What Does a Modern Web Writer Look Like?
My inbox today contained a great infographic titled The Perfect Anatomy of a Modern Web Writer. It explains what we, as web writers, need in our arsenal as professional writers, as well as demonstrates what to look for when hiring a web writer. So I thought I’d share it.
The Perfect Anatomy of a Modern Web Writer
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Outstanding Copywriting Ability. Copywriting begins with knowing your customer’s hope and fears, her principles and problems…and then figuring out how to help her achieve her goals and ease her pains.- Storytelling Skills. Storytelling creates a narrative that spellbinds people. There’s no debate: the best web writers are also the best storytellers.
“Drive” People to Their Destination Through Your Landing Page
I came across a great infographic that shares the biggest landing page goofs business owners can make. It compares the experience of visiting your landing page (or home page) to that of a cross-country road trip.
You want to make the trip a smooth journey for your visitors, taking them from where they are now to their final destination. And you get to decide that destination.
Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter, click the “buy now” button during a special sale, or call you for a price quote or free consultation? Pick one and give them the directions that will lead them directly to the end of the line without confusion or roadblocks. Continue reading →
Your Website is Sooooo Out of Date
It’s time for a website audit.
I can’t believe how many websites I see that are just plain awful.
- Their copy is out of date.
- They have only bulleted lists on each page.
- They haven’t used keywords or internal links.
- They have typos or bad grammar.
- Their pages only have pictures, without even having captions.
- They are even lacking copy altogether.
- Worst of all, they have the dreaded “Under Construction” on their pages or their entire site.
Egads! Are people turning away from your site because they get a bad impression from it?
When’s the last time you changed or updated your copy? One year? Two years? Ten years? Continue reading →
6 Tips for Writing More Effective Twitter Headlines | All the Buzz | Writing Tips
At All the Buzz, we’ve been asked lately, “How do I get people to read my Twitter post?” Writing for Twitter is like writing for anything else. You have to capture the reader’s attention right off the bat. And what’s the best way to do that? Write a great headline.
The 80/20 Rule applies
You won’t get everyone to read your Tweet, no matter how great your headline is. Your headline has to capture the interest of that specific reader at that specific time. The 80/20 rule applies here: 8 out of 10 people will read your headline and only 2 out of 10 will read on. People scan, and if your headline doesn’t capture their interest in a second or two, they move on to the next shiny object. Here are some tips, however, that can help you write more effective Twitter headlines and increase your readership: Continue reading →
How to Write Headlines that Make People Read Your Copy | All the Buzz | Writing Tips
According to advertising icon David Ogilvy, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eight cents out of your dollar.”
Writing headlines may be the most difficult part of creating a piece, whether it is a magazine article, an advertisement or a corporate white paper. And it can be the most important element. Headlines are the promise of what’s to come, and the enticement to read on; they offer the lure of benefits, news or secrets.
Some schools of thought ask you to write your headline first and include in it a promise to your readers. Writing for All the Buzz, I often find Continue reading →
Create a Content Editorial Calendar | Writing Tips | All the Buzz
Create a
content editorial calendar
If you’re like many business owners, you know you must present new content on your website/blog on a regular basis, but you’re not sure just what to write about.
Creating a content editorial calendar helps you define and schedule posts easily, and keeps your topics top of mind so that when you find information about your topics, you can enter them into a file for future articles.
Here are six simple steps to creating your own… Continue reading →
5 Quick Writing Tips to Improve Your Website Traffic | Writing Tips | All the Buzz
Writing will boost your
website traffic
There is no one end-all solution to getting more traffic to your website. Rather, it is a series of little things that you do regularly that greatly increase your awareness, readership, and subscriptions. Here are some basic tips to how you can accelerate your business traffic and website rankings.
Five Writing Strategies to Improve Your Website Traffic
1. Create consistent and current content
Post more often to get higher results, up to 5x a week. This is most easily done through blogging, but page content can also be a great way to keep your content fresh.
Continue reading →
Is Your Writer a True Business Writer? | Writing Tips
Don’t tie your message around a rock
Lots of people think they can write. And maybe they can. But do they know the myriad of differences between just writing and business writing? Or the differences between the different types of business writing?
It’s one thing to write a short story or even a novel. It’s quite another to create compelling ad copy that elicits action, web copy that boosts search engine optimization (SEO) rankings, and brochures that explain your product or service so well that they can convince your prospect to purchase on the spot. There are important differences that professional business copywriters know that “just anyone” who claims they can write do not. Continue reading →
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