6 Writers’ Tips To Level Up Your Game And Start Writing Like A Pro

Back in college, I used to have a poster that quoted my favorite, Dr. Seuss. It said in loud bold and varying letters: Why FIT in when you were born to STAND OUT!

Fast forward ten years and I am visualizing that same poster and it hit me – how do I stand out now with my writing skills? Last month, WordPress stats showed almost 74 million blogs published! That’s about 2.4 million blogs per day! 71% of that is in English, meaning about 1.7 million English blogs got published per day in December 2016! For the same month, I published a grand total of 20 blogs – drowned out in almost 20 million! And the ocean is getting wider and bigger. So Dr. Seuss, help me stand out the way I was born to stand out!

Luckily, I’ve gotten better and learned a few writers’ tips and tricks here and there. One thing I learned: you need to create stunning, no, sensational blog posts! Let’s start!

1. 
   

Have a big, no, great plan!

Like all great buildings, they started with a great plan – floor plan, structural plan, etc. Same with your post. Ask these questions:

1. Know the reasons why you get visitors to your site.

2. What can you do to attract more readers?

3. How can you make them stay longer and keep coming back to see your new posts?

4. How can you increase blog traffic with proper distribution?

These are just some of the questions you need answered in addition to the usual extensive research to ensure the accuracy of your details.

While architects use tracing paper, writers can use some useful planning apps to keep all those valuable info handy and readily available to you. Apps like Evernote and Google Docs are two of my favorites.

1. 
   

Think of a killer, no, fierce title!

Some writers think of a title (or a current song) first and then go write around it. But the good ones think of the title last and after the final draft has been made. Why? Because it’s difficult to think about a killer or fierce title that will get your audience’s attention.

There is such a thing as the 30 second rule where in you have about 30 seconds to hook your readers and keep them reading until the bottom of the page or next page. Don’t waste those 30 seconds with a boring title wherein they ignore your article after reading your non-killer title.

Use the 70 character limitation set by Google. If it’s too long, they will dismiss it. If it’s too short, it may not have that hooking effect.

See these two titles:

1. Useful Ways To Increase Blog Traffic

2. How My Google+ Traffic Shot Up 850%

Which of the two is more likely to get clicked? Of course, the one that can relate to you. Something that will attract the reader solely because he might just be able to increase his own blog traffic even by half of that.

1. 
   

Write really quality, no, excellent content!

They say Content is King. I say Content is Ace! In poker the highest ranked card is not the King but the Ace. And content should be Ace.

We all love a good story and it’s not in the number of words, it’s always the story and how you tell it. Some people are good at telling a story verbally and you can laugh at his joke because he can deliver it perfectly with perfect timing of the punchline. But not all writers can do that and have the same hilarious effect. All because of poor delivery of great content.

Divide your article into different parts to make use of the H1, H2, etc. headings. This will give the readers a chance to breathe between topics and not see a wall of letters, words and sentences. It’s very straining to the eyes, too.

Now your excellent content might still not go viral. Well, you can add a few call-to-action questions or orders. An example is BuzzFeed’s headline that got 2.2 million views – “Why Are You Single?” It’s a subtle call to action to make single people find out why they are still single.

Tell me if you now know how to start that impeccable blog from the first to third advice.

1. 
   

Be specific, no, precise!

It’s simple enough. Just go straight to the point. I’m talking about having vague and boring words and turning them into specific yet interesting ones. For example:

She arrived home and ate her dinner.

Boring. Now make it more specific:

She tumbled into her apartment, plopped the TV dinner into the microwave, then cuddled into her sofa and watched Seinfeld.

Now apply it onto your website content. Instead of giving out vague activities, write about your clients’ successes and relate it to your audience.

Like saying, “The ‘Corner Bakery’ doubled their revenue after signing up with my program.”

Target what your reader’s needs. So tell them that you will “create a 2-phase business plan that you can use within a month.”

See the specificity?

#5 Use attractive, no, captivating imagery!

If words fail you, use imagery! The human eye is naturally attracted to pictures and moving images as compared to just mere words. Use many easy-to-use image apps available like SlideShare, Flickr and YouTube. For sure the bounce rates will be lower and readers will stay on the page longer.

We can all be proud writers, but alas, sometimes images are mightier than the pen.

#6 End with a bang, no, a roar!

It’s all about the ending, isn’t it? The difference between a good book and a great one sometimes depends on how the story ends. You could build up momentum with the body of your content but if the ending doesn’t go out with a bang, it ends with a whimper. Tsk tsk.

Your summary or conclusion should tell what the whole article is all about. And it should create a loud roaring noise. After that, make sure you give your readers 1.) A call to action and 2.) A chance to voice out their opinions and reactions to your blog post. So provide a comment or feedback form. Who knows, you might be able to improve on your writing or get ideas for your next post. Whatever the reason, it’s a great way for you to interact with your readers, just make sure you reply to each one.

It’s your turn now

These 6 suggestions are writers’ tips that are quite simple but the effects are massive! Remember why you started your blog or your website in the first place – because you have an idea to sell and a solution to offer your readers.

Do you have other suggestions for upping that already A-game of a skill you call writing? Send us your feedback! Let’s discuss it over coffee!

#Writerstips