Writing is hard. There are no two ways about it, and this quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway sums up a content writer's problems perfectly.
"Don’t get discouraged because there’s a lot of mechanical work to writing. There is, and you can’t get out of it. I rewrote the first part of A Farewell to Arms at least fifty times. You’ve got to work it over. The first draft of anything is shit."
Ernest Hemingway –With Hemingway: A Year in Key West and Cuba by Arnold Samuelson
However, there are methods to polish your work to set your digital content up for success from the very beginning – and who better to deliver that advice than professional content writers? So let's take a look at the top tips and advice from the BestDraft team for successful content writing.
From John Beye – Keep It Fun
"I would say my top tip would be to make sure to keep it fun! Assignments can sometimes get repetitive, but all it takes is the right mindset to keep things fresh. Go into each article or post with the goal of improving as a writer, and you can work on things like vocabulary, turn of phrase, and tone - even if the assignment is to rate the best plungers of 2021."
From Brooke Raines - Remember The Basics
"For tips, I have a few, but I think my top one would be to brush up on your high-school grammar or invest in a tool like Grammarly. I love the creative aspects of writing, but grammar has never come to me naturally. I shied away from writing for a long time because I thought I wasn't a good technical writer. Taking the time to brush up on my grammar has helped ease those feelings."
From Meg Carney - Take Breaks
"I never sit and work at my computer, especially if I’m writing, for more than an hour and a half at a time. Usually, it is 40-90 minute blocks. So when I’m making my schedule for the week, I plan everything around those blocks of time and try to integrate plenty of intentional movement like yoga, walks, etc. I’ve found that working in shorter stints helps me be more intentional and better focused when I actually am writing. It helps me be more creative too!"
"And always take a break between writing and editing— even if just for 10 minutes. Get away from the computer and give your mind time to reset for a fresh look."
From Janelle Lotzgesell - An Excuse to Learn
"Use the prompt or topic to learn something new!
So often, we find ourselves reiterating, rewording, and rethinking the things we think we know. Responding to a content prompt could easily fall into that trend, but your content will be richer, and your voice will be stronger if you use the prompt as a jumping-off point to explore the subject deeper. The result is content that is not only more engaging and insightful for the reader, but an increasingly more
robust foundation as a writer that you can draw from in future assignments."
From Ben Panico - Stay Interested
"My biggest tip, or the thing I have found most useful, is to make sure I take work that I find interesting. In previous jobs where the articles were not personally interesting, it was harder to write persuasive copy, and I found time dragged on more. But sticking with topics that I enjoy, the research goes quicker, and the copy I write is naturally more creative. It's hard to fake excitement or interest in a subject!"
From Johanna Flashman - Remember the Instructions
As far as writing tips go - the one that comes to mind first is to follow all the instructions. I've been doing some editing for an SEO content client, and I notice that writers occasionally turn in drafts that unfortunately disregard instructions on the outline they'd been sent in the brief. It's something that can be so easy to do by just reading all the instructions, understanding them, and following them. But not doing it makes things way more challenging for the editors and doesn't make a good impression.
Bringing it all Together
There we go. The mechanics of artfully stringing words together are tough and take practice, but the tips we've covered here are a great starting point to put you on the path to success! To review, content writers can always benefit from:
Keeping the work fun and exciting
Remembering grammar and format basics
Taking breaks
Continuous learning
Staying interested in the work
Remembering the instructions
We hope these tips help with your digital content endeavors! However, our team of professional content writers is always just a message away if you need our support.
Happy writing!