Putting Pen To Paper

The DOs and DONTs of content writing

Avoid making the following mistakes:

1. Common grammar mistakes.

Proofread your content twice before you publish it. Preferably, have someone else proofread it for you.

1. Common grammar mistakes.

Proofread your content twice before you publish it. Preferably, have someone else proofread it for you. Make sure your content is grammatically correct and does not include the following common mistakes:

1. Common grammar mistakes.

Proofread your content twice before you publish it. Preferably, have someone else proofread it for you. Make sure your content is grammatically correct and does not include the following common mistakes:
your instead of youre its instead of its lose instead of loose their instead of theyre other mistakes.
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Bonus: Twitter Tips from Lorrie Morgan Ferrero:

Sometimes keeping your Tweets under the character limit can be tough, so I put together a list of some of the more shorthand:

Bonus: Twitter Tips from Lorrie Morgan Ferrero:

Sometimes keeping your Tweets under the character limit can be tough, so I put together a list of some of the more shorthand:
Instead of: Use: Instead of: Use:

you
and

u
&

great
later

gr8
l8r

your
for to / too before favorite

ur
4 2 b4 fave

people
are please thanks with

peeps / ppl
r plz tx w

2. Being too personal.

No, jargon is not okay.

2. Being too personal.

No, jargon is not okay. While you can use a friendly tone in your content, dont be too personal.

2. Being too personal.

No, jargon is not okay. While you can use a friendly tone in your content, dont be too personal. After all, you are writing from the perspective of a business owner, not a childhood friend.

3. Talking too much about yourself.

When writing content for your audience, avoid talking too much about you, and focus more on writing stuff for them.

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3. Talking too much about yourself.

When writing content for your audience, avoid talking too much about you, and focus more on writing stuff for them. Avoid using us, we, I, and use instead you, your/s.

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3. Talking too much about yourself.

WHY?

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3. Talking too much about yourself.

WHY? If you focus the attention around you, your audience will be more engaged (you are highlighting & providing solutions to their needs and problems instead of telling them how great your company is)

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4. Writing without a structure in mind.

Use: Bullet points Headlines Subtitles Use bold and italics to give your content a structure.

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4. Writing without a structure in mind.

Use:
Bullet points Headlines Subtitles Use bold and italics to give your content a structure.

If necessary, include a Table of Contents (for PDFs, eBooks, Whitepapers, etc.).

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4. Writing without a structure in mind.

BONUS: If you are writing an article about a specific problem:

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4. Writing without a structure in mind.

BONUS: If you are writing an article about a specific problem:
Start with a short, resonating introduction highlighting the problem and how it affects your readers.

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4. Writing without a structure in mind.

BONUS: If you are writing an article about a specific problem:
Start with a short, resonating introduction highlighting the problem and how it affects your readers. Move on to provide solutions for that problem.

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4. Writing without a structure in mind.

BONUS: If you are writing an article about a specific problem:
Start with a short, resonating introduction highlighting the problem and how it affects your readers. Move on to provide solutions for that problem. Finally, tell them what to do next.
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5. Lacking a Call To Action

If your article has no Call To Action at the end, you are missing out big time. You should:

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5. Lacking a Call To Action

If your article has no Call To Action at the end, you are missing out big time. You should: - tell people to sign up for your email list

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5. Lacking a Call To Action

If your article has no Call To Action at the end, you are missing out big time. You should: - tell people to sign up for your email list - have them download your free report

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5. Lacking a Call To Action

If your article has no Call To Action at the end, you are missing out big time. You should: - tell people to sign up for your email list - have them download your free report - encourage them to comment on your content

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5. Lacking a Call To Action

If your article has no Call To Action at the end, you are missing out big time. You should: - tell people to sign up for your email list - have them download your free report - encourage them to comment on your content - tell them to share your content on social media. 25

5. Lacking a Call To Action

Whatever your CTA is, make sure it is there.

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6. Not using keywords.

You have to include keywords at least twice in your article.

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6. Not using keywords.

You have to include keywords at least twice in your article. If your website is built with WordPress, you can use the WordPress SEO plugin which will guide you through the keyword usage.

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So these are the Donts. But what about the Dos?

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1. Write regularly.

People perceive those who publish content on a regular basis as being trustworthy.

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2. Complete your content before deadlines.

It will allow you to read it at least one more time before publishing, so you have time to make the final touches.

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3. Perform thorough research.

Every piece of content that you publish has to be accurate. Double check that your stats and data are correct & up to date.

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4. Keep your introductions short.

People get bored easily, so dont waste their time with personal issues. Get straight into the matter - dont write introductions which are more than 2 paragraphs long.

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5. Insert a visual element in each piece of content.

Images, videos, presentations, infographics... images are a must for your content, especially if you publish blog articles. Hire an illustrator if you want to have 100% branded images. If not, search for free photos on Smart Photo Stock or Creative Commons.
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6. Avoid repetitions.

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7. Delete content which is irrelevant or inaccurate.

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Thats all, folks!

Are you reading this presentation on a different website? Head over to http://www.supersavvybusiness.com to read the Complete Content Marketing Blueprint: How Craft a Personalised Content Marketing Strategy For Your Business From Scratch