Does all of your web copy sound the same, as though someone has just inserted keywords into a form letter and pasted it up? This is an all too common problem when it comes to web content because it is frequently written by inexperienced writers or bored professionals with no personal link to the material at hand. In either case, the content tends to be flat and that just isn’t good for business.
So how can you generate website copy that is interesting, personalized, and exciting? Here are some tips for jazzing up otherwise plain material so that it grabs your reader’s attention.
Imagine Your Reader
Content writing is often flat because the goal is to appeal to a broad audience of people. Unfortunately, what results is writing that appeals to hardly anyone at all because it has no character left in it. One way to avoid this issue is by drawing up an image of who your ideal customer is. It’s not only a question of who you think is out there reading your content, but also of who you want to be reading it.
What motivates your ideal reader? How do you want them to feel and respond when they are on your site or reading your blog? Having a clear idea of who this person is will help you to write copy that attracts these readers. A specific reader concept is actually better than a generic one because the character of your business can really shine through.
Spin A Story
One of the most engaging ways to draw customers into your content is to keep the facts light and instead rely on stories to bring about a response. Stories allow readers to feel like they are part of an inner, trusted circle and they also improve the conversational tone of the writing. So while it’s important to include some facts about your product or services, those shouldn’t be the core of the content.
Keep The SEO Light
SEO is a real villain when it comes to crafting boring web content. Too often, a writer approaches the page with a list of keywords they hope to emphasize throughout, boosting their ranking position in search engines and bringing more people to the site. This is a terrible approach to content writing because the writer tends to lose the force of the message when focusing too heavily on SEO.
Instead of approaching the assignment with those SEO terms front and center, try setting out the parameters of your message first. When you know what you mean to say and focus on saying it in interesting and effective ways, that’s when your content will really shine. You can drop in some SEO later if that’s still important to you, but you may find that quality content wins out over keyword density in the long run.
Go Pro Or Fly Solo
There are two different types of writers that predominate when it comes to web content production – freelance professionals and content company employees. Which of these you choose to write your web content will make a big difference in the kind of writing you post to your site. Each kind of writer has their pros and cons, but when it comes to adding some spice to the content, freelance pros usually prevail.
On the other hand, content mills know what they’re doing. The writers at these companies make their living doing this and they understand web content as a form and they are SEO professionals. Their writing ranks highly in search engine results and the turn-around time is unmatched.
Freelance professionals are pricier but their writing tends to shine in comparison to content mills – the flipside, of course, is that you’ll pay dearly for it. Interesting and exciting costs money and it tends to lack the SEO advantage of content company writing. Freelance writers simply don’t have the training for it. In the end, you end up with a series of compromises.
Of course, your final option is to write your own content. Sometimes this works well because of your personal connection to your business – you can spin the narratives and share what’s exciting about what you do. Are you a skilled writer, though? This tends to be the biggest problem for professionals who want to write their own copy. It may have a personal edge but it can also be somewhat unreadable in terms of mechanics. It’s a risk most professionals aren’t willing to take.
Armed with all of this information, however, you are better equipped to write web content that won’t sound like a robot wrote it. Whether you hire out or write it yourself, these tips can help you to weed out the boring content, and run only material that has flair. A discerning eye for good content is more than most business people have, so use that to your advantage.
