fresh content - Express Writers

Avoid Drowning in Crap: 25 Ideas For Fresh Content

January 9, 2024September 26, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Some people are afraid of spiders, some people are afraid of clowns (that’s understandable), while others are afraid of buttons (weird, but true—I knew one such person). I have a more rational fear: crazy rollercoasters, and drowning. Luckily, both are easy to deal with. I can choose what rollercoasters to ride on (unless my husband tries to trick me into one, which he did quite successfully Christmas 2013). For the latter, I know how to swim, but I avoid going far out at sea. What I can’t avoid, however, is the sea of content that’s all around us. Are we in danger of drowning in a sea of blandness? Content is more important than ever. People love to read things on the Internet, and that’s why businesses devote so much of their time to publishing fresh content on their website, blogs, and social media profiles. The problem is that the majority of this copy isn’t very good. In fact, there’s only one word to describe most of the content on the web. Actually, there are more, but let’s keep this PG-13. A majority of the content on the Internet today is crappy. There’s nothing I hate more than crappy content, and Google isn’t a big fan of it either. The Quality Content Days Are In The days when you could stuff meaningless content with keywords, and wait for it to be stumbled upon by unlucky consumers, are long gone. Google is looking for content that’s original, high quality, and informative. If your business is still relying on generic or, to use our adage, crappy content, then you’re wasting your time. So there’s the problem. You know that you need fresh, exciting content, but how do you create it when there are so many words already out there? It’s not easy, but then when has anything worth doing ever been easy? Take my hand. I’m going to show you 25 ways to come up with fresh and engaging content. 1. Become The Customer Today, we’re going to be looking at creating content from a commercial point of view, but it can help you with everything from writing a love letter, to creating a resume, or penning your life story. There’s nothing wrong with commercial writing. If that’s what you do for a living, embrace it and be proud of it. Your words can help someone discover and then buy a fantastic product or service that can change their life. Who needs a Pulitzer Prize? To become a successful copywriter, you have to see things from the customer’s point of view. Let’s imagine your writing about a new bed. Don’t see it from the bed maker’s point of view (our beds cost from $899, and the mattresses come with extra deep rust resistant springs, and stain resistant fabrics – boring!), but from the customer’s point of view. Today, there’s nothing you want more than a new bed. What are you looking for? What will excite you about a bed? How about ‘our beds come with 20% added fun, our super spring technology means you can bounce up and down on it for the rest of your life, and it won’t let you down’? 2. Write From The Heart To create good content, you have to believe in what you’re writing. I’m talking ethics here, so watch out. A copywriter has to be honest to be believable. Never try to push something that you wouldn’t use yourself. If you don’t smoke, how can you write compellingly about a cigarette brand? If you’re not married, how can you write about the joy of getting an hour’s peace on your own? You get the idea. Modern consumers are intelligent and sophisticated, despite what you may think after watching ‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?’, and they can smell falseness a mile away. Before you start writing, immerse yourself in the brand. Get to know what’s truly great about it. Have you convinced yourself of its merits so much, that you want to rush to the store and buy one? The store can wait, it’s time to pick up the pen. 3. Question Everything Children question everything. Why is the sun round? Why can’t frogs speak? Why is water wet? Why do I have to go to bed? Why was mom shouting at you? It’s one of their most annoying, er, I mean endearing attributes. You were once that way too, but as we get older we tend to go with the flow and accept things more. It’s time to rediscover your inner child. I’m not talking about climbing back into your shorts and smearing jam across your face. Leave that for later. What you need to do is question everything. Why is this car dealership so great? Why do I need a new car? What difference will a new set of wheels make to my life? Once you find the right questions, you’ll be able to create high quality copy by coming up with the answers. 4. Learn From The Great Writers It’s often said that there are only seven basic plots, and they make up all of the books ever written. That’s nonsense, of course, or else all books would be the same. Do you see the similarities between ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Gone Girl’. If you said ‘no, there aren’t any’, then go to the top of the class. If you said ‘yes, they’re both about a woman’, then put the dunce’s cap on. Great writers know that there are an infinite number of stories waiting to be written. Every year, fantastic new books come out, that put a completely new twist on a perhaps familiar theme. As it is for novels, so it is for Internet content. Just because you’re writing about a subject that’s already been covered, doesn’t mean that your piece can’t be unique. Never plagiarize, that’s writing poison. You’re an individual with your own personal take on things that’s different to that of anybody else. Now get typing, … Read more

The 5 Do’s for Fresh Website Copy

December 31, 2020November 21, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Content is vital when it comes to online marketing, and many website owners understand this and take steps toward improving their web copy. Yet others are still just groping their way toward grasping this basic idea. Updating your web content on a regular basis might become a dreary job after a while, but it’s critical in maintaining your reader’s interest. What to Do, What Not To Do – For Your Website Copy Just as you don’t go to work wearing the same shirt every day, you need to refresh the content of your website constantly or people will steer away. Staying up-to-date may not be easy, but it’s not an impossible thing to achieve if you put in some discipline and follow a simple, common sense strategy. Nothing New Under the Sun: Socrates’ Method One way to approach your content repositioning is using the right questions to get the answers you need. Imagine you’re standing in front of a building with several entrances. You need to get in but you don’t know which door is the right one because none of them have an ENTER sign. You have to get in on the first attempt, otherwise you’ll be late for a potentially life-changing appointment. One way to figure this out is to adopt what’s known as Socrates’ method. It’s called maieutics. Behind the weird name there’s something pretty simple. Yes, greatest accomplishments often stem from the simplest ideas that stare you in the eye. Essentially, Socrates’ idea was that truth is somewhere in your mind, but to get to it, you need to ask questions. Good questions, smart questions, which will eventually uncover the truth, and provide you with the answer you’re looking for. It’s what you need to do to find your way into your reader’s mind in order to write fresh and effective web content. Why Is Fresh Content Mandatory for Websites? Although the phrase Content is king has become an underlying principle of quality copywriting, many still fail to grasp its real significance. Why is content vital for your business success? Because it makes the difference between staying on top and being left out. Because now it’s the most important thing that search engines, and this means Google, care about. If your content gets stale, your website will get discarded by Google, and although you may have a great offering for your clients, something they need and desire, you will become just another face in the crowd that Google won’t recognize because it’s not different enough to rank well. Therefore, fresh content is a must if you want Google to spot you and people to find you. Fresh content has become a mantra lately, is emphasized by Google, and taken seriously by business-driven website owners. It’s a rule of thumb that can make the difference between conversion and oblivion. Search Engines Buy Your Ticket to the Show, But Don’t Forget You’re Playing For an Audience When writing web copy you want to be visible to search engines so that your website or blog ranks well in searches, but don’t ever forget this is just a means to an end, not an end in itself. Your ultimate goal is hooking and mesmerizing your audience. To achieve this, you’ve got to take that leap and be them. Your content should always respond to your readers’ needs and desires if you want them to stick around. Quality web content that works has two outcomes: it helps and it entertains. Fresh content that is both useful and enjoyable is key for business success. But what are the must do’s for fresh website copy? Here’s the top 5: 1) Update Your Content Regularly By posting new content every week you will improve your ranking and let people know you are there, alive and kicking. 2) Always Use Images Adding images to your text will make it friendlier and more enticing. An appealing image can sometimes be as effective as a great headline, stirring people’s curiosity and prompting them to read. But make sure your text is at least as interesting as the picture. 3) Find Your Own Voice and Stick to It Coherence and consistency are essential if you want people to recognize and remember you. A pretty face may help you offline, but online you’ve got to rely on your voice—that is your writing—to draw attention. Be friendly and informal if your business allows it, and avoid sounding stuffy or uptight, whatever your niche. 4) Always Edit Your Content Your content may be fresh, interesting, and really valuable and beneficial to your visitors, but remember that poor grammar and punctuation can be a major turn off, and will undermine your credibility. Make sure you proof read everything before posting it. 5) It’s All About Sharing To increase your website traffic, write engaging content that people will feel compelled to share. Insert social media buttons on your website and blog, and urge readers to share content. Theirs and yours. By following these 5 simple do’s when writing your web copy, you will find it easier to create fresh content that increases traffic and boosts your Google ranking.