Recently Google has redesigned Gmail's look, and something notable is missing from the new design: words. Instead of clicking on helpful words at the top of the screen, now you can click on icons. This new design is billed as "cleaner, more modern."
Whether word reduction is a result of smaller-screened devices or the public's distaste for too much information at every turn, a writer must alter his or her content writing strategy to stay fresh and current. But how does a writer thrive in a climate that demands fewer words? It's really pretty simple, but it takes some thought. Try using the following tips to update your content writing, produce meaty work, and get more jobs.
1. Get to the Point. With millions of websites at their fingertips, web surfers want information-rich content, and they want it now. They don't want to wade through multiple sites to find what they need, so guarantee them that you'll give them what they want right from the start.
If your job is to write about kid-friendly things to do in Chicago, don't start your piece by telling readers about the summer vacation you spent at your Aunt Trudy's house in Chicago Heights when you were in 6th grade. If their kids are throwing fits because it's the second day of summer vacation and they're already bored, readers don't care about your Aunt Trudy; they want information, and they want it now. Simply give it to them.
Write a two to three-sentence introduction and then give them the goods. If you quickly fill the information hunger, you'll have them eating out of your hand.
2. Increase White Space. Have you ever gotten an email newsletter that was so densely packed with words that the screen looked more black than white? Be honest: did you really want to read it all? Even though you're a writer, you have to admit that densely packed prose is intimidating. It feels like you're reading a law journal, even if you're really reading a review of a Katy Perry concert.
How do you increase white space? Format your pieces to include bulleted lists, shorter paragraphs, and subtitles. Although this content writing strategy has less to do with content than with formatting, you'll find that when you keep white space in mind while you write, your writing will automatically become streamlined and more concise.
3. Focus on Keywords. Focusing on keywords may seem oh-so-unliterary, but it will keep your writing tight and will result in a wider viewership. Shorter, more concise articles and blog entries attract and hold the interest of more readers.
Most SEO experts agree that optimal keyword density is 1 to 3 percent for most search engines. For broad topics, this keyword density may feel constraining, especially if you're writing about a broad topic. If your topic is difficult to narrow down to a few keywords, split it up into a series of articles. For blogs, post each article in a series on a different day to keep readers coming back for more, and include a teaser for the next day's content.
4. Revisit Old Content. Just because you've written about a topic previously, you don't have to shelve the material and start with something completely new. In fact, an essential content writing strategy is to revisit old material and update it with new developments, ideas, and applications.
When you don't have to research a topic from scratch, you're already ahead of the game. Although you can't cut and paste from articles you wrote previously, you can take general ideas and give them a new spin. For instance, if you've written an article about personal budgeting tips, take one aspect of that article and expand on it. Write an entire article or blog post about how to cut down on your entertainment budget using principles from your original article.
Get to Work
So take on that next assignment. I promise that if you incorporate even one content writing strategy into your workday, your speed and quality will improve. If you go for all four of these strategies, you'll be able to ride the wave of modern content writing and not get left behind, writing old-style prose that doesn't fit with today's technology.
Give them the goods, format it like eye-candy, keep keywords in mind, and revisit previously written content. Can you feel the wind in your hair?