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Posts Tagged ‘writing’

Whether or not you are selling a product over the web or writing fiction, you need to be able to connect with your reader. While it is obvious that quality content it essential for fiction, it is also essential for good advertising content in order to drive more content to your website. But it is a competitive market out there, and you know you are against many others who are competing for the same customer base as you.

So how hard is it to connect with your reader and create good content? Well, some do not think it is so hard. There are a multitude of software programs that claim to be able to generate thousands of articles that you can use to market your products. While these are nifty little items, the truth is that these types of article just barely “make sense” much less connect with a reader. Many web businesses are realizing that there is an art to connecting with readers, and that there has to be some thought put into good web content. This can only be done with a good writer.

That is right. Selling products is not just about writing anything that comes to mind in hopes that it gets the attention of some random reader. It is about putting together compelling content that will practically force a reader to buy the product being sold. It is not enough to hope that an emotion is evoked I a reader. That is simply a waste of time for you and the customer. If you can focus on connecting with your readers then you will have a much better chance at drawing them in.

For most web marketing, a simple conversational tone will do. Proper grammar is a must, and using contractions can help in forming a conversational tone, but just remember not to use too many or else it will dissolve your credibility. Start out by relating to a frustration the reader may have. Perhaps they continue to use products that fail or do not live up to their hype. Try to draw upon your own experiences to relate to the consumer with the notion that you “feel their pain”.

From there to relate a little bit of your own journey to finding a solution, which may mean going through a list of things that may or may not have helped. Eventually though, you want to show utter relief when you found your final solution. You want to relay what product or service saved you money and gave you the best results. You want it to feel like a testimonial, taking the consumer to the edge of their emotions without actually sounding fake.

Ultimately, connecting with your reader is a combination of telling the truth about your own experiences but highlighting points that will draw your reader in. And when you have them on the “hook”, you can relate to them what can solve their problem for them. And lastly, you want to make sure to entice them to do something about it now which is preferably to buy the product you are advertising for.

Neil Bartlett is the founder of ProArticle.com. Pro Article provides writers with Tips and Techniques for improving their writing skills. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Tips For Successful Online Writing”

As a struggling writer, you may be concerned that your writing style has become too wordy or “flowery” as they say. Perhaps you have heard this from various editors or friends. Perhaps you have heard some feedback that the person simply cannot make it through your story, novel or article. When you ask why they may respond that it just did not seem to be going anywhere. Perhaps they got bored or felt like you were not connecting with them.

Writing without thinking of your point, or becoming too overindulged with your prose can lead to a lot of readers to feel disconnected and sometimes even bored. While eloquent prose is good, it should never be wasteful or nonsensical. At the very least, it should stick to the main point of the content with the sole purpose drawing the reader in. In other words, do not simply write to say “Look at me, I can write!” You have to focus on writing concisely.

This is a problem with many writers both old and young. Even experienced writers can go off on tangents or forget what it means to create sentences that get to the point, and that can be damaging to a writer when it comes to keeping readers interested. This is especially important when writing content for the web. You want to make sure you keep the reader captivated, relate to them, and then send them happily off to the place where they can make their purchase.

While writing concisely does require some natural ability, it is also good to get in lots of practice. Anyone who wants to develop a voice for concise and meaningful prose only needs to start working on articles and content. Of course, it always helps if you can make some money along the way. Writing prose on a daily basis will allow you to have enough content out there to analyze and will eventually help you perfect your craft.

The best way to review your material to see if it seems off point is to ask yourself some questions. As you read it back out loud, do you feel bored or sent off track? Do you see any noticeable problems that would keep a reader from following your point? It really is like grocery shopping off a list you made earlier. Do you see things in your cart that you did not have on your list? Are there things you can put back so that you can use them another time?

As you develop these questions for yourself, you will find it start to come more naturally with everything you write. Not only will you know what you mean, but you will be able to write it as well. Sentence structure and length may not make such a difference as long as what you are writing is on point. However, breaking up sentences into different sizes will keep the reader interested. You can always hit them with an emotional simple sentence to really get their attention!

Neil Bartlett is the founder of ProArticle.com. Pro Article provides writers with Tips and Techniques for improving their writing skills. To learn more INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Tips For Successful Online Writing”

I am frequently asked if anyone can be a writer, and generally I say yes. Each and every person born has the capability of being a writer. The problem is that not everyone knows how to find their inner writer. I would even go as far as to say that many people are confused by the term writer. We all write every single day of our lives. Writing cannot be avoided, which means that we all know how to write.

Then what is the hang up? Why do so many people struggle with writing? The struggle comes from the viewpoint that all writers are creative and imaginative and that they are “word masters.” So how do you tap into that creative side that is hiding deep within you? How do you become a writer? Here are the simple things you can do to help you locate the writer within.

First you want to start small. For someone that has not written before and for the first time sits down and wants to write a book… well that is like trying to run a marathon without any practice. It isn’t that it isn’t possible, but it will be a painful process and chances are great that you will quit before you get to far. I recommend that you start with small projects. Keep a journal and write about your day and do that every day. Don’t just write, “I got up, did the dishes, the kids cried and I wanted to go to bed.” The goal of the journal is that you are practicing communicating with yourself. Do you want include details such as the way you were feeling, the smells of the day, the sights. “The sun was out.” Great, but did the sun hold your house in a warm embrace lighting up everything you did through the day. Or was the sun so bright that it was blinding which caused you to you shut the blinds just to make it through the day? Over time you will see improvement in your writing. The descriptions that you include, the spelling and punctuation that you use, you want to make sure that you are using complete sentences.

The next thing you are going to want to do is think about what genre you want to write in, or that you are comfortable writing in. Typically we writers chose to write in the genre we like to read. That doesn’t mean that you are stuck writing in that genre, but it is one you are going to be most comfortable in to start. The other issue I want to point out is that there are many genres of writing it isn’t just fiction and nonfiction. Here is a small list of the writing genres:

* Catalogs
* Greeting cards
* Poetry
* Short stories
* Speeches
* Magazine Articles
* Newspapers
* Books
* Business Brochures
* Sales Letters
* Technical/Manual writing
* Contracts/Legal

The list can go on and on. Once you decide which area you want to write in, you need to read in that genre as much as possible. Learn the different styles in each area, pay attention to the words used, the best authors in that genre.

Then you need to practice. Practice makes perfect. Stephen King was not born a prolific writer, he practiced. Write one blog post, write one email, and write 300 words. Give yourself a daily guideline and limit. Whether you are writing for 5 minutes or you want to write for an hour, decide and stick with it.

Finally go to your local bookstore or even the library or do a quick internet search and find a book on “How to Write.” The purpose here is that they will offer you writing exercises that will help you improve your writing. Keep this routine up for six months and you will have completely unleashed the writer within you.

Neil Bartlett is the founder of ProArticle.com. Pro Article provides writers with Tips and Techniques for improving their writing skills. To learn more and INSTANTLY grab his FREE report “10 Tips For Successful Online Writing”