What is content writing about and why do we have to learn how to effectively deliver the content to our audiences? These questions are set for today’s quest as we go through the deep discussion in this post.

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In the past few weeks, I have spent some time researching and learning new things about content writing. “What is content writing about?” That’s the primary question, which I seek for answers. Is it merely for selling or is it for delivering a core message to specific audiences I care? 

Is there something more about it? 

The more I dug into the topic, the clearer the answers. Although it’s still a bit foggy, I’m getting the whole picture of what it is about through this blog. Honestly, when I set up this site last November 2018, I didn’t have a clear direction to where this heads to.

Not until this month. 

Before we go through the details of it, grab your FREE eBook and learn the secret sauce of powerful content. A content that gives 6-figures in income. A content you can’t write if you don’t know the secrets.

Are you ready? 

What Is Content Writing About?

According to Wikipedia, a content writer aka a website content writer is someone that specializes in creating relevant digital content for websites.

To attract the right audience, someone has to write the most relevant content with the necessary keywords for the sake of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

In addition to the knowledge of SEO, every content writer has to be apt with strong writing skills, grammar, and research. You may or may not have an English, journalism or communication background; however, that’s considered a plus. 

Now, that’s how the internet perceives a content writer. It’s only at the tip of the iceberg. What is in content writing we still have to learn and apply in our businesses?

Over the years, I discovered what’s underneath the surface. Content writing is about telling people a story about something regardless if it’s a product, service, or a person. A story of how someone or something can affect someone’s life through the message you delivered. 

Given, you can tell how big the responsibility is for someone in the field. From my standpoint, if you ask what is content writing about, it’s sending someone from Point A to Point B as seamlessly as possible through the digital or printed content you wrote. 

Qualities Of A Great Content Writer

The internet has a lot to say when it comes to defining the qualities of a great content writer. What I compiled in the list are the basic ones mostly observed from my own experience and others in the field. 

For me, these are the same qualities I possess, which is why there are many people, often website owners wanted to hire me because of these. For them, it’s a concrete definition of what they wanted to hire for the team.

1. Knack For Writing, Editing, & Proofreading

You can’t be an exceptional content writer if you don’t have the fundamental skills of a content writer. It’s the basic thing.

Every beginner content writer has to have a knack for writing the content, as well as editing and proofreading the blog post, for example, before you upload on the site and become a readable digital content. 

Even the seasoned writers still can’t prevent some flaws in writing a piece; however, it doesn’t mean they neglect each error every time they write something.

What I use to help me in this process is Grammarly, which has been a very helpful tool ever since I began my writing career. 

The tool helps me in editing my work regardless if it’s a blog post or technical research, as well as a chapter of my fiction book I write often. You can check that tool when you click the image below.

2. Knowledge Of SEO

If you’re planning to work with someone online, having a basic knowledge of the SEO is helpful to get the job.

Why? Every website owner wants to have someone knowledgeable in the area to create a piece of content passable for Google’s eyes. 

Of course, your delivery and your content per se are important but if you’re writing a blog post or any website content, you need to have the know-how for the Search Engine Optimization (SEO), even if it’s the basics of it. 

In that way, the content will attract its target readers lurking around the internet and generate results i.e. traffic, leads, or conversions. You can read more about this in this post. 

3. Research Proficiency

When you write for digital content, you have to consider the facts you include in it. You can include most of your personal experiences in it, but you have to review or do research if your assumptions and facts coincide. 

This is what I do most of my posts. Although I have been sharing my life in each post I publish in this blog, I still do my research to make sure I haven’t missed a thing about the subject I’m writing about. 

That includes in every niche you are in. Even if you’re writing about beauty, fitness, health, or even make money niche, you have to make your in-depth research to ensure you’re delivering the right information to your audience, albeit the opinion you shared in each content. 

4. Exceptional Storytelling Skills

Another area in which most content writers neglect is the way they deliver the information to its readers. As far as my writing style is concerned, I have been receiving positive comments from others about it, which is cool. 

According to these comments, I have a knack for writing about the storytelling process within the content I publish.

Somehow, they appreciated the fact that I could provoke something from the readers through the writing, particularly the way I deliver the words to describe something. 

I am aware of my technique, which I feel grateful about. My writing style is an outcome of a constant practice in which I employ the techniques Jon Morrow, a great blogger I followed over the years, taught me. Honestly, his methods influenced the way I craft my content. 

Aside from that, I recommend learning writing classes from world-class writers and best-selling authors from MasterClass, which is currently my favorite hub for practicing my craft. Especially with my book writing process. This helps a lot in improving the manner I deliver the story, which plays a vital role in content writing as well.

If you observe, the way I introduce the topic and the way I end the post. Generally, they contain the words or set of sentences provoking you to act or reflect on something. Curiosity, maybe. That’s one of the techniques I used to make every post as effectively as possible. 

Within the content, I also share my thoughts and/or experiences when appropriate. That makes every point emphasized and convincing because I know the readers will relate well if I share something about it. 

The techniques are simple, yet it requires constant practice, specifically the storytelling part, which employs the same pattern as writing a story or fiction to your readers.

Your knowledge about the topic isn’t enough if your target audience can’t relate well. Keep that in mind.

5. Winning Mindset + Right Attitude

If you’re familiar with T Harv Eker’s “The Millionaire Mind,” you understand what I’m trying to point out here.

To succeed in various areas of your life, including the content writing industry, you need to possess a winning mindset and right attitude to deliver the best in you and spread it to your target market. 

You can only promote your strengths or your exceptional high-income skills if and only if you possess the spirit of a champion inside you.

Once you do with such perseverance, diligence, and patience, you will the results of your labor. Wealth. Do you get what I mean? 

If you want to prove that this works, you can try one of my recommended planner to achieve your goals, the Erin Condren planners.

I have been a fan of planners since I make my own, too. I was once a handmade journal seller before, too. You can get your $10 coupon for Erin Condren planners here.

How To Start Writing High-Quality Content?

In this section, we’ll dig into the whole process of content writing employing the concept of storytelling injected in our writing. That’s the difference with what I teach and what others direct to beginners like you. 

Certainly, there are similarities to a certain degree. But I don’t want you to write plain content for the sake of writing something.

I want you to make a story as you deliver your audience from Point A to Point B. 

Tell them why do they have to spare some minutes reading your post. Inform them something they haven’t heard of. Provoke their suppressed emotions to a certain topic, if you must.

That’s what I do to most of my posts, which is most of my readers like the uniqueness of my content delivery. 

Before we go through my secret sauce, let’s delve into what’s basic in content writing. This is what you see in most content writing tips.

It comprises the following ingredients: 

1. Outline or the skeleton of your post
2. Striking headline
3. Hooking introduction and conclusion
4. “For example” scattered within the content
5. Implementing SEO in content

1. Outline/The Skeleton Of The Post

If you are already familiar with how I create the outline for my novels, understanding how to create the skeleton of your post won’t be that difficult. If not, I suggest you read the post because I discussed this in details.

It’s good to learn something new, right?

Within the outline are the main points of your post accumulated from the researches made or personal experiences.

The pieces of information are then arranged in a certain way to see the bird’s eye view of the post. To see the flow of the post from Point A to Point B. 

Often, it follows the following sequence: 

Main Point 1

1. Sub-point a
2. Sub-point b
3. Sub-point c

Main Point 2

1. Sub-point a
2. Sub-point b
3. Sub-point c

Do you get the whole picture?

For example, your post is about how to start writing a book, you usually start with:

Types of book writing

1. Physical content
2. Digital content

Steps involved in book writing

1. Creating an outline
2. Research information to include 
3. Writing the whole book
4. Editing
5. Proofreading
6. Publishing

Do you get what I mean? 

2. Creating An Attractive Headline

When it comes to creating an attractive headline, there are only 2 things I have in mind.

First, it has to have that provoking feeling, which induces the audience to click.

Second, the headline has to pass the SEO standards for Google.

Thus, it has to have the keywords while it performs its function as a headline. To attract a user to click and to be visible among billions of results on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Simple. 

When it comes to the search of keywords, I have a few tactics, which I still use for free. Even if I don’t have access to paid tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, and Jaaxy, I can still find out the best keyword apt for a post. 

How? 

Since I started blogging, I usually utilize the power of Google search results, Buzzsumo, Google trends, and sometimes social media to uncover the secrets of the keyword search. That’s because I couldn’t afford to pay for monthly services. 

So, how are you going to do that in your posts? 

a. Google Search

What I do is to search on Google about the main subject of the post. For instance, my post is all about content writing. I simply type in the words on the search bar and these keyword suggestions immediately pop out. 

Another thing you could do is to take a glance at the suggested keywords below the first page of the SERP.

If you land on the top page of Google, scroll down to see the following keywords. At least, it gives you an idea of what your users use to search for keywords.

b. Google Trends

Aside from the benefits of Google Search, you also have Google Trends aka the most underrated tool for keyword research.

I use this often when I do my research and have a gist of what content my users search on the internet these days. 

You see below, Google has already provided the bunch of keywords that are trending recently.

One of the cons of using this method is that it’s not great when you’re a small site. That is if you plan to use the exact keyword on your content. If you only use it for reference, it’s great. 

It’s just a way to see if your keyword is up-to-date to what your users mostly search these days. But it’s necessarily the main keywords you use for the content. 

Why? You’re competing against big websites using the keyword. So, when you use the same keywords as these big sites do, you’ll become invisible. 

Who are you against the Giants, right? Keep that in mind. 

c. Buzzsumo

Often, Buzzsumo is used only to find out what types of content our audience share on social media. In that way, you can get an idea which content or how the headlines are written to get lots of shares. 

You see below a list of what headlines come out when we use “content writing” as the main subject. You can try with your post as well.

d. Creating Headlines For Content

The next component in creating a killer headline is the intelligent use of provocation. With that being said, I use Jon Morrow’s 52 Headline Hacks as my reference for 4 years now. It’s been a very helpful guide for me. 

You may read my ultimate post about blogging here. In this post, I shared everything about how to write killer content, including how to create an effective headline for your posts. 

3. Hooking Intro + Conclusion

This is where Point A and Point B come into the picture. You want your users to have a successful trip from the first point to the next, right? 

Given, you have to make sure you hook them with a striking introduction to ensure they’ll stay. That’s your ultimate goal as a successful content writer. Make your readers stay. 

How to do that? 

First, make your intro express an emotional connection between you and your readers. Instead of telling them about content writing by definition, tell them why they need content writing and the need to learn it. 

For example, 

“Content writing is a way to create content for websites and other digital forms of media.” 

This is how most bloggers introduce the post. By the book. What I do is to tell something emotional related to content writing. 

“Are you struggling with how to start writing content for your next blog post?”

Do these 2 sentences make a difference? Yes, the tone and the way it’s expressed are different but they function the same thing. To describe what content writing is. Am I right? 

Do you understand what I’m trying to say?

4. “For Example” – A Powerful Delivery Tactic

What I observed in most blogs I read, especially the big sites, they neglect the power of the 2 words to exemplify a concept.

“For example” is a simple but powerful tool to describe and to ensure your audience understand the topic you’re writing about. 

Have you noticed how I wrote the post? I used “for example” most of the time in this post alone.

If you observed how I wrote other posts of mine, you will see I’m a fan of using that to make sure my readers didn’t miss a single thing in the content. 

5. Implementing SEO In Content

When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the concept that comes in your mind is keywords. Sure, it does help if and only if you’re clever in using them. 

There are areas in your content where the keyword is used. Often, they are in your:

1. First few words in your headline
2. First and the last paragraph of the post
3. Somewhere in the middle of the content
4. Slug or URL
5. Alt Text of your images

For the keyword research, you can use my suggested alternatives if you are on a tight budget today. You can take advantage of Google search, Google Trends, or Buzzsumo as I mentioned earlier. 

On the other hand, if you have some dime or if you’re currently using paid keyword search tools, you can use them for your research. That’s also great. For that, I use the following: 

1. Jaaxy
2. SEMRush
3. Ahrefs

To learn more about how to implement the power of SEO in your post, you can read my post about this here. I wrote about it in-depth, which might help you in your writing process. 

Conclusion – It’s Your Turn!

Content writing may seem daunting for you, a beginner content writer. But if you desire to write high-quality content for your audience and for web traffic, it’s a need.

It wasn’t an easy start for me, too. I had to go through the whole hellish process to reach a peak where I am now. Even though it was a tough journey for me, it was worth it. I was able to do what I wanted to, to begin with.

Now, it’s your turn, my friend.

For you, it will be thrilling. That’s for sure.

I believe you have the qualities of a great content writer. All you have to do is to spare some time to constantly practice to improve your craft.

Click the image below to get started. With diligence and winning mindset, you will get the results you want. 🙂 

If you are inspired with the post, let me know your thoughts about it through the comment section below.

You can also reach me out by clicking here if you have further concerns. Share the post to your friends and family as well. I appreciate that a lot. 🙂

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