When it comes to your online writing, there are a few mistakes you just don’t want to make. From disorganized structure to spelling and grammar mistakes, some things will sink your copy faster than the Titanic.
Online copywriting is a learned skill; that’s why you should know what not to avoid just as much as what you should do. And some critical errors WILL cost you money—whether that’s conversion, visitor amounts, or higher bounce rates.
Here’s our key list.
25 Horrible, No-Good Errors to Avoid Making in Online Writing That Will Cost You Money
Avoid these 25 major content errors in order to create online copy you’ll be proud of.
1. An unclear objective
Imagine trying to drive to Florida if you didn’t even know which side of the country it was on. You’d likely wander around aimlessly until you (or your fellow passengers) got frustrated and gave up. In life as in writing, it’s impossible to wind up where you want to be if you don’t know where you’re going. With this in mind, it’s imperative to define an objective for your writing and ensure that each word of each sentence of each post is working to achieve it. This provides a quality experience for your readers and helps you create a valuable piece of content for your brand.
2. No defined target audiences
Just like it’s impossible to figure out where you’re going without a clear end address, it’s impossible to write valuable, productive content to a particular group if you don’t know who you’re speaking to. Defining a target audience is one of the most important aspects of online content creation. In addition to allowing you to hone your voice and come up with interesting and valuable topics, your target audience also helps inform your writing and allows you to gauge your success therein.
3. Online writing without a purpose
What do you want this piece of article/blog post/Facebook update to do? Is it mean to educate your audience? Drive them to purchase something? Drive them to click on something?
Remember WHERE (platform) it’s for, and WHO (audience type) it’s for. (For a guide on content lengths, check out our infographic.)
No matter what the purpose of your writing may be, it’s important to move toward it with a single-minded focus throughout your writing. In addition to helping you structure your content, ensuring that you’re writing with the goal you want your readers to take in mind can help you ensure you’re getting the conversions you deserve.
4. Unclear organization (burying the lead)
If your readers can’t determine what’s important and what’s not within your copy, you’re sunk. Because of this, it’s imperative to ensure that the biggest ideas, topics, or takeaways in your content get a front-and-center seat. Be sure to break these thoughts up and outline them further with headings, subheadings, lists, and bullet points.
5. Lengthy, unbroken body content
While long-form content is all well and good, one continuous stream of content (Jack Kerouac’s On the Road style) isn’t. While stream-of-consciousness writing may have worked for some literary gurus, it doesn’t work for web copy. When you overwhelm people with too much information and not enough punctuation, paragraph breaks, or subheaders, they’re likely to stop reading immediately. Avoid this by breaking your body content into small chunks. This makes it easier to read, which has the potential to increase your conversions and traffic hugely.
6. Jargon
Nobody likes jargon. Unless you’re speaking to a very high-level audience (writing a medical paper, for example) stick to using language that everyone can understand. Jargon is alienating, and not a great way to get people engaged with your content. Avoid it for higher conversions and more interest in your online copywriting.
7. Lack of credibility
If you’re going to make a significant claim in your online writing, back it up. Readers are smart, and there are more than enough ways that they can out your phony claims or ill-researched topics. Avoid destroying your credibility and your reputation in one fell swoop by taking the time to research everything and fact check it before you publish your content. Doing this can help you avoid credibility missteps and ensure that you’re always providing quality, valuable content to your readers.
8. Distracting links
While link building is an important trick of the trade, there are ways to use links incorrectly that often detract from your online writing. One of the most common mistakes people make with links is to use too many of them in content, creating a distracting environment that doesn’t allow readers to focus on your writing or ideas. Avoid this by using links sparingly and embedding links to sources and relevant ideas in anchor text. This provides value for the reader without becoming overwhelming.
9.Too many bells and whistles
Just like too many links can distract your readers, so can too many images, ads, popups, or social sharing buttons. Avoid frustrating your readers and killing your page’s load time by paring your site and content down to only what is actually needed. This ensures a good user experience and keeps your site streamlined and functional, which allows the attention to funnel naturally to your content.
10.Relying too much on short and sweet
While short content has its place in the world of online writing, multiple sources have found that long-form content converts better. This is particularly the case in cases of involved topics or in-depth discussions about niche news or developments. While long-form content (often defined as content longer than 1,000 words) typically takes more time and thought to create, it can help you build your presence online and establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
11. Being too casual
While you want to incorporate a certain level of approachability into your writing, getting too relaxed can quickly turn readers off. There’s a fine line between friendly and approachable and downright unprofessional and crossing the latter will land you in hot water with your readers. To avoid this, be conversational where it’s appropriate but be sure that you’re not ever sacrificing professionalism for fun. That’s no way to help your online copywriting succeed.
12. Failing to give a “why”
If you’re asking readers to do something – sign up or make a purchase, for example – it’s important to give them a reason. In one study conducted in the 1970s, a team of psychologists sought out to learn more about how people interact with language. They decided to use cutting in line as a test. What they discovered was that, when they asked to cut in line without a reason for doing so, 60% of people said yes. When the psychologists gave a reason for their need to cut in line, however, 90% of people said yes. This just goes to show why letting people in on your thought process and value proposition is so important.
13. Being too negative
Did you know that it’s possible to write from a positive point of view, even if your topic is negative? While negative issues are unavoidable, focusing too much on what people shouldn’t do or how X, Y, or Z will bring harm can bum a reader out. Instead of adopting a negative tone of voice in your writing, consider flipping your perspective to focus, instead, on how a reader can avoid an adverse outcome and why they should do to make their business, website, life, or skills better. This positive outlook can make all the difference with readers.
14. Writing for yourself only
Don’t get me wrong here: you should love what you write. But if you’re writing for yourself and only yourself, you’re missing out on the opportunity to be helpful and valuable for your readers. As you polish your online copywriting, you’ll need to learn to strike a balance between writing for your purposes and writing to your target audience. While your writing should solve the problems you have struggled with, it should also speak to your audience in a voice they can relate to.
15. Being overly sales-y
The era of excessively sales-y content died with Don Draper and, today, consumers want intelligent, valuable, exciting online writing that helps them gather information and make decisions. If you abandon that goal for being too pushy or trying to jam your sales message down your customers’ throats, you’ll quickly find yourself without any readers and with a conversion rate you don’t like to look at.
16. Letting your meta material crash and burn
If you’re plugging away in the world of online copy without any concern for meta content or tags, you’re missing out. Meta tags and meta descriptions are an important part of great online copy and mastering them is one of the best ways to give yourself an SEO boost and help your content feature prominently. As a general rule, meta titles should be 65 characters or fewer and meta descriptions should be less than 155 characters.
17. Being too long-winded
Again, while long-form content is your friend, it’s still important to be succinct and to the point. If you ramble, you’re going to lose attention. If you take four paragraphs to explain a concept that could be done in a sentence, you’re going to lose attention. Avoid this by being brief and to the point. Don’t ever give in to the temptation of filler writing just because. If what you’re writing doesn’t have value or a purpose, it doesn’t belong. Be militant about this and readers will appreciate your writing that much more.
18. Not asking for anything from your readers
While you don’t want to be overly sales-y, you do need to ask for something in return from the people who are reading your content. Chances are, people who come across your material are connecting with it. They want more, they want to interact with your brand, and they want to take their relationship with you to the next level. Because of this, it’s important to use powerful, well written CTAs to ask your readers to do something. It doesn’t matter if that something is to click, subscribe, purchase, or download – when you craft a quality CTA that asks for something in return, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by the results.
19. Not paying enough attention to headlines
While 80% of people read headlines, only 20% read body copy. In light of that, it’s clear that if you’re not spending the time needed on your headlines, you’re missing out on large levels of traffic that could be clicking through your content. Learning to write great headlines is a craft, but when you master it, you allow yourself to provide more value to your readers and earn more traffic for your site.
20. Sloppy writing
Sloppy writing may be the crème de la crème of online copywriting sins. In addition to making your readers feel like you don’t care about your content, sloppy writing also damages your reputation and makes it impossible to communicate your points efficiently. Use a service like Grammarly to check your online content for grammar and spelling errors before you click publish. This simple step can go a long way toward improving your writing as a whole.
21. Making simple ideas complex and vice versa
Many writers believe that the ability to write a simple idea in a complex way is a mark of achievement. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. While it’s all well and good to be able to use high-level language, it’s important to remember that being overly complex isn’t an attractive trait in an online copywriter. Stick to simple concepts and communicate them in simple ways. It’s the best way to win readers.
22. Not using power words
If you want people to respond to and connect with your copy, you’ll need to start using power words within it. Power words like strong, “Right now” verbs drive people to action and can help increase the conversion rate of your web content dramatically.
23. Not using enough numbers
Numbers are convincing and important for online copy. This is why headlines that advertise lists (“10 Ways to Improve Your Online Copywriting”) stick better than headlines without lists or numbers. To help readers connect with your material and engage with your content, be sure to use numbers wherever and whenever you can.
24. Not using social media to distribute your content
Once you’ve slaved over that well-crafted blog post, it’s time to publicize it. If you’re not using social media to do this, you’re missing out. Be sure to advertise your new web content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for maximum conversions.
25. Inconsistent writing schedule
Even if your online writing is top-notch perfect, people aren’t going to find you if you don’t post on a regular basis. Having a consistent content schedule is one of the best and most efficient ways to gain followers, establish yourself as an authority, and build a reputation online.
Conclusion
While online copywriting is a learned skill, these 25 mistakes can cost you big in the world of web content. By being careful to avoid them, it’s easy to ensure that your web copy performs well and engages your readers.
Do you know of any common online copy mistakes to be aware of? Let us know in the comments!
If you use the web to surf, purchase, play, or read, it’s likely you’ve come across a “doorway” page.
They’re bad news all around. How so? Doorway pages are web pages designed for the sole purpose of helping websites improve their traffic. They’re designed to rank well for particular phrases or keywords and often feature spammy, keyword-stuffed content and little to no user value.
In addition to clogging up the Internet, doorway pages are obnoxious and frustrating for users. Imagine coming across a piece you thought was “a thorough DIY guide on grooming your dog” just to find it was a landing page selling you dog food with a tiny blurb that wasn’t really helpful titled “how to groom your dog.”
Yeah, bad news. Fortunately, Google is trying to fix the issue. Last year, the search engine released an algorithm update meant specifically to kill doorway pages across the web.
Here’s what you need to know–and keep reading for five ways to make sure you aren’t hosting any so-called “doorway page,” unbeknownst to you.
Why Doorway Pages Are Bad
There are dozens of SEO tactics designed to boost search results, but doorway pages are a particularly frustrating one. Doorway pages often masquerade as a single page on a site or as a selection of distinct domains. They’re a problem because, when a Google user enters a search query, it’s possible that he or she will receive a complete list of results that all point to the same site. This creates a negative experience for Google users and makes it difficult for them to find the information they need.
Short Answer: If You Are Investing in High Quality Content, You Won’t Have to Worry
Remember, in 2015, Google released a massive Search Quality Evaluator guide. They have real people who evaluate every site based on these standards. We talked about these standards here, in a massive 3,000-word blog.
And this ties into doorway pages.
I know this sounds simple, but it really matters: overall, things boil down to the quality of content you have. If it’s high; you’re in the clear. If it’s low; you’re not. Is your site messy? In both design and content? Poor in wording? An empty page or two? You probably have doorway pages and Google isn’t going to like you.
Or is your site and written content on it really good? You’d be proud to read it off to your newest client? That kind of quality. Per Google’s guidelines, things boiled down to these two standards:
Key Ways to Instantly Recognize Telltale Doorway Pages
If you’re still unsure whether you might host a doorway page or not, luckily, Google offers several pretty clear guidelines on how users can identify doorway pages, so you’ll never create them or let someone else create them for you.
Website owners beware of these key following telltale signs of a doorway page:
If the purpose of a page is to rank for a search term or funnel visitors to a particular portion of a site, the page is probably a doorway page.
If the page is targeting generic search terms, but is filled with specific body content, it’s likely a doorway page.
If the page collects and aggregates things that can be found on the website, such as locations and product descriptions, it’s likely a doorway page.
If the page exists for the sole purpose of funneling users or harvesting affiliate traffic without offering valuable content or functional design, it’s likely a doorway page.
If the page makes it impossible to navigate to other portions of the site, it’s likely a doorway page.
What Google’s Anti-Doorway Update Actually Does
The update Google put out, which currently doesn’t have a name, categorizes doorway pages as possessing three traits:
Doorway pages often have multiple domain names or funnel users to a specific page
Doorway pages are pages that seek to funnel visitors to relevant or usable portions of the site
Doorway pages are similar pages that run parallel to search results rather than a “browse-able hierarchy.”
Within its press release surrounding the topic of the update, Google states that “doorway pages that are created solely for search engines can harm the quality of the user’s search experience” and goes on to say that large sites that use doorway campaigns are likely to be impacted by the impending algorithm change.
In addition to helping Google users get a feel for what doorway pages are, these guidelines can also help webmasters determine if they have doorway pages on their sites and remove them in order to avoid being penalized by Google.
5 Ways to Protect Your Site from The Worst of Google Doorway Penalties
If you’ve been using doorway campaigns on your site, there are several things you can do to avoid Google penalties.
1. Destroy empty pages
If you’ve got empty pages sitting around on your site, it’s time to take them down. Because these pages don’t add what Google calls “clear, unique value,” they’re likely to be interpreted as doorway pages and can harm your site’s overall ranking. With this in mind, only publish new pages when you have content available for them.
This ties into the overall theme of “is your content good? is it high quality? does it help people?” Empty pages obviously don’t!
2. Improve your site navigation
This plays into design. Work on both the appearance and navigation abilities of your site. One trait of doorway pages is that they make it difficult or virtually impossible to navigate to other portions of the website. If you’ve got a page that isn’t integrated into the navigation of your site, consider improving your navigation so that the page in question is easier for users to find and to navigate away from.
3. Pay attention to customer-generated content pages
Pages that get most of their content from customers or staff are at a high risk of sitting idle and damaging your site’s ranking. These pages include things like open-to-contributors review pages and galleries. To avoid getting dinged by Google’s recent update, be sure that if you have these pages, they have enough content (and enough regular content) to justify their presence. If the pages are sitting idle, consider consolidating them, removing them until you have enough content to fill them, or running a campaign to fill them with valuable content. This will help Google understand how the pages add value and relevance to your site and will help prevent damaging penalties.
4. Do away with duplicate content
Now, this should go without saying. If you are letting duplicate content slide onto your site, I just have one thing for you: Antoine Dodson.
This algorithm update is obviously not the first to target duplicate content, and while that’s not its main focus, duplicate content is always something that can damage your site.
To avoid penalties, be sure that any given content on your site only appears on one page and use no-index tags on any necessary duplicate pages.
5. Watch out for multiple domains
Multiple domains are one of the biggest giveaways of a doorway page. If you’ve got multiple sites working on SEO, be sure that each site features unique and original content and that you have solid reasoning behind why you need separate domains rather than a single, centralized site.
Looking Ahead: The Future of the Google Doorway Algorithm Update
As Google continues to become more advanced, content marketers can continue to expect updates like this one.
The purpose of the “doorway algorithm update” is to improve user experience and make it easier to locate valuable content without jumping through hoops.
While the update is likely to affect sites that have been using doorway campaigns, it’s easy to prevent your site from incurring penalties by doing things like altering duplicate content, destroying empty pages, and improving the navigation of your website.
Plus, since these are all things that improve SEO, it’s easy to give your site a ranking boost in the process. Have a thought or two on doorway pages? I’d love to hear it in the comments!
Well, that totally changed in 2015 when everyone and their brother discovered Periscope and “live-streaming” became a sudden hit – to the tune of millions hitting record. The online marketing community was abuzz about the popularity of Periscope. 10 million users crowded in and started live-streaming the same year it came out (it grew to a million users just 10 days after launch.) Recently, however, Periscope has been the subject of a gradual downfall. There’s a lot of rumored reasons: a lack of communication on Periscope’s part, the bugs in its app that have never been fixed, or the trolls and spam that exists a-plenty in the streams?
As it stands now, Periscope looks like it’s about to be surpassed in terms of popularity by a new, yet powerful live-streaming app from a long-standing social giant: Facebook Live.There’s a very good chance that this new live-stream king may well usurp Periscope off of the throne.
What’s really going down in the battle between the platforms?
Let’s explore.
Is Facebook Live Streaming About to Push Periscope Down the Rabbit Hole?
Periscope is owned by Twitter. Originally, Periscope was launched as an attempt by Twitter to gain more relevance and compete with other popular livestream apps like Meerkat.
According to Hustle, Zuckerburg is going for the throat punch on Jack Dorsey. With all the tremendous power of Facebook, it’s a huge move to open up Facebook Live streaming to the public. And Facebook just did that.
The Verdict on Periscope
While Periscope enjoyed heavy buzz and widespread adoption in its early days (it was even named the best app by Apple in 2015), the app could be seriously deflating. Here’s just a few reasons why it’s on a downward slide:
Another news site said that with Facebook Live’s launch, and Google offering their own version of live-streaming soon called YouTube Connect, Periscope could die off like Meerkat
Chalene Johnson, a NYT Bestseller and Top #10 hottest iTunes podcaster with over 12 million podcast downloads and huge early Periscope fan with hundreds of thousands of followers, recently said in a podcast episode that Periscope is letting her down: it has gone too long without telling us why it was constantly freezing, not fixing a lot of issues, cutting down on the spam (trolls and fake accounts)
The fact that you can watch people snort cocaine, a girl DUI’ing (don’t worry: the cops were called on her since she publicly streamed it), and that spam and trolls thrive and exist in every other live stream, well, to put it simply: that doesn’t bode well for Periscope.
Spotlight was stolen: For another, Facebook stepped in and stole the spotlight. Facebook Live Stream is an app that the social media giant announced in late 2015 and which has been slowly rolling out over the last several months. Much like Periscope, Facebook Live streaming allows users to share their live videos via the Facebook platform.
Just The Technical Side: Periscope’s 5 Worst Problems
Don’t forget a whole number of technical problems Periscope has (likely some of the largest reasons for the platform’s downward trend):
Freezing. Anyone who remembers Twitter’s infamous “Fail Whale” episodes might not be shocked by the fact that Periscope was freezing on a regular basis.
Trolls. According to Business Insider, trolls were one of the most common problems on Periscope. From sexually explicit comments on female users’ profiles to harassment on posts that reached the trending list, many users were driven from Periscope due to bona fide harassment issues. Parents started reporting Periscope to higher authorities when they found their underage kids using Periscope and receiving illicit advances from these trolls. Periscope has came across as a very transparent platform where privacy didn’t really seem like a big deal: you could hit live and broadcast to anyone with very little trouble.
Fake accounts. Fake accounts went hand in hand with trolling on Periscope and it wasn’t a problem that even the owners of the platform were unfamiliar with. In fact, even CEO Dick Costolo admitted that the platform “sucks” at dealing with fake profiles and abusive users.
Failed notifications. One of the main reasons to join Periscope was to participate in live broadcasts. Unfortunately, however, many Periscope users simply weren’t getting notifications when live broadcasts came on. What’s more, when these users would report the issues to Periscope itself, the platform couldn’t identify the failed notifications and often had no answers for the users.
Bugs. Periscope was riddled with bugs that made it freeze, function slowly, and provide a poor user experience. While these bugs may have been simple to fix, Periscope responded slowly or not at all to user inquires.
Now, it would be unfair just to blame Periscope only for the bugs or trolling issues (after all, Facebook has dealt with some of the same problems); the issue is not so much the existence of the bugs as it is Periscope’s apparent unwillingness to deal with them as proactively as they’ve needed to.
While Periscope users have long since been aware of the platform’s bugs and shortcomings, Periscope itself has seemed virtually oblivious or, at the very least, has failed to reach out and talk to its users about what’s going on internally, which is something Facebook has historically done very well.
Perhaps the only plus Periscope does have still going for it, is that Twitter owns it.
And with that kind of backing, I suspect it’ll be a good fight before it totally goes down – Dorsey is going to fight for it. (According to Hustle, their latest move is teaming up with GoPro to offer live streaming straight from GoPro’s cameras.)
Introducing Facebook Live: A Whole New Way to See the World
While Facebook Live streaming and Periscope may look quite similar on the surface, it’s what’s inside that matters. While Periscope is a simple live-stream app that’s connected to Twitter, Facebook Live is a live-streaming app that makes its home on Facebook – which remains the largest social media network in the world.
It used to only be available to celebs, but now it’s available for nearly everyone: just hit the little record button from your profile.
Screenshot of facebook.com/help/1636872026560015
Don’t go live just yet, though…
Hold your horses. Users of Facebook live are warning first-time Facebook Live users that your first 45 seconds going live is “make and break time” (podcast from Chalene Johnson again: her first live stream got 250+ shares). Your first time going live sends an actual notification to every last person on your friends or subscribers list–and announces that you’re going live in 3, 2, 1…It’s a big deal and a lot of publicity for you, for free.
Better fix that hair… yer goin’ live.
So yeah, make that first one count. (That’s why I haven’t done mine yet; and per the Twitter chats I’m in, a lot of marketers haven’t either for this very good reason. You have to do it right.)
4 Good Reasons to Use Facebook Live Streaming Right Now
If you can get over doing your first live FB stream, here are some really, really good reasons to start using Facebook Live:
1. You can target your viewers
Facebook allows targeting. This is huge in potentially beating out Periscope, because Periscope has limited functionality there. But with FB Live, you get all the power of their demographic and people targeting capabilities. If you do Facebook ads, you’ll absolutely want to try FB Live.
2. It’s easy and available for nearly everyone
As it stands now, Facebook Live streaming works quite a lot like Facebook Messenger, meaning that there is a live video button at the bottom of the screen that users simply can click to share their live video broadcasts. (This rolled out early 2016 and is available to nearly everyone now.)
3. It’s huge for interaction and engagement
Facebook Live encourages a LOT of interaction. So much so, that Facebook says people comment “10x more during a live video than a regular video.” That’s 1000% more interaction for any of your non-live, shared videos! In addition to allowing users to showcase their broadcasts, the livestream app will also allow users to follow specific topics, like current events and science, and receive updates every time a video is posted in a certain category. Additionally, people viewing live videos on Facebook Live will be able to invite their friends to hop in on the same video (invited people will receive a push notification alerting them). Viewers will also be able to view Facebook’s new “Reactions” feature in the form of floating icons across the screen, much like Periscope’s floating hearts feature. The introduction of Facebook Live Stream is just one more notch on Facebook’s belt of video-focused innovation, following hot on the heels of the introduction of autoplay into news feeds.
4. Accessibility
In addition to higher levels of functionality and a larger user base, one of the distinct advantages that Facebook Live has over Periscope is accessibility. Contrary to what many marketers and app developers believe, everyday mobile users aren’t often completely up to date on the latest apps and, because of this, they’re more willing to use one app that covers all of their needs – from social media updates to live streaming. Facebook, increasingly, has emerged to fill this position. Because Facebook already has such a huge base of users, the platform is already in a better position to become a leader in live-streaming technology. The average U.S. user spends about 40 minutes each day on Facebook, which means that users who are already on the app are more likely to use the same app for all of their live streaming needs.
What’s more, this is a development that has the potential to boast widespread impact across various groups of users, including business and personal users.
One Big Reason Facebook Is Going to Win
Still not assured?
Get ready, I’m going to blow your mind. Ready for this?
In ONE quarter of 2015, Facebook added more daily active users in the U.S. alone than Twitter added in a month globally.
BAM. That’s a lot more people and power on the Facebook platform, vs. Twitter.
Which potential audience would you rather reach?
So, my verdict:
Consider using Facebook Live.
While Periscope has been a helpful tool for many marketers, the fact of the matter is that Facebook simply seems to be prioritizing live streaming videos more than Twitter.
Facebook Live’s users (including Chalene Johnson) consistently report that the platform feels quieter and more personal and that it’s easier to pull better numbers through Facebook Live videos than it is through Periscope videos.
While it’s inevitable that apps will develop bugs every once in awhile, the fact that Periscope has consistently failed to communicate these things to its users has been a bane for many onetime fans of the app.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, while Periscope and Facebook Live share similar visions and interfaces, the fact of the matter is that the team at Facebook Live has simply executed its vision more effectively. While both apps offer live streaming, only one of them places its users at the forefront and creates a quiet space that actually achieves the original purpose of the project: to engage people in conversation. It seems as if Facebook Live is about to take over Periscope. But, only time will tell.
I’m really excited to share (more like ecstatic-gone-crazy) that one of my biggest passions and lifelong dreams is HAPPENING, today.
A book, written by yours truly, is now widely available for sale in print and Kindle on Amazon: So You Think You Can Write? The Definitive Guide to Successful Online Writing. (Click here to get on Amazon.)
So You Think You Can Write? is a guidebook I’ve been working endlessly on the entire past year.
After this year of writing and completing my first book, you bet I have a newfound respect for authors…you bet.
Many 2 a.m. nights, an unhealthy sacrifice of social life, and an uncomfortably far-too-close-relationship with English grammar after rounds and re-rounds of editing, has resulted from the writing of said book.
(By the way. Modifying compound adjectives, oh how I hate thee!)
But, it was all worth it, because I’m thrilled to launch So You Think You Can Write today.
This book sums up everything I’ve learned to become a successful online content creator. (Not every single lesson; that would be a 10-volume series. More like the essential foundations that make up successful online writing.)
[clickToTweet tweet=”So You Think You Can Write? book by @JuliaEMcCoy: www.bit.ly/juliamccoy” quote=”Share ‘So You Think You Can Write?’ book link with all your friends!”]
Who I Wrote So You Think You Can Write? For
My ultimate goal in sharing this book is to offer a complete, one-stop guidebook that teaches any brand, business or creator how to write great web content, from the foundations of SEO to the factors that make up engaging, evergreen content; and, it’s for the writer that wants to take their skills from offline to online AND make money (see my bonus chapter on how to market yourself), and for the business owner that wants to successfully create and publish great online content.
Still… Why Buy My Book?
^That may help. Still wondering why buy? I’ll give you three good reasons right now:
#1. You’ll come back with better writing skills.
No matter WHO you are, I would bet money right now you will learn something you didn’t know about how to write online content. Whether that’s how to pick out your keywords, a new, awesome content tool from my Appendix and Resources lists, or an unusual way of marketing yourself online—you name it, I bet you’ll walk away with something to take away and use right now in your online writing. And if not, tell me what’s missing! I’d love to know, because I’m working on my next books.
#2. Learning the foundational skills of great online content writing now just arrived in one place.
OK, I’m not claiming to be the only one teaching all of this. I’m not claiming to even be the top expert. And this is by no means the only information you should read. (This is just one book out of several I plan to write on this subject, too, FYI.) But what I am saying is that all the foundations of good SEO writing, that I’ve learned to become successful and which took me years to teach myself, are now in one place in So You Think You Can Write. Wouldn’t you rather have one book in hand than hundreds of articles and downloadables to read?
#3. You’ll learn that there is a career in online writing, and you’ll know the foundations of how to make your own.
There’s a HUGE need for good writers today. I’m very passionate about sharing this need and teaching creative people how to take their writing skills online, so writers earn work, brands and websites get filled with great copy, more people are inspired…cycle repeats, getting better each time as writers hone their trade.
A serious need for creative online writers is happening this year more than ever. The past few months, we’ve seen a lack of writers available. (To note here: we’re in the middle of our biggest re-brand and new development launch that goes live this summer, which will include an internal pay raise for all of our core writers. I’m excited to be able to reward good talent better coming up very soon.)
As we hire, we’ve always had to employ writers that were already experienced and knowledgeable in the skills of online writing. We have a thorough online writing test that rules out anyone not capable of writing for our level of clients. We’re so fast-paced, we simply can’t stop and “teach” someone. (Granted, we have done that a few times, but very rarely, with extremely adept learners.)
So, I’ve always wanted to give every single capable writer that wanted to apply—or even just go make a career for themselves out of independent freelance clients, like I did—a way to learn the necessary skills in one place. And now, it’s happening, with So You Think You Can Write?
I couldn’t be more thrilled to share what I know.
BONUS #4: It’s out, it’s fully illustrated (fun things to look at), and it’s pretty.
My toddler was actually entertained with the drawings I have inside that represent the seven forms of online content.
Here she is–and FYI, it’s super hard to get a picture of her, she moves so fast:
Buy it for your toddler, or yourself, if you like cute illustrations.
Go buy it here.
How I’ve Gotten Here
So You Think You Can Write has been a journey—both in learning these life skills, using them in a self-made career, and writing this book to share my knowledge with others.
I like to think this career path chose me. Not to be cliché—young budding writer makes it big—but really, the path started way back. The earliest memory I have of a genuine love for writing was when I was 9. I was sitting in the back of my mom’s Grand Caravan and a plot, a character name, and an entire fictional world was in my head. Just there. I could not wait till we finished shopping and I could get home to write it down. That day, I started saving the document on a 3 ½ floppy disk, and I titled it The Knight of the Silver Lance.
Fast forward to age 12. I had a completed story about my knight of the pre-Dark Ages: a 200-page fiction novel, in tiny size 10 Times New Roman font, saved on that floppy. One morning, I inserted the disk to proof the book with my parents—an exciting moment, because we were talking about publishing it—and there was a loud BEEP-BEEP. A window of death appeared: the disk was fatally corrupted.
I started rewriting it, but something else began demanding my focus: the internet, and the new technology of computers. I ate up everything I could learn about the computer, joined different online writing and marketing communities, and started learning how to make money online (I was illegally doing surveys at 13—the minimum age was 14). I earned $300 in a month just doing my online surveys. By 16, I started three companies: a computer repair company, a cleaning company, and a budding surveys-for-cash pyramid company (complete with business cards to blast every unsuspecting stranger). The computer repair company was by far my most enjoyable endeavor. I helped several elderly people who lived in my small town learn how to connect to a router and use the internet—and then uninstall the viruses they unintentionally downloaded while surfing the web.
Fast-forward even more. I’m 19, working at McDonald’s full time, and trying to fulfill what I (and my parents) thought was a calling: full-time nursing school towards earning an R.N. degree. Short story there: I hated both, and researched my side passion of writing by night, teaching myself online writing and earning gigs through Elance and oDesk (now Upwork). At 20, I started my company, Express Writers, while still in nursing school. Things got crazy, I couldn’t keep up with everything—on one side, my writing company was flourishing (due to the fact I was a really good writer who stayed creative in the middle of an age of really crappy online content), and on the other side, I was failing in nursing school. Both lecture classes and clinical. I couldn’t keep up.
My lack of passion exhibited itself when my clinical teacher failed me in nursing school at 21: I was driven into building my business. So I did just that, and here I am. I’m now 25 years old, with a 70-person team of writers, and thousands of clients worldwide. I even launched a podcast in March that hit New & Noteworthy in iTunes within 36 hours. And I started a Twitter chat in January of this year that has consistently topped #45 on Twitter during its live hour. Beyond that, I’m working on our next big steps: new products, training and re-launch, complete with a year-long custom team room creation developed by our COO, Josh McCoy.
So What Happened To Writing Fiction?
I still love writing fiction. If you’re wondering what happened to my medieval fiction, when I was 12 years old: I never got it recovered, but I did actually rewrite the whole book before 16 and still have that book deep inside some Dropbox folder, where it probably won’t see the light of day. It’s just not my favorite area of fiction anymore. I’m working on a fictional story concept now that is more in the style of fiction I like: post-apocalyptic, worldwide, end-of-earth plots—think Hunger Games, The Giver, Chronicles of Narnia, Divergent). And, I’m working on the tale of my personal story—something that’s necessary for me both to write out, and to share.
Conclusion
I’m so excited to share my book launch with y’all.
Buy it, and please do leave me an honest review if it helped you! I’d love to know. (You can also view a sample in the Flipboard preview on my book page, or listen to me read a chapter on my latest podcast episode.) Click the book to go straight to Amazon:
With this many bloggers hooked up and running online, it can be difficult to understand how you could ever stand out from the crowd. There’s a seriously overflowing river (flood) of blogs. So, how are you going to excel in the middle of all of them? Or do anything but float by?
While there are truly millions of active blogs out there, I have a little secret for you: many of them are lacking in what I’m about to show you. That means you DO have a chance, if you’re prepared to put in the elbow grease, dedicate yourself, and follow my tips. Read on to learn more about how you can prevent your blog from stagnating beneath the weight of the unhealthy, unsuccessful floating-by blogger syndrome.
The Curse of the Floating-By Blogger Syndrome: Identifying the Floaters
Regardless of the topic, writer, or platform, most blogs are snooze-worthy. They’re just another getup, floating by on the same raft structure every blog is using.
Why?
This unfortunate blogging syndrome has stemmed from the fact that everyone with some kind of brand, business, or story to tell, has heard from their brother, mother, sister, neighbor, marketer, or anyone really: you need to start a blog!
Those that take this advice suddenly and without another thought become one of the following floating-by bloggers:
Bloggers that don’t take the time needed to master the art of blogging. I mean the art of getting down, nitty-gritty, and write to stir emotions. Create to produce helpful thoughts that will shake the Internet. As Grant Cardone puts it—work to dominate, not compete. That’s the work involved in “mastering the art” of blogging.
Bloggers that–wait for it–don’t write well. Many bloggers who have hastily taken the advice of “build a blog for your business now!” are poor writers, or are simply churning out content about topics they don’t care about. If there’s one floating-by type that irks me, it’s that one.
Bloggers that just follow the lead of bloggers they admire without any new insights or thoughts, which has resulted in them being unoriginal carbon copies of other writers. Nothing new to see folks, just passing by here.
The rushed blogger. They haven’t dedicated the time to find their niche, audience, people–and just blog in the dark without inspiration or a mission.
Hence my coined term: the “Floating-by Blogger Syndrome.” Does it make sense now? These bloggers are all just floating by, and while they may be creating content, they’re failing to create anything original, unique, or attention-grabbing.
With so many blogs in the world, it’s tough to imagine that many of them are the same, but it’s true. You could skim thousands of blogs right now and find that they all look and sound exactly alike.
Gosh, it’s really become a sea, hasn’t it? In addition to the fact that cookie-cutter blogs clog up the Internet, they also don’t provide readers with the value they are so desperately seeking.
Let’s talk about how you can completely miss the boat and reach a mountain instead: avoid the floating-by syndrome and become a stand-out blogger.
5 Ways to Be Better Than the Floating-By Blogger
I guarantee that if you follow my five steps below, you have a 100% chance of NOT becoming the next floating-by blogger.
1. Focus on your audience
Your blog is not about you.
It’s not about your brand.
Or what you want to sell.
It’s all about, can I repeat that all about, the person you’re writing to and for.
Too many blogs are bogged down in the mire of old-school SEO wisdom, sales tactics, and tired conventions. While things like keywords, CTAs, and optimization are important, they’re not the whole picture and bloggers that focus on them too much risk sacrificing the human connection that makes blogging work.
To avoid this, be sure that you’re focusing on your audience and your topics first, and your message and ranking (CTA or your keywords) second.
Developing an audience-focused perspective is a foreign concept for many bloggers, but it’s quite easy. It starts by asking yourself a few simple questions:
Who is my audience? This question can be answered by defining a target audience. While the practice may seem a bit granular to some bloggers, it’s an incredibly important step in developing a genuinely audience-centric outlook. When you know who your target audience is, what they want, how they shop, and what they’re concerned about, you can create content that caters specifically to them.
How will you reach your audience? Do you know which content formats your audience prefers? Do they love image-dense websites like The Verge or would they rather interact with your content through Tweets or long-form Facebook posts? Answer this question by taking the time to determine which of your content performs the best. If you’re still having a tough time determining where your audience most wants to find you, just ask them! Sites like SurveyMonkey can help you create simple surveys that provide you with valuable perspective into your audiences’ true desires.
Make your topics deep. One of the most common mistakes floating-by bloggers make is that they fail to provide in-depth topics. All too often, bloggers assume that briefer is better, and they miss out on the value of long-form content. The truth is, long-form content converts better (about 37% better) than shorter content. In light of this, don’t be afraid to develop in-depth content that your readers can use as a guide. Provide actionable tips, relatable scenarios, plenty of images or screenshots, and a decent amount of links to help your readers find the information they’re looking for. They’ll thank you, and you’ll quickly become one of their favorite blogs on the web.
2. Work hard
There is NO way around this. I spend hours and hours a week to create my blogs now.(I create 2-3 a week for our own site; my team members create infographics and Twitter chat recaps. I guest blog – A LOT. We post about 40 pieces all in all a month.) I work my fingers off. Blogging is a serious commitment, if you’re in it to win it. If you’re not, never mind. Don’t waste our time. The world doesn’t need more floaters-by. The world DOES need more exceptional bloggers who will put out a masterpiece every time, and not be afraid to share authenticity, a genuine perspective, and unique insights that no one else is offering.
That’s how to look at blogging. As a blogger, be prepared to face what every successful story has faced before they hit success: hard work. Here’s a little something to inspire you: my results when I committed to blogging this hard.
Case Study: How We’ve Succeeded Blogging Through a Butt Load of Hard Work
January 2016, I made a promise to myself: to put out content I’d be prouder of than any content I’d ever written or published before. Every single post now has my personal touch—I’m spending more time, investing more team power (and money to pay them), and more resources than I EVER have. I now stress over headlines. Work for hours on a concept. Take a day over a visual, with two other team members helping me. Finalize a written piece by rewriting it for an hour. Spend an hour every morning just to amplify it and get the word out.
And guess how it’s paying off?
We’ve had the most site traffic we’ve ever had—look at that spike that started in January! (screenshot from SEMrush)
We’ve had the most shares and comments we’ve ever had on our content to date, too. Here are three blogs shared over 200 times, with varying share counts across all platforms:
Hard work pays off, people.
But you actually have to work really hard. If you invest in blogging as if it’s your main channel, that’s how you garner real results—and, for us, it is our main marketing channel. And that’s what’s cool. As a content writing agency, blogging is 95% of our lead generation: we know how well it works. (Why you should hire us. But hey, I’m not here just to plug. Keep reading and learning first.)
3. Work smart
You know how #1 said work hard? Now, I’m telling you how to work smart as a blogger. So you don’t spend every day writing a blog and 0 days building your business or leaving that rock you’ll be under, if you take on blogging all by yourself. Just don’t do it. Don’t kill yourself.
So, work smart. That means you should be using your tools. Many bloggers fail to take advantage of the ample number of tools that are currently available online. I’m not talking about simple spell-checkers and thesauruses – I’m talking about topic research tools, analytics, and social tools. These tools can do many things – from helping you determine which of your content is most popular to helping you manage your social platforms from one easy dashboard. Here are two I’m currently loving.
BuzzSumo: One of my favorite tools ever for content marketing is also perfect for developing your best blog content and topic research. The tool is called BuzzSumo, and it’s designed to help bloggers find the content that’s performing best in their industry. Use BuzzSumo to search for content by keyword and then use the results to harvest new topic ideas or develop more in-depth posts. Ideal for bloggers at all levels of the game, this is one tool that can be a game-changer for your blogging.
Headline Help: Another favorite tool of mine is the Advanced Marketing Institute’s Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer. Let me tell you: every time I’ve worked on my header (which is every time I write a piece of content), I tailor it, rewrite it, and edit it until it hits 25% or more on this radar. And every time I’ve done that, I’ve seen more than average shares on that piece of content. Your headline matters: and one way to get it right is to use this analyzer. Another way is to use powerful words. To make sure you’re doing that, download our list of 120 power words.
Now, working smart includes—wait for it—the art of hiring someone else! Yes, I just said the dirty. Want in on a little blogging secret? Many bloggers don’t write all of their content. The reason for this is that content creation is difficult and time-consuming! Between harvesting ideas for topics, writing, editing, publishing, promoting, and engaging with audiences, you can easily find yourself without much free time. Unless your sole living is being a blogger, it’s tough to keep all of those balls in the air at once. Fortunately, you don’t have to struggle through it alone.
Many bloggers hire professional writers as their blogs grow. In addition to relieving some of the burdens of content creation and distribution, the decision to hire writers also helps a blog maintain its diversity and interest by bringing in different voices and viewpoints. And don’t worry – hiring a writer doesn’t mean that you have to stop blogging altogether! Writers can help you supplement your content, assist you in research, and help you organize or develop your topics. You can still write your blogs, just with less stress and more time.
A word of caution, though: If you do decide to hire writers, be sure that you avoid average or novice writers and opt for an expert writer who knows your industry. Google’s standards demand expertise and your blog will be rewarded for it.
4. Build your OWN visuals
So much of becoming a unique blogger is simply about going the extra mile. Too many run-of-the-mill bloggers just slap stock images into their blog posts and call it good.
But you can go much further by bucking the status quo and developing your own unique visuals for your blog.
Here are three things I’ve done to provide unique imagery across the board for Express Writers:
1. A custom photoshoot with various happy, sad, etc. writing poses featuring me, for example to get this kind of image:
2. Illustrations drawn from scratch and colored in InDesign by our in-team illustrator, like the one for this blog and a couple more:
These custom drawings have by far boosted our blog, shares and outreach more than any other visual I’ve added to a written content piece yet. Huge, huge results if you invest the time, effort and trouble to make your own designs from scratch.
3. Infographics developed from scratch by our team writers and designers.
4. Bonus: GIFs! A gif always adds a moving visual treat to any content piece. Take Dwight from The Office, for example:
Even if you’re not an expert graphic designer, sites like Canva can allow you to create your own beautiful visuals easily and with zero stress. If you would rather hire a designer than make your own images on Canva, you can easily find talented graphic artists on sites like Upwork and Fiverr.
5. Don’t forget to promote your content!
Now that you’ve gone to all this trouble to create unique content don’t forget to promote it. While many bloggers advertise their posts through simple Facebook updates or Tweets, it’s easy to get better results by going a few steps further than the average blogger.
One great way to do this is by using a tool called ContentMarketer.io. Designed to help bloggers and content marketers manage promotion easily, ContentMarketer.io is a comprehensive and broad-ranging tool that includes innovative connection and notification features. Use the Connection platform to harness the power of promotional templates that allow you to share your content, network with industry influencers, secure guest posting opportunities, reach out to investors, and send out professional follow-ups.
You can also use the platform’s Notifier feature to find mentions in your posts and notify the relevant influencers. This can help you build your reputation and gain a more prominent spot in the blogosphere. If you’re interested in ContentMarketer.io, you can get both the Notifier and Connector features for about $9 a month, so there’s no breaking the bank to promote your content. Using a service like ContentMarketer.io is an excellent way to give yourself a leg-up on your competition and ensure that your blog gets the attention it deserves from readers and influencers.
3 Blogs That ARE Unique
We’ve established that there are millions of blogs on the web and that most of them are boring.
And then there are the ones that aren’t boring. Those that really do put in the hard work and/or invest the resources.
These blogs that aren’t boring or cookie-cutter have mastered the art of being unique, which allows them to stand out from the crowd.
Take The Verge, for example. What makes this blog different from other science, entertainment, and technology blogs? Is it the rich visuals or the attention-grabbing headlines? Maybe it’s the mind-boggling array of content – ranging from tech to science and entertainment. The truth is that it’s all of these things, and the fact that The Verge has managed to roll interest, beauty, and content into one attractive package is why people love the blog so much.
If The Verge isn’t your cup of tea, consider Listverse – a blog dedicated entirely to lists on topics like travel and “weird stuff.”
And then, of course, there’s Airbnb, which is exceling at a beautiful, well-put together blog. If they have one huge fundamental, it would be visuals. They do exceptionally well with great graphics.
Most people who look at any of these blogs would agree that they’re decidedly not boring.
5 Key Principles That Set Apart Unique, Stand-Out Bloggers from the Floating-By Blogger
So what’s the difference? What sets these blogs apart from the rest of the flotsam in the blogging sea? The answer comes down to these five things:
1. Unique blogs understand the competition
Both The Verge and ListVerse understand that they’re not the only kid on the playground when it comes to their content. There are dozens of blogs featuring list-focused posts, and The Verge has hundreds of competitors, Popsci, The New Yorker, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Wired, to name a few. What sets both The Verge and ListVerse apart, however, is that they recognize these competitors and understand what they can do to offer something different.
The Verge, for example, is decidedly edgier than its competitors while Listverse has just taken popular and in-demand list-focused blog posts and consolidated them into a single, wide-ranging platform. Because these blogs have focused more on outsmarting the competition than they have overshadowing it, they stand out as some of the most interesting blogs on the web today.
2. Unique blogs employ lateral thinking
Too many bloggers fail to move forward because they’re too tied up in the fantasy of explosive creativity. While explosive creativity is great when and where it exists, it’s also exceedingly rare. Much more often, innovation is driven by the willingness to think laterally. Blogs that manage to become successful owe their success in large part to a desire to think laterally. Because lateral thinking is creative thinking that is also rooted in legitimate demand and context, it’s often more successful and much more attainable than raw creativity.
3. Unique blogs target fresh angles
There is nothing new in the world and bloggers who spend all of their time searching for that unturned stone are never going to write a word. The fact of the matter is this: there are millions of blogs online right now and we live in an age when upwards of 27 million pieces of content are shared every single day. In light of this, it’s impossible to be entirely original, which means that your energy is much better spent being fresh. Unique blogs succeed by approaching existing topics in new ways. By doing this, they provide value for readers and help boost the level of discourse in their industry.
4. Unique blogs are credible
It’s all well and good to create a blog that looks unique, but that effort is for naught if the information on the blog isn’t reliable or credible. Unique bloggers aren’t afraid to step outside of their comfort zones, but they also understand how important it is to research, back claims up, and use credible sources. It’s impossible to build a good reputation without a hearty share of credibility, and truly unique bloggers understand this.
5. Unique bloggers understand the value of their content
To create powerful, exciting content that readers want to read, bloggers need to understand the value of the content they’re publishing. If you asked the owner of any exceedingly unique blog on the web why their content was valuable, they’d be able to tell you quickly and easily. This is because unique bloggers understand what makes their content exciting. They understand which viewpoints, perspectives, language, and writing styles benefit their content, and they capitalize upon it accordingly.
Nobody wants to be the owner of a boring blog. Fortunately, you don’t have to be. These five traits are what make some blogs stand out from the crowd while others simply blend in and by cultivating them in your blog, you can create a content destination that visitors are excited to stumble upon.
Don’t Join the “Floating-By” Crowd: Swim Upstream Instead
When it comes to being a blogger, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.
One one hand, you could follow the crowd and become one of the thousands of “floating-by bloggers” who are just getting along.
On the other hand, you could take your content creation into your hands and become a unique, distinctive blogger that readers are genuinely excited to find.
By understanding what makes blogs unique and then following the five steps laid out above, it’s easy to create a unique blogging style that allows you to connect with your audiences and build a following.
The web doesn’t need more sub-par bloggers, so don’t be afraid to go against the flow and stand out!
Need to hire a professional writer to help you build a unique blog? Visit our Content Shop today!
We’ve had the most shares and comments we’ve ever had on our content to date, too. Here are three blogs shared over 200 times, with varying share counts across all platforms:
