Blog Writing Checklist: 6 Writing Tips to Create Better Content

Blog Writing Checklist: 6 Writing Tips to Create Better Content

Copywriting & Content

Want to improve your writing to engage more customers?

Imagine how much your business could grow if you had more steady, regular traffic to your website!

That’s the purpose of a business blog.

Remember, visitors to your website are prospective customers. It’s important to have an active, well-written business blog filled with informative content because it hooks prospects to your brand and gives them a reason to regularly visit your website.

A good blog builds active readership and, over time, turns those readers into customers.

Most people don’t have the time or expertise to write their own blog posts so they hire a ghost blogger to write for them, but if you do write your own posts, learning to self-edit your content is the best way to boost your brand strength.

Be clear about your writing goals

Do you want your blog to differentiate you as an expert? Of course! But the more important purpose of your blog should be to let your prospects see themselves in your writing. When you achieve that, your readers will feel that you understand them.

Your readers want to be understood. Everyone does! Good content gives readers the feeling that you “get” them, that you know their questions and can provide answers, and that your content has the potential to enhance their lives.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Strong writing builds your readers’ trust. When they trust you, they’ll remember you when it comes time for them to make their buying decisions.

So let’s get down to it.

6 tips to self-edit your content for stronger copy that attracts more customers:

1. Write directly to your reader

Isn’t it nice to feel like someone is speaking to you, and not just in vague, general terms? Address your content in the second person using “you” and “your” to help your readers to feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

2. Ask agreeable questions

Just think about how much more engaged your readers will feel when they start off by immediately agreeing with you! When you open your copy with a question that readers will answer “yes” to, it makes them feel like you understand them and that your article is just what they’re looking for to answer their important questions. And you know something? If they keep saying “yes” consistently, they’ll start to feel that your product or service is for them, too!

3. Speak with an active voice

Do you know how to recognize an active voice vs. a passive voice?

Active Voice: William Shakespeare wrote many great works of literature.

Passive Voice: Many great works of literature were written by William Shakespeare.

Confident, direct storytelling is more engaging, right? Using an active voice is effective because it gives your writing decisiveness.

Learn to recognize passive sentences and change them to an active voice. One of the main ways to spot a passive voice is searching for the word “by”. You can see it in the example above: “Many great works of literature were written by William Shakespeare.” Positioning your sentences with by is an indication of the passive voice and way can feel overly formal, dated, and just plain dull. Anytime you use that word, stop and consider if there’s a more active way to make your point.

4. Engage Readers with Trigger Words

Remember that your purpose is to engage readers. It’s effective to use trigger words that get your readers thinking. Imagine how much more engaged your audience will be if you provoke them to stop, think, and consider.

The words “remember” and “imagine” act as triggers for your readers. Other trigger words include, “consider,” “picture this,” and questions like “what if?” These triggers work because they get your readers thinking, which makes for good storytelling and a more engaged audience.

Using the word “because” is an impactful trigger; it tells your readers that they’re about to receive an answer to substantiate your idea. Don’t forget that people read your copy because they want to get something out of it. Using “because” as often as possible gives them answers that will justify the worth of your content.

5. Use fewer adverbs

You may think that adverbs are emphasizing your point, but they are actually weakening your statements. Words like “very” and “really” don’t make your point stronger. Instead, use more powerful verbs. Consider the difference between:

She really likes ice cream.

vs.

She adores ice cream.

Using the verb “to adore” instead of “to like” depicts a more powerful emotion and makes for stronger storytelling. There are also other ways to express strong statements that don’t overuse weak, repetitive adverbs:

She’s crazy about ice cream.

Rather than relying on adverbs, look for stronger ways to emphasize your point.

6. Use Formatting to Stand Out

Reading online is not like reading print. On the internet, your readers are bombarded by information. When they land on your page, they make a split-second decision to stick around or leave. In your website’s analytics, the frequency measurement of how quickly people click, glance, and then leave is called the bounce rate.

If you can capture people’s attention quickly by making your copy feel inviting and easy to digest, people will stay on your website longer and you’ll have a lower bounce rate.

You can win over more readers by formatting your content with the online medium in mind:

  1. Break up ideas with shorter paragraphs
  2. Use more white space
  3. Create bulleted and numbered lists
  4. Include more H1, H2, and H3 headers
  5. Bold, underline, italicize, and capitalize important words
  6. Long paragraphs don’t read well on the internet. Hit the enter/return key more often to break up your ideas and create more white space.

Bulleted and numbered lists make your content easier to skim, and it makes your content feel less intimidating. This is also a great way to create more white space.

Clearly written headings highlight your content’s value and break up your copy into digestible chunks that are easy to skim. When you format your headings using H1, H2, and H3, not only do you create a bigger font size, but it’s also good for your SEO.

Use bold, underlined, italicized, and CAPITALIZED words to draw the readers’ eyes to key ideas and break up the monotony of the page.

How effective are these writing tips?

I’ve used these 6 writing tips to write this blog post. What do you think of these methods in action? Are they effective?

According to research, trends, and the analytics behind popular blogs and websites across the internet, the answer is yes! These methods are extremely effective. These tips work for professional writers and they can work for you, too.

It’s great to work with a professional ghost blogger because they know how to incorporate these writing techniques to create strong, customer-driven content. For that reason, it’s often more time efficient and cost-effective to outsource your writing. But if you have the drive, you can write successful blog posts yourself, as well.

Bookmark this writing checklist and refer back to it to edit your own content. When you practice these techniques, they’ll eventually become a natural part of your writing style and will help to bring your writing up to its maximum potential.

Todd Foster

As a dedicated Digital Marketing Strategist at Barker Social, I am passionate about helping businesses unlock their full potential online. With a focus on results-driven strategies, I aim to deliver measurable success for our clients.