Jan
Mediocre Writing That Changes People's Lives Is Still Great Content
New media marketing is all about writing great content. Great content gets noticed. It gets comments on blogs. It gets people to give up their email address to get more great content. But if Content is King, how does a non-writer compete in this new media marketing world where it’s write or perish?
Sandra Dodd, a great writer, wrote, “Somewhere between writing nothing and being a wealthy professional author, many people write in the middle ground, and others’ lives are changed.”
Mediocre writing that changes people’s lives can be great content! It’s not about being a writer. In fact, it’s not about me at all. It’s about sharing ideas that change others’ lives that makes great content. Sheesh! Took me long enough to figure that out.
If you are not a writer, from here on in, forget that you are not a writer and just set out to change lives by giving your readers great information.
Where do you get great information to share? You can start with a Google blog search. Plug in your keywords and see what others are writing about. Then give your take on the subject. You can scour the social networking sites and see what’s being talked about. Then report back to your readers what’s being said. There are lots of places to get inspiration on the internet.
Speaking of what’s being talked about, I read today that there is most likely a time of day when your writing juices flow more easily. Figure out what that time is, and block it off in your day timer each day. For me that time is after midnight when the rest of the world’s asleep. No phone calls, no email, no distractions. I don’t have to block off midnight in my day timer, but I do give myself a little extra time to sleep in the mornings after inspiration hits.
When writing, you have to have an audience. I learned that way back in my college English class and it’s still the same rule today. Know who you are writing to. Have a target market in mind. I’ve written a blog post in the past that shows you how to write as if you were speaking to your favorite client. It makes it so much easier to write naturally when you pretend you are actually speaking to someone.
You don’t have to write it all in one sitting, either. My college English professor taught me to write something then put it away. Wait a few days, then take it out and you will see what you wrote with fresh eyes. Just don’t chicken out and decide that what you wrote sounds terrible.
Ok, suppose you do decide that what you wrote sounds terrible. Then it may be time to hire a copy writer. Remember, you are a business and hiring a writer is a business expense. If writing is really agony for you, suck it up and pay a copywriter so you can spend that time making the money to pay her.
What a great post about writing! You’re absolutely right. That’s the same message I work to communicate to the authors at my work at home article directory. Everyone has something valuable to share, and you don’t have to say it perfectly.
I’ve found a lot of my own article ideas by visiting forums like VAnetworking.com, where virtual business owners discuss issues that are on their minds. Almost every question someone asks makes me think of a new article topic!
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:18 pm