Writing tips

Love these tips by David Ogilvy. Shameless copy-paste from https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/02/07/david-ogilvy-on-writing/

The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well.

Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches.

Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints:

  1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
  2. Write the way you talk. Naturally.
  3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
  4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualizedemassificationattitudinallyjudgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.
  5. Never write more than two pages on any subject.
  6. Check your quotations.
  7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it.
  8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
  9. Before you send your letter or your memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
  10. If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want.

SEO writing tips

How to rank on the first SEO page of google with great writing tips
A recap from the article https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/11/rank-blog-top-google/

  • Pick the keyword you want to rank on, in line with the core of your content piece.
  • Look at the organic top 5 first page rankings, pick the H1 and H2 headers from those pages (excel).
  • Make an analysis, break the H1 and H2 collection down in common topics (categories).
  • Make sure the keyword is in the 70 character count and check on the MOZ title tag tool. develop a user-intent-focused title, explain ‘what’s in it for me’ for the reader. https://moz.com/learn/seo/title-tag
  • Set up your keyword-rich H2 and body copy.
  • Implement keyword in the meta description, capped at 155 characters, in first 120 the key plus call to action to read for mobile readers. Keep it short and simple. 
  • Image titles between three and five words with keyword-rich sentences for the alt text on the images.
  • Mix internal and external links in the blog posts. Use the visual title and alt text visuals to give more context on the piece. 

Publishing on Medium

Great tips to publish on Medium, easy steps to get noticed, from writing to visuals, to using whitespaces to how to publish and share.

Editing and formating

Great overview of links to publish a blog or a book

Create a visual https://www.canva.com/

Create a infographic https://piktochart.com/formats/infographics/

Writing Tips

Overcome your fear of numbers, source: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/10/writing-tricks-audiences/

  1. Turn numbers into people
    ORIGINAL: Over 80% of dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum.
    REVISED: Four of five dentists recommend sugarless gum.
    WHY: Translating percentages into numbers of people (or things) allows the reader to better visualize who or what is being counted or affected.
  2. Use percentages to show pervasiveness or lack of pervasiveness
    ORIGINAL: About 8 million American workers use public transportation to travel to their workplace.
    REVISED: About 5% of American workers use public transportation to travel to their workplace.
    WHY: If you want to show how common or uncommon something is, citing a percentage can be more effective. In this example, 8 million people sounds like a lot. A reader could be impressed by the number. But when the 5% is used, the reader realizes that relatively few workers use public transportation.
    If you want to show commonality (or lack thereof), use a percent figure.
  3. Count down
    WHAT CHANGED: The original piece from CBS News counted in sequential order, while the version from Vanity Fair started with the highest number and counted down to No. 1.
    WHY: If you reveal the best right away, readers don’t need to continue reading to see the payoff – what is No. 1 on the list.
  4. Count up
    ORIGINAL: Building a new home is an exciting opportunity. To get it in move-in condition, you must pick your interior paint colors, buy the roofing materials, get it framed, and build a strong foundation.
    REVISED: Building a new home is an exciting opportunity. To get it in move-in condition, you must:
    1. Build a strong foundation
    2. Get it framed
    3. Buy the roofing materials
    4. Pick your interior paint colors
    WHAT CHANGED: The to-do list mirrors the order in which they need to be completed – they’re in sequential order.
    WHY: By incorporating the 1, 2, 3, your readers can easily see how the big picture comes together and/or follow it themselves.
  5. Sell the story in 150 to 160 characters
    ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Dressing up in costumes and trick or treating are popular Halloween activities, but few probably associate these lighthearted fall traditions with their origins.
    REVISED META FOR SEARCH: Few probably associate the lighthearted traditions of Halloween with their origins in Samhain, an ancient Celtic pagan festival.
    WHAT CHANGED: In the original, the lede became the de-facto meta description. In the revision, a meta description tailored for search was written.
    WHY: The intent of a searcher often is different than the intent of the on-page visitor. While the lede should be written to grab the attention of a reader, a meta description should be written to capture the attention of a searcher.

More tips

Exercise 1: Limit “I” and “we”
ORIGINAL: In this article, I’m not going to reinvent the wheel, but I will detail how to build a content marketing program that I know will produce great results.

REVISED: Without reinventing the wheel, I will detail how to build a content marketing program that will produce great results.

What changed? The revised sentence includes only one first-person reference rather than the original three. Yet, the revision still reflects the author’s opinion.

Why? Studies show that people are more likely to perceive people who use multiple first-person references as less confident and less assured, or worse, suffering and self-conscious.

Exercise 3: Resist qualifiers and intensifiers
ORIGINAL: Subject matter experts generally are rather excellent resources for content. Talk to them before writing as they can be particularly helpful in identifying very relevant topics.

REVISED: Subject matter experts are excellent resources for content. Talk to them before writing as they can be helpful in identifying relevant topics.

What changed? The qualifiers (generally, rather) and intensifiers (particularly, very) were deleted.

Why? “A qualifier weakens or lessens the impact of a word or phrase … while an intensifier strengthens or emphasizes the importance of a word or phrase,” according to K.L. Wightman’s grammar guide.

https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/02/how-writing-powerful/

Exercise 1: Show, don’t tell
ORIGINAL: The day began with nice weather.

REVISED: Temperatures hovered in the 70s as the sun rose. Fluffy clouds dotted the ocean-blue sky.

What changed: The revised text describes what nice weather feels and looks like. It also defines what “nice weather” means from the writer’s perspective.

Why: Readers benefit when they can visualize what the text conveys. Don’t settle for telling readers something when you can show them with words. Use descriptive words and avoid vague words. Set the scene, describe your source, show how the product works in real life – the options to show are almost endless.

Exercise 5: Use repetition purposely (and avoid it otherwise)
ORIGINAL: The CMO attended a board meeting with the CEO. At the meeting, they discussed the marketing strategy for the coming year.

REVISED: The CMO attended a board meeting with the CEO to discuss the marketing strategy for the coming year.

What changed: The revision contains a single use of “meeting,” but conveys the same meaning as the first.

Why: Efficient writing is easier for the audience to consume. Revise your content to eliminate unnecessary repetition and don’t think keyword stuffing will make your content more attractive to search engines.

https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/05/exercises-writing-powerful/

Schrijven

Handige tips voor B1 begrijpelijk schrijven

1. Het begint met je maximaal te verplaatsen in de lezer: Begin met wat de lezer wil weten, niet wat jouw organisatie wil vertellen.
2. Weet wat het doel van je tekst is
Bijna altijd is het doel van de tekst je lezer tot actie te brengen. Hij of zij moet iets gaan doen. Of juist niet meer doen.  Elk woord moet helpen het doel te bereiken. Helpt een woord of zin daar niet bij? Laat het weg.
3. Gebruik zoveel mogelijk woorden die (bijna) iedereen kent
4. Maak je zinnen zo kort mogelijk
10 Woorden is lang genoeg, tot 15 woorden mag. Wissel lange en korte zinnen af. Dat vergroot namelijk de leesbaarheid.
Gebruik ook zoveel mogelijk woorden die zinnen verbinden. Voorbeelden zijn omdat, daarom, eerst, daarna, vervolgens.
5. Schrijf actief
Bedenk altijd wie wat doet. Dan hoef je nooit te schrijven dat iets gedaan wordt.
Schrijf dus: De dokter schrijft een recept voor u.
En niet: Er wordt een recept voor u geschreven.
6. Schrijf zo persoonlijk mogelijk: Gebruik ik of wij. Houd het eenvoudig. Breek zinnen af.
7. De opmaak van je tekst maakt het lezen makkelijker
Zeker op websites geldt:
Schrijf korte alinea’s (maximaal 100 woorden);
Schrijf over maximaal één onderwerp per alinea;
Gebruik veel en duidelijke tussenkopjes;
Zorg voor een heldere opbouw en duidelijke samenhang;
De eerste zin is de belangrijkste zin van de alinea.

7 Tips voor begrijpelijk schrijven (op B1 niveau)

Content tips


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content writing tips

 

10 copy tips for social

10 Quick Social Media Ad Writing Tips From an Expert

1. Simplify it
2. Edit (at least twice)
3. Remove jargon
4. Write for your audience
5. Test your ad copy with organic posting
6. Consider the scrolling experience
7. Spend time on the call to action
8. Experiment with emoji
9. Write for the right format
10. Test and revise

10 Quick Social Media Ad Writing Tips From an Expert