Looking at today’s mass media can be a depressing. We live in an age when CNN makes Miley Cyrus’ twerking a cover story. Sites like Buzzfeed flourish by publishing “articles” such as 24 Inspiring Photos of Pigeon Street-Style. On the surface, it appears as though the internet is nothing but a rehashed version of a shallow gossip mag.
Thankfully, that’s only an illusion. Because the web is, in essence, a
comprehensive library for all of global consciousness, it’s natural
that some questionably valuable content be at the forefront. Not every
site rising in the popularity ranks leaves us questioning the validity
of evolution, however; some support the notion that great content can
truly equal huge success.
Can Positivity Finally Rule?
Many have lamented for years that mass media content – online and off
– almost always maintains a depressing tone. Yet few sites have
attempted to quell these concerns by presenting positive and intelligent
spins on current news stories, and even fewer have seen any level of
success. That is, until now.
Cue Upworthy, a ridiculously
savvy and upbeat news site that is exploding onto the scene. Launched in
March of 2012, Upworthy has a familiar news model, with a twist. The
site’s “curators” search for fascinating content on the web, and then
present it with immensely articulate and witty insight. Unlike
Buzzfeed’s obsessive, regurgitated lists, Upworthy takes the unusual and
interesting, and tells these stories from a whip-smart, and upbeat,
perspective. It’s wonderfully refreshing, and catching on like wildfire.
The Upward Climb of Upworthy
Since its conception, Upworthy’s stated mission has been to “host the
intersection of the ‘awesome’, the ‘meaningful’, and the ‘visual.” The
site has significant knowhow in the form of its founders, too.
Co-created by Peter Koechley, formerly of The Onion, and MoveOn.org main
organizer Eli Pariser, they made it their mantra to only publish
content with heart, meaning, and significance.
These are subjective terms, sure, but it’s easy to argue that articles like What the Future Might Look Like if We Don’t Push for Gun Control (a top story at the time of this writing) easily trumps the value of Miley’s offensive dance moves.
The public seems to agree. In just over a year, Upworthy has hit
several significant milestones. They’ve seen over 30 million unique site
visitors, with an impressive 6+ minutes average time spent. They have
over 3 million social media subscribers across all networks and
newsletters, and their content accounts for one fifth of all social
signals that social measurement company SimpleReach measures – that’s
from a pool of over 5,000 publishers.
Late last year, they also received $4 million in financing from some
major social media players, namely former Facebook executive Chris
Hughes and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Upworthy is definitely on
the upswing.
How Upworthy’s Success Can Inspire all Content Marketers
There are many fantastic lessons the rapid popularity of Upworthy can
teach all content creators about how to play big, play fair, and come
out on top. Their rapid rise negates all those that lament that only the
content scrapers, negative ninnies, and SEO black hats get their just
desserts. Good guys finish first sometimes too, and you can follow suit
by absorbing these teachings:
Keep content fresh: Upworthy posts new goodies daily, thus pleasing people and search engines equally.
Quality definitely, definitely trumps quantity: You
won’t see archives of endless posts from Upworthy, but what you will see
is a nice bundle of articles or videos you actually want to read and
watch.
Headlines are crucial: skim through the various
content titles, and you’ll find snazzy headlines like “Who Doesn’t Like
to Watch Half-Naked Girls Dancing? These Guys, After They See Why It’s
Happening” and “Dear Religious Extremist: The Cameras are Staying, and
That’s Final”. These are anything but the typical mundane openers, and
they’re enticing readers to click in droves.
Social signals matter: Upworthy heavily encourages
users to link to their content through social networking sites, calling
their business a “mission-driven media company.” According to Scanvine,
Upworthy is now the number one most shared website on all social media
channels. This is a major factor to their seemingly overnight success.
Venture beyond the usual: In the words of co-founder
Pariser, “We go for visible, sharable stories and really stay away from
doing more typical, text-driven articles and blogging. We lean into
images and videos.”
Have a brand identity: Upworthy is not afraid to let
their curators voice strong opinions, but it’s done so with a
consistent overall identity. Editor-in-Chief Koechley states that,
“What’s important is that the content itself, the message itself is
‘upworthy’ and not a blatant play to cover up what the company is about.
I don’t think we’re going to work with Chevron CVX +2.69% saying what
they’re doing is great for the environment.”
Adhere to honesty, and a commitment to the community you serve:
Upworthy never hides the fact that the content they present is normally
gathered from other sources. Pariser explains it this way: “A lot of
organizations and brands come to us with content that’s upworthy.
There’s an opportunity to do right by them and by our community as well
by elevating that content to our audience while being really transparent
about the fact that it’s promoted.”
Distribution is critical: While great content is
obviously a focus, Upworthy puts just as much, if not more, effort into
intelligent distribution efforts. As Koechley told VentureBeat, “Having good content doesn’t mean anything if you aren’t actively trying to get people to see it.”
The explosion of this savvy media site is indeed great news for all
those content creators who have never given up on quality. The web will
likely always have a soft spot for celebrities and their embarrassing
habits, but there’s a huge market for intelligent and world-changing
content as well. Let Upworthy’s success inspire you to reach new content
and marketing heights too.
Original Article from http://www.sitepronews.com
Creating Unforgettable Content
Showing posts with label Writing web content. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing web content. Show all posts
Web content plays a key role in online marketing.
The effectiveness of that content, however, hinges on using the
correct strategy for your business, be it a brick and mortar company or
an online store.
The following list will walk you through not only the types of content you should use, but how to use them.
* Text
The written word is the best option to address a target audience with a direct message. Articles containing the language, expressions, terms and words unique to a particular industry, niche or market automatically set the context and tone of the message. Impeccable grammar and proper sentence and paragraph structure will allow you to command audience attention and send a clear message.
* Images
Photos and computer-generated graphics not only attract the eye, they aid in delivering your message by illustrating your company’s products, services, concepts and ideas. Such image content must be high quality in design, composition, color and clarity.
* Videos
Video can serve a variety of purposes from providing product or procedural demonstrations, to giving a face to a business or product, to teaching classes half way around the world to generating a buzz in social networking platforms.
* Infographics
Images accompanied by small amounts of text referred to as infographics are the latest Internet and media craze. Infographics are an increasingly popular, not to mention visual way of relaying information and complex concepts and messages. Conveniently eliminating the obvious sales pitch, infographics can be used to share a company’s story in a creative and entertaining way.
Standard original content can also be leveraged into other forms of content such as microsites, white papers, webinars or webcasts, branded content tools, research reports, traditional media, print magazines, digital magazines, mobile content, podcasts, eBooks and print newsletters.
Purpose of Content Creation
Information is the core of content creation. With information sharing, businesses can grow brand awareness, boost customer numbers and develop and maintain positive relationships with current clients.
Content can also be leveraged for other objectives, including:
* The engagement of employees via company blogs.
* Recruiting through organization web pages.
* Greater business development, especially when such content is shared between businesses.
Keys To Successful Content Creation
* Identify the Audience
To send an appropriate and effective message, a business must correctly identify the audience to whom it is delivering the information.
* Style Guide
To develop a business’ overall brand, content consistency is critical. To ensure consistency in a message, style elements must be decided on before the creation process begins. These elements include the tone, words to be used and choice of language.
* New Content
Just like produce sold in a market, online content must be fresh if it is to attract the attention of the target audience and encourage them to return to your website. Your content must be unique while providing information readers will find useful. In this age of information, content is not just about what the business wants to relay, it is about the needs and wants of the audience. Once customers appreciate the value of a business, they are more likely to buy your product or service.
* Ongoing Development
Consumer behavior is always changing. Creating content to keep up with a changing marketplace means staying up-to-date on all information that pertains to your niche. Self-education results not only in fresh topics to write about, it enhances your authority and credibility with your audience.
* Reusing Content
With imagination, creativity and resourcefulness, you can breathe new life into old content. Repurposing or reusing content can come in the form of images being converted into slide show presentations or video clips being arranged as part of a webinar series. Text entries can be incorporated into newsletters and eMagazines.
Ideally, content creation should only be assigned to a team or a person who either has an understanding of your industry and establishment or who has the capacity to conduct the necessary research to learn about it.
Whether you have your own content writing staff or you commission a content writing service, it’s critical they have full comprehension of the special strategies that need to be used in the online business world.
Kerry Finch
The following list will walk you through not only the types of content you should use, but how to use them.
* Text
The written word is the best option to address a target audience with a direct message. Articles containing the language, expressions, terms and words unique to a particular industry, niche or market automatically set the context and tone of the message. Impeccable grammar and proper sentence and paragraph structure will allow you to command audience attention and send a clear message.
* Images
Photos and computer-generated graphics not only attract the eye, they aid in delivering your message by illustrating your company’s products, services, concepts and ideas. Such image content must be high quality in design, composition, color and clarity.
* Videos
Video can serve a variety of purposes from providing product or procedural demonstrations, to giving a face to a business or product, to teaching classes half way around the world to generating a buzz in social networking platforms.
* Infographics
Images accompanied by small amounts of text referred to as infographics are the latest Internet and media craze. Infographics are an increasingly popular, not to mention visual way of relaying information and complex concepts and messages. Conveniently eliminating the obvious sales pitch, infographics can be used to share a company’s story in a creative and entertaining way.
Standard original content can also be leveraged into other forms of content such as microsites, white papers, webinars or webcasts, branded content tools, research reports, traditional media, print magazines, digital magazines, mobile content, podcasts, eBooks and print newsletters.
Purpose of Content Creation
Information is the core of content creation. With information sharing, businesses can grow brand awareness, boost customer numbers and develop and maintain positive relationships with current clients.
Content can also be leveraged for other objectives, including:
* The engagement of employees via company blogs.
* Recruiting through organization web pages.
* Greater business development, especially when such content is shared between businesses.
Keys To Successful Content Creation
* Identify the Audience
To send an appropriate and effective message, a business must correctly identify the audience to whom it is delivering the information.
* Style Guide
To develop a business’ overall brand, content consistency is critical. To ensure consistency in a message, style elements must be decided on before the creation process begins. These elements include the tone, words to be used and choice of language.
* New Content
Just like produce sold in a market, online content must be fresh if it is to attract the attention of the target audience and encourage them to return to your website. Your content must be unique while providing information readers will find useful. In this age of information, content is not just about what the business wants to relay, it is about the needs and wants of the audience. Once customers appreciate the value of a business, they are more likely to buy your product or service.
* Ongoing Development
Consumer behavior is always changing. Creating content to keep up with a changing marketplace means staying up-to-date on all information that pertains to your niche. Self-education results not only in fresh topics to write about, it enhances your authority and credibility with your audience.
* Reusing Content
With imagination, creativity and resourcefulness, you can breathe new life into old content. Repurposing or reusing content can come in the form of images being converted into slide show presentations or video clips being arranged as part of a webinar series. Text entries can be incorporated into newsletters and eMagazines.
Ideally, content creation should only be assigned to a team or a person who either has an understanding of your industry and establishment or who has the capacity to conduct the necessary research to learn about it.
Whether you have your own content writing staff or you commission a content writing service, it’s critical they have full comprehension of the special strategies that need to be used in the online business world.
Kerry Finch
Is Your Web Content Worth Less Than Horse Poop?
Like most little kids, I was fascinated with Disney World growing up.
I used to make my parents set up shop on Main Street in the Magic
Kingdom, an hour before the afternoon parade started so that we would
have the very best view.
During all of those parades, I saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and the rest of the gang. I also saw a man — a very happy-looking man — walking behind them all with a giant shovel and a rolling metal trash can.
His job? To scoop up the horse poop left behind by the magical Clydesdales that towed along Mickey’s caravan. (Bet you didn’t read about THAT in the brochures your travel agent gave you!)
Every time I saw this man, people cheered for him. Not in a sarcastic “sucks-to-be-you” way, but in a genuine “thanks-for-working-so-that-
Now, I can’t imagine this man was paid a whole lot for this job. Today, the man doing that job probably makes close to minimum wage — which, as of mid-2012, is $7.67 per hour in Florida.
My point in all of this?
If you’re one of those business owners who thinks he can get quality web content for $5 or $10, you’ve set the value for your content at a lower value than the value the Magic Kingdom has set for its horse poop.
Here’s how:
If you go out and order a 500 word article from a professional content writer, you’ve just given them a lot to do. After all, they have to email you to confirm your payment, research the topic, write an interesting and informative article, make sure your target keywords flow naturally through it, proofread the article, and email a finished product to you.
For the sake of argument, let’s say all of that takes two hours. That’s actually a low estimate, since most writers can’t work that fast. But, we’ll go with two hours for this example.
If you’ve paid your content writer $5, their hourly rate is a whopping $2.50. That’s about one-third the hourly rate of the Magic Kingdom’s horse poop scooper.
If you’ve paid your content writer $10, their hourly rate is $5. The horse poop scooper is still making 1.5 times what your writer is making.
OK, so your content writer is surviving off Ramen Noodles and living with 12 roommates. Why is any of that your problem?
Because your content writer isn’t going to settle for a steady diet of Ramen Noodles and share a bathroom with 12 other people! Instead, he’s going to do whatever he can to turn your payment into a livable hourly rate.
How?
By cutting down on the amount of time it takes to write your 500 word article. When your payment comes in, here’s how he’s going to approach your order:
- Email you to confirm the payment? Eh, that’s no biggie. You sent the money, so he probably got it. It’s not like PayPal eats money, so why does he need to confirm anything with you?
- Research? That’s not really necessary, is it? I mean, you want him to write about mining tires. Your content writer has driven a car before, and cars have tires. Therefore, your writer can skip all of that time-consuming research and just write something off the top of his head.
- Writing something that will engage your readers from start to finish? That takes a lot of time, and your writer simply doesn’t have time for it. Remember, he wants to go out for dinner, not microwave some Ramen Noodles. So, your article is going to be written very quickly, in a very bare-bones way. Don’t count on seeing any personality in it. But, hey, it will have 500 words in it, and that’s what you’ve paid for.
- Making sure your keywords flow naturally? Whatever. Shove ‘em in wherever you can.
- Proofreading? That’s for suckers. After all, your content writer uses Microsoft Word, and it’s nice enough to put a squiggly red line under each misspelled word. He can fix some of those as he’s typing, so that eliminates any reason to go back over his work later to make sure it’s perfect. I mean, you don’t actually expect his work to be perfect, right? No one’s perfect!
By the time all is said and done, your content writer was able to shave a ton of time off your order and give himself a better hourly wage. Unfortunately, you’re the one who has to put your name on the article he wrote. Your link is going to be at the bottom of it. Your target audience is going to see it.
Is that article really what you want to show off to the world? Something that cost less to create than shoveling horse poop off the streets of the Magic Kingdom — and smells just as bad?
Do you really think horse poop is worth more time and money than your business’ reputation?!
Nicole BeckettGoogle+
During all of those parades, I saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and the rest of the gang. I also saw a man — a very happy-looking man — walking behind them all with a giant shovel and a rolling metal trash can.
His job? To scoop up the horse poop left behind by the magical Clydesdales that towed along Mickey’s caravan. (Bet you didn’t read about THAT in the brochures your travel agent gave you!)
Every time I saw this man, people cheered for him. Not in a sarcastic “sucks-to-be-you” way, but in a genuine “thanks-for-working-so-that-
Now, I can’t imagine this man was paid a whole lot for this job. Today, the man doing that job probably makes close to minimum wage — which, as of mid-2012, is $7.67 per hour in Florida.
My point in all of this?
If you’re one of those business owners who thinks he can get quality web content for $5 or $10, you’ve set the value for your content at a lower value than the value the Magic Kingdom has set for its horse poop.
Here’s how:
If you go out and order a 500 word article from a professional content writer, you’ve just given them a lot to do. After all, they have to email you to confirm your payment, research the topic, write an interesting and informative article, make sure your target keywords flow naturally through it, proofread the article, and email a finished product to you.
For the sake of argument, let’s say all of that takes two hours. That’s actually a low estimate, since most writers can’t work that fast. But, we’ll go with two hours for this example.
If you’ve paid your content writer $5, their hourly rate is a whopping $2.50. That’s about one-third the hourly rate of the Magic Kingdom’s horse poop scooper.
If you’ve paid your content writer $10, their hourly rate is $5. The horse poop scooper is still making 1.5 times what your writer is making.
OK, so your content writer is surviving off Ramen Noodles and living with 12 roommates. Why is any of that your problem?
Because your content writer isn’t going to settle for a steady diet of Ramen Noodles and share a bathroom with 12 other people! Instead, he’s going to do whatever he can to turn your payment into a livable hourly rate.
How?
By cutting down on the amount of time it takes to write your 500 word article. When your payment comes in, here’s how he’s going to approach your order:
- Email you to confirm the payment? Eh, that’s no biggie. You sent the money, so he probably got it. It’s not like PayPal eats money, so why does he need to confirm anything with you?
- Research? That’s not really necessary, is it? I mean, you want him to write about mining tires. Your content writer has driven a car before, and cars have tires. Therefore, your writer can skip all of that time-consuming research and just write something off the top of his head.
- Writing something that will engage your readers from start to finish? That takes a lot of time, and your writer simply doesn’t have time for it. Remember, he wants to go out for dinner, not microwave some Ramen Noodles. So, your article is going to be written very quickly, in a very bare-bones way. Don’t count on seeing any personality in it. But, hey, it will have 500 words in it, and that’s what you’ve paid for.
- Making sure your keywords flow naturally? Whatever. Shove ‘em in wherever you can.
- Proofreading? That’s for suckers. After all, your content writer uses Microsoft Word, and it’s nice enough to put a squiggly red line under each misspelled word. He can fix some of those as he’s typing, so that eliminates any reason to go back over his work later to make sure it’s perfect. I mean, you don’t actually expect his work to be perfect, right? No one’s perfect!
By the time all is said and done, your content writer was able to shave a ton of time off your order and give himself a better hourly wage. Unfortunately, you’re the one who has to put your name on the article he wrote. Your link is going to be at the bottom of it. Your target audience is going to see it.
Is that article really what you want to show off to the world? Something that cost less to create than shoveling horse poop off the streets of the Magic Kingdom — and smells just as bad?
Do you really think horse poop is worth more time and money than your business’ reputation?!
Nicole BeckettGoogle+
Creating High Quality Web Page Content
Quality web page content is integral to your online business
development, providing substance and generating interest. People are
attracted to your web pages for the information they can deliver and,
together with your website’s ease of use and intuitive navigation,
written content will encourage site visitors to stay, and move through
your site.
Benefits of Quality Web Page Content
Exhibit Relevance:
Internet users are attracted to web pages that are interesting and brimming with information that will educate them, solve their problems or manage their situations. By understanding the needs and wants of your prospects, and identifying how you can deliver solutions to their problems, your content, when well written, will be both relevant and engaging.
Build Credibility:
Every website owner is challenged by the sheer volume of information online, particularly from competitors, so it’s important to achieve ‘authority’ status within your market. Having your readers’ trust is integral to you becoming an authority – and this is achieved by having a strategy of publishing ongoing, high quality, web page content. Well-written web page content which observes grammar rules commands respect among a sea of DIY writers, spun articles and hastily worded posts.
(Spun articles are created through software applications which take original content and automatically replace certain words with synonyms often without regard for how they are used in context. Other types of content found on the Internet include articles that are rewritten pieces of original content, hastily reworded and intended to pass uniqueness tests or avoid charges of plagiarism.)
Over time, consistent development of original and high quality content will not only promote future return visits and a loyal following, but will also help establish a web page as an authority in a particular field, and, as a consequence, increased social media awareness.
Provide Business Information:
Internet users often view a website’s content relating to the business, its products, and the people behind them, before deciding to make a purchase or determining its ‘authority’ status. Therefore, the ubiquitous ‘About’ page should contain sufficient details about the business, its goals, objectives, location and the people supporting it. Key website pages should also include Services, Products, Home and Contact links – which should help your prospects to connect easily with your business.
The Privacy Page, too, is extremely important – not just for site visitor information, but the search engines also look for this when determining the authenticity of the site.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
SEO refers to steps taken to improve the ability of a web page to be ranked well in search engine results pages (SERPS), particularly on Google. Having your site delivered by the search engines when people search for your keyword is crucial to the success of your online business. This is achieved by including premium web copy on your site. Search engine algorithms are closely guarded by Google, Yahoo etc, however the former has been very clear in saying that high quality, original, unique content rates very highly with them.
Encourage Action – Subtly:
The more savvy Internet users tend to avoid sales pages and obvious sales pitches, unless the product or service is answering a specific need that they have, at that moment. Authoritative blog posts, sometimes created as Pillar Articles, are more detailed, information-rich content. They allow online businesses to market in subtle yet very effective ways. Pillar articles build interest, stir emotion and eventually close the deal with a call to action that sounds like a natural next step for the reader.
Use a Content Writing Service
Writing content for one’s own website is possible only when a business owner has excess time, marketing know-how, and the creative juices necessary. High quality content must meet writing standards for grammar, sentence structure and punctuation, while providing unique and
interesting information in a manner that allows search engines to view, index and rank content accordingly.
Not all business owners are equipped with writing skills or are able to write about their companies, products, and services in an objective manner, without sounding too self-serving. A professional writer with vast experience in writing various types of web content, good reviews, word-of-mouth referrals from sources and previous clients who may be verified online is the best person to create high quality web page content.
Developing web page content is important, but it can take plenty of time to brainstorm ideas, research information, and craft words into sentences and paragraphs. The time it takes to write website copy can be considerable, so even if you are skilled at writing, you need to consider if in doing so you will take yourself away from your core business too much. A great content writing service will be supported by a team which has been trained to create web page content, regardless of its clients’ business model or niche. This will allow you focus on more important activities such as product development, and business growth.
A professional web page copywriter will be obviously dedicated to writing, and value uniqueness – every single time. Content planning precedes the writing process and requires an investment in the time necessary to understand clients’ businesses, their goals, needs and the challenges surrounding them. By doing this, opportunities for new content can be identified and used to subtly promote products and services.
The result is premium web page content, that assures readers of your authority, professionalism and credibility. Not only does it build trust, but it also enhances visibility with the search engines.
Benefits of Quality Web Page Content
Exhibit Relevance:
Internet users are attracted to web pages that are interesting and brimming with information that will educate them, solve their problems or manage their situations. By understanding the needs and wants of your prospects, and identifying how you can deliver solutions to their problems, your content, when well written, will be both relevant and engaging.
Build Credibility:
Every website owner is challenged by the sheer volume of information online, particularly from competitors, so it’s important to achieve ‘authority’ status within your market. Having your readers’ trust is integral to you becoming an authority – and this is achieved by having a strategy of publishing ongoing, high quality, web page content. Well-written web page content which observes grammar rules commands respect among a sea of DIY writers, spun articles and hastily worded posts.
(Spun articles are created through software applications which take original content and automatically replace certain words with synonyms often without regard for how they are used in context. Other types of content found on the Internet include articles that are rewritten pieces of original content, hastily reworded and intended to pass uniqueness tests or avoid charges of plagiarism.)
Over time, consistent development of original and high quality content will not only promote future return visits and a loyal following, but will also help establish a web page as an authority in a particular field, and, as a consequence, increased social media awareness.
Provide Business Information:
Internet users often view a website’s content relating to the business, its products, and the people behind them, before deciding to make a purchase or determining its ‘authority’ status. Therefore, the ubiquitous ‘About’ page should contain sufficient details about the business, its goals, objectives, location and the people supporting it. Key website pages should also include Services, Products, Home and Contact links – which should help your prospects to connect easily with your business.
The Privacy Page, too, is extremely important – not just for site visitor information, but the search engines also look for this when determining the authenticity of the site.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
SEO refers to steps taken to improve the ability of a web page to be ranked well in search engine results pages (SERPS), particularly on Google. Having your site delivered by the search engines when people search for your keyword is crucial to the success of your online business. This is achieved by including premium web copy on your site. Search engine algorithms are closely guarded by Google, Yahoo etc, however the former has been very clear in saying that high quality, original, unique content rates very highly with them.
Encourage Action – Subtly:
The more savvy Internet users tend to avoid sales pages and obvious sales pitches, unless the product or service is answering a specific need that they have, at that moment. Authoritative blog posts, sometimes created as Pillar Articles, are more detailed, information-rich content. They allow online businesses to market in subtle yet very effective ways. Pillar articles build interest, stir emotion and eventually close the deal with a call to action that sounds like a natural next step for the reader.
Use a Content Writing Service
Writing content for one’s own website is possible only when a business owner has excess time, marketing know-how, and the creative juices necessary. High quality content must meet writing standards for grammar, sentence structure and punctuation, while providing unique and
interesting information in a manner that allows search engines to view, index and rank content accordingly.
Not all business owners are equipped with writing skills or are able to write about their companies, products, and services in an objective manner, without sounding too self-serving. A professional writer with vast experience in writing various types of web content, good reviews, word-of-mouth referrals from sources and previous clients who may be verified online is the best person to create high quality web page content.
Developing web page content is important, but it can take plenty of time to brainstorm ideas, research information, and craft words into sentences and paragraphs. The time it takes to write website copy can be considerable, so even if you are skilled at writing, you need to consider if in doing so you will take yourself away from your core business too much. A great content writing service will be supported by a team which has been trained to create web page content, regardless of its clients’ business model or niche. This will allow you focus on more important activities such as product development, and business growth.
A professional web page copywriter will be obviously dedicated to writing, and value uniqueness – every single time. Content planning precedes the writing process and requires an investment in the time necessary to understand clients’ businesses, their goals, needs and the challenges surrounding them. By doing this, opportunities for new content can be identified and used to subtly promote products and services.
The result is premium web page content, that assures readers of your authority, professionalism and credibility. Not only does it build trust, but it also enhances visibility with the search engines.
11 New Rules How to Write Winning Web Content
With its latest Penguin algorithm updates, Google has once again
redefined the Internet. And the verdict is in: keyword-stuffed, SEO
writing is dead.
This is great news for real writers. We can forget about writing for search engines, and write for human beings.
Even better, writers with a good understanding of the web have never been more in demand. If content was “King” pre-Penguin, it is now the undisputed dictator.
The new rules for writing web content are actually no different from those that have been best practiced all along: good content should communicate, entertain, inform and persuade. Good web writing is pithy, opinionated and brimming with personality.
Writing for the web remains different from that of any other medium. People rarely read web pages all the way through. Instead, they scan a web page, picking out individual words and sentences. Writers therefore need to be cunning and deliberate in the way we craft our web content.
Here then are the Top 10 New Rules for Writing Web Content in 2012:
1. Keep It Short & Snappy
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”- William Strunk Jr., Elements of Style
As an unwritten rule, web sentences shouldn’t contain more than twenty words, and a paragraph should not contain more than six sentences.
But don’t be afraid to inject some pace into your writing by varying the length of sentences.
The goal is to convey as much as possible with as few words as possible while still observing the rules of readability and a conversational tone.
2. Write in Plain English
“Plain English is clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary. It is language that avoids obscurity, inflated vocabulary and convoluted sentence construction.” – Professor Robert Eagleson
Plain English (or plain language) is all about clarity, brevity, and the avoidance of technical language. This is especially important for the web, so pledge to adhere to these two simple rules:
* Avoid jargon, slang, acronyms or abbreviations.
* Use familiar words wherever you can. (Don’t say ‘commence’ when you can say ‘start’.)
3. Eliminate the Passive Voice
Deconstruct any good sentence, and you’ll find a strong, active verb. Similarly, at the root of most confusing, awkward or wordy sentences lies a passive voice.
Sentences in the active voice are more concise than sentences in the passive. Strong verbs help the reader know who is acting and what is being acted upon. For example:
Her homework was chewed by the puppy. (Passive and dull-sounding.)
The puppy chewed her homework. (Active, clear and concise.)
If you’re guilty of passive-voice usage, here’s a free tool for you: To Be Verbs Analyzer.
You simply copy and paste your text into the box, which instantly generates a list of every time you’ve used the passive voice.
4. Front-Load Your Content
Front-loading means putting the conclusion first – followed by what, how, where, when and why. (If that sounds familiar, it’s because this “pyramid” method is standard practice for journalists.)
The first line of your article should contain the conclusion for the article, and the first line of each paragraph should contain
the conclusion for that paragraph.
This allows your readers to:
* scan through the opening sentence
* instantly understand what the paragraph is about
* decide if they want to read the rest of the paragraph or not
5. Group Ideas Together
Each paragraph should have just one idea, made up of just a few
sentences. This makes it easier for readers to:
* scan
* easily locate the information
* move onto the next paragraph without missing anything pivotal
6. Make Effective Use of Sub-Headings
A main heading tells readers what the page is about. The opening paragraph gives a brief conclusion of the page (because you’ve front-loaded the content). But within the page (or article or blog), break up your paragraphs with sub headings.
Descriptive sub-headings show your readers what each section is about. Sub-heads should be short and logical and help readers find the information they’re after.
There’s no rule for how frequently to use sub-headings, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for one sub-head every two to four paragraphs.
7. Utilize Lists
If you can, use lists and not long sentences or paragraphs to make your points.
Lists are:
* easier to scan
* less intimidating and more friendly to the reader
* usually shorter and clearer
8. Be “Bold”
Another way to help readers find information easily is to bold important words.
Just as bold text stands out so do italics, underscore and link text. But don’t use these emphasizing methods for more than a few words or a short phrase because it will slow your readers down.
9. How to “Instruct”
When describing an action or task, instruct clearly: Click This Link, Find Out More, etc.
Instructions should also follow a natural sequence of order that is both obvious and consistent.
Try also to instruct in the affirmative rather than negative, i.e. “Please wait for your page to load” instead of “DO NOT PRESS BACK!”
10. Write As You’d Speak
Liberate your writing from sounding stiff, formal and pompous. One of the easiest ways to do this is to write as you’d speak.
You generally should use contractions unless specifically asked not to, as they’re far more natural. For example, would you say: “I will not be able to go to the cinema tonight” or “Sorry, can’t make the film tonight.”
Similarly, usage of the impersonal pronoun “one” gives web content an unnecessary degree of formality. Unless you’re a royal correspondent, avoid “one” and use “you” instead.
And one final bonus rule:
11. Inject Your Own Personality
Amusing, emotional, controversial, scornful, passionate – whatever your thoughts on a subject, try to convey them. This will engage your readers and lend your writing authority.
Tell stories. Be opinionated. Tug at heart-strings. Good writing is fearless. Do whatever is necessary to hook your reader.
And don’t be afraid to break some of the rules of grammar – the kind of outdated rules that suck the very life out of writing, like “never use contractions” and “never start a sentence with ‘and.’”
This is great news for real writers. We can forget about writing for search engines, and write for human beings.
Even better, writers with a good understanding of the web have never been more in demand. If content was “King” pre-Penguin, it is now the undisputed dictator.
The new rules for writing web content are actually no different from those that have been best practiced all along: good content should communicate, entertain, inform and persuade. Good web writing is pithy, opinionated and brimming with personality.
Writing for the web remains different from that of any other medium. People rarely read web pages all the way through. Instead, they scan a web page, picking out individual words and sentences. Writers therefore need to be cunning and deliberate in the way we craft our web content.
Here then are the Top 10 New Rules for Writing Web Content in 2012:
1. Keep It Short & Snappy
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”- William Strunk Jr., Elements of Style
As an unwritten rule, web sentences shouldn’t contain more than twenty words, and a paragraph should not contain more than six sentences.
But don’t be afraid to inject some pace into your writing by varying the length of sentences.
The goal is to convey as much as possible with as few words as possible while still observing the rules of readability and a conversational tone.
2. Write in Plain English
“Plain English is clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary. It is language that avoids obscurity, inflated vocabulary and convoluted sentence construction.” – Professor Robert Eagleson
Plain English (or plain language) is all about clarity, brevity, and the avoidance of technical language. This is especially important for the web, so pledge to adhere to these two simple rules:
* Avoid jargon, slang, acronyms or abbreviations.
* Use familiar words wherever you can. (Don’t say ‘commence’ when you can say ‘start’.)
3. Eliminate the Passive Voice
Deconstruct any good sentence, and you’ll find a strong, active verb. Similarly, at the root of most confusing, awkward or wordy sentences lies a passive voice.
Sentences in the active voice are more concise than sentences in the passive. Strong verbs help the reader know who is acting and what is being acted upon. For example:
Her homework was chewed by the puppy. (Passive and dull-sounding.)
The puppy chewed her homework. (Active, clear and concise.)
If you’re guilty of passive-voice usage, here’s a free tool for you: To Be Verbs Analyzer.
You simply copy and paste your text into the box, which instantly generates a list of every time you’ve used the passive voice.
4. Front-Load Your Content
Front-loading means putting the conclusion first – followed by what, how, where, when and why. (If that sounds familiar, it’s because this “pyramid” method is standard practice for journalists.)
The first line of your article should contain the conclusion for the article, and the first line of each paragraph should contain
the conclusion for that paragraph.
This allows your readers to:
* scan through the opening sentence
* instantly understand what the paragraph is about
* decide if they want to read the rest of the paragraph or not
5. Group Ideas Together
Each paragraph should have just one idea, made up of just a few
sentences. This makes it easier for readers to:
* scan
* easily locate the information
* move onto the next paragraph without missing anything pivotal
6. Make Effective Use of Sub-Headings
A main heading tells readers what the page is about. The opening paragraph gives a brief conclusion of the page (because you’ve front-loaded the content). But within the page (or article or blog), break up your paragraphs with sub headings.
Descriptive sub-headings show your readers what each section is about. Sub-heads should be short and logical and help readers find the information they’re after.
There’s no rule for how frequently to use sub-headings, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for one sub-head every two to four paragraphs.
7. Utilize Lists
If you can, use lists and not long sentences or paragraphs to make your points.
Lists are:
* easier to scan
* less intimidating and more friendly to the reader
* usually shorter and clearer
8. Be “Bold”
Another way to help readers find information easily is to bold important words.
Just as bold text stands out so do italics, underscore and link text. But don’t use these emphasizing methods for more than a few words or a short phrase because it will slow your readers down.
9. How to “Instruct”
When describing an action or task, instruct clearly: Click This Link, Find Out More, etc.
Instructions should also follow a natural sequence of order that is both obvious and consistent.
Try also to instruct in the affirmative rather than negative, i.e. “Please wait for your page to load” instead of “DO NOT PRESS BACK!”
10. Write As You’d Speak
Liberate your writing from sounding stiff, formal and pompous. One of the easiest ways to do this is to write as you’d speak.
You generally should use contractions unless specifically asked not to, as they’re far more natural. For example, would you say: “I will not be able to go to the cinema tonight” or “Sorry, can’t make the film tonight.”
Similarly, usage of the impersonal pronoun “one” gives web content an unnecessary degree of formality. Unless you’re a royal correspondent, avoid “one” and use “you” instead.
And one final bonus rule:
11. Inject Your Own Personality
Amusing, emotional, controversial, scornful, passionate – whatever your thoughts on a subject, try to convey them. This will engage your readers and lend your writing authority.
Tell stories. Be opinionated. Tug at heart-strings. Good writing is fearless. Do whatever is necessary to hook your reader.
And don’t be afraid to break some of the rules of grammar – the kind of outdated rules that suck the very life out of writing, like “never use contractions” and “never start a sentence with ‘and.’”
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