Improve Your
Content Writing with
These Tips
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Some people are talented enough to write impressive essays and articles, while others are creatively skilled to write imaginative stories.
If identifying with these creative talents is foreign to you, perhaps, this guide of tips and tricks to improve your content writing will undoubtedly benefit you.
I realized I enjoyed writing during my early twenties, but I also acknowledged that I wasn't very good at it. I wrote daily in my journals, but since it was personal, I didn't care much about proper grammar.
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
My Biggest Mistakes
Over the years, I fine-tuned my skills; however, I regularly keep a writing guide or grammar book nearby.
I think the key to realizing your potential is understanding that you are capable of making mistakes. With this said, having a reference source accessible is an essential component of improving my overall writing.
After all, the English lessons from elementary school aren't floating at the top of my memory bank.
Some of my biggest writing mistakes were improper commas, writing in the passive voice, missing articles, lack of transitional words or phrases, and over-use of words.
These might be common mistakes for writers of all levels. The motive of this article is to share some of my tips and tricks to improve your content writing.
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Suggestions to Enhance Your Blog Writing
What if I told you that bloggers are not always the best writers. Would you be surprised? That's why hired ghostwriters author many of the blogs you read today.
Ghostwriting is a common practice. There is nothing wrong with it, but don't make the mistake of comparing your writing style to other website publishers. Stay mindful of your unique writing style and focus on improving your grammar.
Whether you are writing for school, business correspondence, or publishing a blog, proper spelling and grammar will increase your ability to connect with your readers.
For example, in the blogging industry, we are taught to write a blog as if speaking directly to the reader, but this might dilute your message with derailed clarity. It will make it difficult for your audience to read if not done correctly.
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
For instance, when you are recording audio content for your vlog or podcasts, you are verbally speaking directly to your audience. However, if you transcribe that same audio content into written work, you'd want it to read differently. You would need to edit the material so it will appear simpler to understand.
Improve Your Content Writing Tip#1: When
Transcribing an Audio File, Do This...
An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) the quality of a verb adjective or another adverb. Weak modifiers do not add value to your verbs. When we talk to people, we naturally use words like "really and very."
Example:
"That monkey is really, very beautiful."
"That trash smells really bad."
"This test is very hard."
These examples might work well in creative writing, describing an extraordinary story or scripting dialogue in fictional literature. However, it's better to remove these words from your professional or academic writing. These are weak modifiers that you can remove without changing the meaning of your sentence.
Repurposing audio files are widely accepted these days. It adds content across various platforms and delivers a consistent message. Anyone experienced in transcribing YouTube and Podcast files is aware of the long hours it takes to edit.
Even if you use a software program to copy the audio automatically, you'd have to design and adapt the material to appeal to readers.
What if I told you there is a faster way to do this? I have three suggestions that will help speed up the process and improve your writing.
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Edit Your Transcription Faster with These 3 Steps
1. Use a software tool such as Designrr to transcribe the file. Why Designrr? Their transcription tool has features tailored explicitly to converting audio files to professional pdfs. After turning your video or audio into a transcription, you can reformat it with highlights, block-quotes, and images. Also, synchronize the transcript with the video to take relevant screenshots.
2. Next, remove all of your weak modifiers. Don't focus on anything else for now. Eliminating these types of modifiers will clean up your work quickly so you can concentrate on the more in-depth editing in the following step. Some editing might include rephrasing passive voice and replacing repeated words with synonyms for better engagement.
3. Then, copy your written draft from Designrr and paste it into Grammarly, an artificial intelligence spelling and grammar checker. Grammarly's features allow you to set goals based on audience, formality, domain, tone, and intent.
After you complete these steps, copy your corrected written material from Grammarly and paste it back into Designrr. Use Designrr's formatting tools to finish designing your work to create a professional-looking pdf.
Improve Your Content Writing Tip#2: Don't Use
Passive Voice, Here's Why
Using the passive voice in written communication makes your sentence harder to comprehend. The natural formula for active voice is:
[SUBJECT] is the [VERB]. In other words:
Jane is reading.
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Now, let's rewrite the previous sentences using the passive voice:
The ball was kicked out of the field by Jane.
The mountain was climbed by Joe.
The airplane was landed by the pilot. (The emphasis is on the aircraft, not
the pilot.)
There are moments when using the passive voice is inevitable; however, unintentional passive sentences are unclear.
Improve Your Content Writing Tip #3: Use
Transition Words or Phrases
What Are Transition Words?
Transition words or phrases signal the relationship between your claims, reasons, evidence, counterclaims, and conclusions. They are useful in argumentative writing. What is argumentative writing? Transition words take a position and support it with reason.
They also keep your content organized. Think of transition words as a navigation system that tells your readers when things are to come, change direction, or about important ideas.
Example of transition word for counterclaim:
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Counterclaims: a claim that contradicts your case.
One might argue
But
However
Nevertheless
Otherwise
Evidence: These are truths that support your analyses.
Due to
For example
For instance
Specifically
Otherwise
Reason: This is the logic that connects the evidence to your argument.
Therefore
Because
In other words
Claim: The point you want to prove.
One might argue
But
However
Nevertheless
Otherwise
Improve Your Content Writing with These Tips
Conclusion: The summary of your argument or the final judgment you've reached through your reasoning.
As a result
Hence
Finally
In conclusion
Last
Summary
So far, we've discussed transcribing an audio file and the nifty tools available to make it a seamless transformation. Also, we reviewed the adverse effect of using the passive voice. And finally, the importance of using transitional words or phrases to signal the relationship between your ideas and claims.
Sometimes it's appropriate to go back to the basic building blocks of grammar to review childhood lessons. If you would benefit from a simplistic review, I'd recommend Everything You Need To Ace English Language Arts In One Big Fat Notebook. Each page illustrates the English Language as middle-school notes and covers all of the basics
