So, we all know by now, the benefits of content writing. But for a lot of people, there's still a huge resistance to it. I think those people fall into one of four camps:
- No idea what to write
- No time to write it
- They don't like writing
- They're a bad writer
If you are one of the first three, I can help; check out my content planning services or if you’re a DIY kinda person, my content workbook.
If you're the last one... I've got some news for you: it's probably not true. If anything, it's probably more likely to be one of the first three.
How do I know? I'm bad at maths. But actually not really; I just don't like maths enough to learn or to practice. While some natural ability can springboard people forward, no one is just automatically "good" at something. If you want to learn a skill, you probably enjoy doing it. And even then, you have to start at the bottom, or near the bottom.
The thing about the Internet these days, is that literally anyone can be a writer and can reach an audience with that writing, if they just care enough to do so. You have to remember that anyone who has ever been good at something, started off bad at it.
At some point, everybody did the thing they’re good at for the very first time and it was probably Not Good (please don’t ask to see my first website).
Being a "good" writer isn't the answer to creating good content; in fact I think with the way internet culture is right now, there's almost no such thing as a "bad" writer.
Sure, some parts of the internet still rage and carry on about spelling and grammar, but grammar does not make a good writer. We know that language evolves and the internet itself has not only sparked it's own languages but has forced an evolution of language as we know it. Take a look at LOLspeak and Emoji if you don't believe me.
The internet is so international that attacking people for their spelling and grammar is incredibly outdated (and possibly a little bit classist).
All you need in order to be a good writer on the internet, is a story to tell. That's all content marketing is; storytelling.
So, if you think you're a bad writer, try the following:
- Think of your message (my message was no one is a bad writer)
- Think of a story that relates to that message (my story about being bad at maths)
- Outline how the story starts and ends and what the lesson will be
- Dot point out the meaty bits
- Fill it out; do talk to text if that feels more natural to you, or read out loud while you're writing
- Do a spelling and grammar check (partly to hold off the spelling and grammar enthusiasts, but also to make sure your message makes sense and is easy to read. Try Grammarly)
- Reread it, and make sure it flows, has a lesson and a solid conclusion
- POST IT
And that's how to be a good content writer.
Until next time, be kind to yourself!
Laura x
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