. Avoid complex and long sentences. Use simple language. Use simple words.
The best way to get started is by making your point in one sentence and then expand on that idea throughout the post with supporting points or examples.
This will make it easier for readers to understand what you are saying and it will help them find information quickly as they scan through the post looking for something specific that interests them or applies directly to them (their questions).
When writing blog posts, it’s not always easy to know what words work well together because we are not used to reading a lot of text online;
This means we may sometimes use too many technical terms without knowing their meaning exactly so we should try using synonyms instead if possible as long as they make sense within the context of where each word appears (make sure there aren’t any errors such as missing punctuation marks).
Finally when writing anything online especially content which has been published online before make sure there aren’t any typos that could confuse later lines when someone else reads those same words again later on down line later.
Crafting catchy blog titles is an art that can greatly impact your content’s visibility. Discover valuable insights and expert tips in our article about writing catchy blog titles to engage and entice your audience.
4. Keep Your Paragraphs Short
One writing tip that’s universally accepted is to keep your paragraphs short. This means shorter sentences, not longer ones.
The reason why you should avoid long paragraphs is that they’re difficult to read, and they take up a lot of space on the screen. Long paragraphs are also intimidating for readers because they make them think the post will be really long (even if it isn’t).
When you split up your ideas into multiple paragraphs, you can easily lose track of where you are in the post as well as confuse your reader.
You should also try not to use too many lists (especially when each item in the list is one sentence long), or too many examples or explanations within a paragraph either which means no more than two or three at most!
5. Write As You Talk
You’re writing for an audience, so you need to be conversational. Write like you talk. Don’t be afraid to use slang or contractions (for example: “I was going to say something, but then I thought it would be better if I didn’t because it wasn’t very important.”).
Use a conversational tone. And don’t be afraid to use humor in your posts your readers will appreciate it!
Most importantly, write like yourself don’t try too hard or sound stuffy by using stiff language or flowery prose when you could just as easily write something more natural and honest instead.
6. Let Your Personality Come Through
When you’re writing, be yourself. Don’t try to mimic someone else’s style or character. Your audience is there because they like and trust what you have to say and they want to know that person is you.
When it comes down to it, the best advice I can give you is: be yourself! You don’t need a funny anecdote or a joke in order for your content to be funny; if something’s funny, it will be funny regardless of whether or not we’re laughing at your jokes or not (unless we’re all just really bad at using humor).
So from now on, let go of any fears about not being witty enough and feel free to use humor however suits your content best.
Crafting compelling blog article titles and meta descriptions is crucial for SEO and click-through rates. Enhance your blog’s visibility with guidance from our comprehensive guide on writing blog article titles and meta descriptions to attract more readers.
7. Be Different (And Do It On Purpose)
You don’t want to be like everyone else. You want your blog to stand out from the crowd, so if you’re going to be different, do it on purpose. You can be unique and different at the same time, but it takes effort and thoughtfulness.
Be different in a way that makes sense for your brand—if you run a cooking blog, being unique doesn’t mean posting recipes with grasshoppers instead of beef.
Stand out by being clever or funny about something others have already written about before.
Or go off topic entirely! Write something people haven’t seen before (but still relate back to your industry) and put in some research first so that it doesn’t end up sounding like a high school essay assignment!
8. Use Short Words Instead Of Long Words
Short words are best. Long words, sentences and paragraphs are bad. If you want to write good, use short words instead of long ones. An easy way to remember this is the acronym SHORT (short sentences, short paragraphs and short articles).
SHORT is a good rule for writing because using big words won’t make your writing any better it can make it worse!
For example: “The dog had been trained by his master to walk on two legs instead of four.” This sentence is much more interesting when rewritten as “The dog could walk upright like a human being.”
So remember: if you want your readers to understand what you’re saying in an article or blog post then use shorter sentences, shorter paragraphs, and shorter articles instead of longer ones
Creating shareable blog posts can significantly expand your content’s reach and impact. Explore our tips and tricks in our post on writing blog posts that go viral to maximize your online presence.
9. Don’t Be Afraid To Start With A Bang…first Sentences Matter A Lot
First sentences matter a lot.
In fact, they’re so important that you could say they hold the key to your article’s success. Why? Because a good first sentence will set the tone for your whole post and get people interested in reading more. It should:
- Grab their attention
- Make them curious about what comes next (i.e., “How does he back that up? I have to find out!”)
- Make them think about something in a new way (i.e., “I never thought about it like that before!”)
10. Ask Questions To Get Your Readers Involved In The Conversation
Here are some examples of questions you can use to get your readers involved:
- Open-ended: “What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this post?”
- Rhetorical: “Do you agree with the author’s views on the topic?”
- Closed-ended: “What do you think about this post?”
11. Highlight Important Text With Bold And Italics
One of the best ways to create emphasis on content is by using bold and italics. Bold text will draw attention to a phrase or sentence, but it’s not necessarily crucial for the meaning of that particular sentence. For example: “We offer a wide range of products for all your needs.”
The word “wide” is important because it describes how many items are in stock at our store, but it isn’t essential for understanding what we have available (unless you’re looking for something very specific).
If you look at this same sentence with bolded text instead, it changes things quite a bit: “We offer a WIDE range of products FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS.”
Now you know exactly what kind of services we provide and even if you don’t need any right now, these words are still helpful because they give insight into how much variety we carry.
The same goes for italics; they should be used sparingly as well since they take up space on the page and break up flow when used too often.
Italics should only be used when you want someone reading your content to focus specifically on that particular word or phrase text to need full sentences!
So while “Think long term” might be good advice from your grandfather in his retirement letter this summer (and might even warrant being bolded), maybe he shouldn’t spend much time thinking about his grandchildren’s education? Maybe not…
12. Use Images To Illustrate What You’re Saying As Much As Possible
Images are a great way to break up text, provide context, and illustrate your point. They can also help make your post more interesting and engaging.
If you’re writing an article that talks about how to draw flowers or something similar, an image of a drawing might be beneficial in order to provide an example of what you mean. For example:
- Image with text captioned above it: “This is an image illustration.”
- Image without caption: “This is another image illustration.”
13. Link To Other Posts On Your Blog That Are Relevant To The Point You Are Making
When you are writing a blog post, you should always try to link to other posts on your blog that are relevant.
You can also link to external sources, such as other blogs, websites and social media. When it comes down to it though, linking back to relevant posts on your own blog will give your readers the best experience possible.
This is because if you don’t link back properly in a post then there is no way for readers who want more information about what you have written could find it easily.
Learning from experienced professionals can greatly enhance your writing skills. Gain valuable insights and practical advice from our expert’s take on writing blog articles to take your blog to the next level.
14. Add Your Thoughts To What You Write About, Don’t Just Regurgitate Someone Else’s Information Or Ideas
There are many reasons for writing. You may want to boost your business or share the knowledge you have on a topic that interests you. Whatever the reason, it’s important to remember why you are writing.
Your passion will come through in your posts and encourage others to read more of what you have to say.
Make sure that your content is unique and interesting so that readers will want to continue reading it because they know they won’t find it anywhere else. It’s also important that it contains relevant information for its purpose.
If someone searches for “how-to blog” then they should get some tips on how blogging works rather than reading about pet care or something unrelated (unless pet care is part of the blog).
15. Know Who You Are Writing For Before You Even Start Writing
Before you even start writing, you must know who your target audience is. You need to get into their heads and figure out what they want to know, what they want to do, and what they want to buy.
If you don’t know who your target audience is, then how will you be able to write in a way that resonates with them?
It might be tempting to write for everyone (and therefore no one), but remember: if your content doesn’t appeal specifically to a specific person or subset of people then it won’t resonate with anyone.
16. Plan Ahead And Use An Editorial Calendar To Keep You Organized. It Is Easier Than You Think, Even For Newbies!
You will be surprised at how much time can be saved by planning. Planning your posts not only helps you stay organized, but also makes the writing process easier because you already know what topics are coming up, and which ones have been covered.
An editorial calendar is an excellent tool for keeping track of your content ideas and deadlines.
Even if you don’t consider yourself an organized person, creating an editorial calendar should not intimidate you!
There are many software programs available that make it easy to create schedules, as well as printable templates if you prefer using pen and paper (or want to go old school).
17. These Tips Will Help You Make Your Posts Better
Use The Right Words
The first thing you should do to make your posts better is to use the right words. You want to write in a way that’s easy for readers to understand, so use simple language and avoid jargon wherever possible.
Make It Easy To Read
Next, make sure that your post is easy for people to read by using short sentences and paragraphs, bolding important information, and italicizing titles of books or movies if necessary (but not too much).
Adding images and links where appropriate, including your own thoughts about what you’re writing about all those things help create good content!
Conclusion
If you’re looking to improve your writing, we hope these tips have been helpful! If you’re still struggling with grammar or punctuation, check out our other posts on the subject.
We also recommend reading over them before starting a post so that everything flows smoothly for your readers
Further Reading
Writing Tips from Self-Publishing School: Improve your writing skills with valuable tips and insights from Self-Publishing School’s expertise.
17 Tips for Improving Writing: Discover 17 practical tips to enhance your writing and communicate effectively.
Mastering Headline Writing: Learn the art of crafting captivating headlines with WordStream’s expert advice.
FAQs
How can I improve my writing skills?
Improving your writing skills can be achieved by regularly practicing writing, seeking feedback, and reading extensively in different genres.
What are some common writing mistakes to avoid?
Common writing mistakes to avoid include grammar errors, weak sentence structures, excessive use of jargon, and lack of clarity in ideas.
How do I write compelling headlines?
Writing compelling headlines involves using power words, creating curiosity, and being specific about the content’s value.
How can I write engaging blog posts?
To write engaging blog posts, focus on addressing readers’ needs, using storytelling techniques, and incorporating visuals to enhance the content.
Where can I find writing courses or workshops?
You can find writing courses or workshops online, through local community centers, universities, or writing organizations.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.