Writing Online Content
Content is King!
Cliché? Yes, but also true. In today’s business world, writing online content is necessary to create an online presence. Quality content is the heart of that presence.
That means every business owner must now wear another hat, even if they have never written before and they are convinced that writing online content is not in their wheelhouse.
Overwhelming? Daunting? Impossible? It may seem that way, but it doesn’t have to be. You can outsource the writing, if you choose – and many do.
But . . . You Don’t Have to Be the Next Ernest Hemingway
Before you decide to outsource, let’s put it in perspective. You will not be writing the Great American Novel. You will be writing content that is light, simple, and easy to read.
You will be writing about something you know extremely well. In fact, you may be one of the experts in your niche; but, even if you are not, writing online content is the easiest writing you can imagine and YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF!
Don’t Be Afraid
If you can write an email, you can write web content. You may not be the next Internet Guru who is able to write the most stirring, engaging, and highly original web content. But, you can write content that is helpful to your readers, and that is all it takes.
In the next few postings, I am going to help you get over your fear of writing – particularly writing for the Web. I will explain how easy it is and give you the basic guidelines for writing web content. By the end of the series, you will be ready to start writing.
First, let me tell you a story…
Once Upon a Time . . .
. . . there were two friends, a writer and a marketer. The marketer, who had only an 8th grade education, hired the writer to write the web content for his blog. It was a good partnership because their respective skills were complementary. They learned a lot from each other.
The marketer taught the writer the basics of SEO and online marketing, which kicked his writing career into high gear by helping him develop a huge clientele. In return, the writer wanted to teach the marketer how to write.
Unfortunately, because of his lack of education, the marketer had a serious inferiority complex. He was a marketing genius with a highly-profitable online business, but he believed he was not smart enough to write.
When the writer told him he could teach him how to write, the marketer said, “You say that, but I don’t even know the difference between their, there, and they’re.”
The writer responded, “Don’t worry about that right now, it doesn’t matter.”
Of course we know the difference between their, there, and they’re does matter. It matters a great deal. The writer meant something else entirely. He meant that writing is about communication.
The Value Comes from What You Know
He knew that grammar and spelling are important, but the real value of an online writer comes from his insights, ideas, expertise, and information that readers want. They are not looking for great literature.
The writer continued to work with the marketer. He encouraged him to get all the information from his brain onto the page – a little bit at a time. The writer would read what the marketer had written, coach him on how to improve it, and work with him to correct his grammar and spelling mistakes.
It was not long until the marketer began publishing his own articles on the blog. They were filled with advice for less-experienced readers and personal stories of his struggles when he first started.
The blog became immensely popular because his readers could use the information he was sharing and could relate to his stories. People even began to tell him what a great writer he was.
Make this your story! It’s time to give it a try. If this article has ignited a desire to create your own blog, check out this posting for some good tips on How to Start a Blog (2020).
You may also be interested in this posting – Best Website Builders for 2020, a handy guide about how to build a website in 4 easy steps. The guide features what templates to choose, building your site pages, and 3 bonus tips to take your website to the next level to name a few.
See you next time when we discuss Understanding Online Content.
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