Or why your crappy first drafts should never be published – and how you can clean them up
In 1994, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird changed the way many writers looked at their first drafts. If we thought we were alone in our crappy, never-to-be-seen first drafts, she cured us of that fantasy. In no uncertain terms, she told us no one writes perfect prose right out of the gate and even the best writer needs a good editor. For me, it tore down the fear of being a “bad” writer and gave me permission to explore my creativity. “All good writers, write crappy first drafts. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts,” she wrote.
Good writing takes more than one draft. A second sober look, reviewing both the overall message and line by line spelling and grammar checks are must have’s, whether you’re writing a book or a blog post.
Trouble, is most of us are blogging for our businesses without the safety net of a copyeditor and our content goes out into the world unseen by anyone but ourselves. If we’re not carefully editing our work, typos and broken links can sneak through unnoticed. Thankfully, correcting some of those errors is quick and painless online tweak. But sometimes the mistakes are larger and can impact whether a potential customer visits our site again. Ouch.
If you’re interested in strengthening your published blog posts, have a look at these common blogging weaknesses and how to correct them.
You haven’t defined your blog strategy. A business blog can be an effective content marketing tool but without a strategy, you’re swimming against the tide. Eventually you’re going to get tired and give up, which leads to nowhere good. To fix this issue, set some goals before beginning so you know where you want the blog to take you.
· Invest in keyword research to help map out a content plan
· Ensure each post aligns with your chosen keywords and your larger business goals
· Create an editorial calendar to keep yourself (or the blogger you hire) on schedule with your goals
Your headlines make promises your blog posts don’t keep. A great headline that doesn’t match the body text is called bait and switch. It may have worked in the days of Blackhat SEO but it’s not a smart way to attract and retain customers. The good news is that we all fall into this trap once in a while – and it’s fixable.
· Keep your headlines concise and to the point
· Write your headline first and consider it your thesis statement
· Save the creative headlines for your H2’s where you can have a little more (honest) fun
You aren’t writing to readers who scan. If your headline snags the interest of a customer but your content is a big block of text, you’ve lost them. We’re all scanners now, trying to grab the essence of an article without investing the time to read it. It might be lazy but it’s also our reality. So how do you fix it?
· Take as much time to craft your subheads as you do your title
· Add images and pull-out text boxes to grab attention and help tell your story
· Use bulleted (or numbered) lists to provide more white space and make your posts easier to scan
Your blog posts are unfocused and ramble too long before getting to the point. Your college professors might have enjoyed a long, drawn-out argument but potential customers won’t thank you. If 10 words will convey a message you originally wrote with 20, do it. Likewise, a good writer doesn’t need big words to make them look smart. They use the right words so their customers can get the information they came for, quickly and easily. Remember, your posts should be about what your customers need:
· Constantly ask yourself if everything in your post truly serves your customers
· If your posts feel too long, consider breaking them into parts that you publish on different days
· Simplify your ideas with shorter sentences and paragraphs (or a balanced mix of long and short)
Your blog posts are too generic. Do your blog posts read like they could have been written by ChatGPT? Do they offer specific information or do they generalize, not offering real, tangible solutions? Writing is hard work. Good writing that’s peppered with personality and creative solutions will separate you from the crowd. Here’s how you can correct this problem:
· Start with ChatGPT but then add in your personality
· Do your research and offer your readers the solutions they’re searching for
· Remember that anyone can start a blog – give your readers a reason to come back to YOURS
You haven’t honed your copyediting skills. Whether you’re a new or seasoned writer, it’s too easy to rely on tired clichés or worse, miss opportunities for colorful metaphors and storytelling. Those errors belong in your crappy first drafts – not your published posts. When you’re editing your posts, try these tips:
· Employ AI to help you edit – grammarly is a smart, easy to use tool
· Let your creativity out with color commentary or metaphors to help tell your story
· Ask for help – sometimes another set of (human) eyes on our content can make all the difference
You forgot the call to action. A blog post is the start of a conversation between you and your customer. And everything in that post should be about helping them in some way – but the call to action is important too. Whether you want them to read more posts, reach out to you for more information or come into your store, don’t assume your customers will know what you want them to do.
Check out my other articles on the SSA
· Is your business blog delivering results?
· Does your store need a social media manager?
· Retail sustainability – are environmental hackers or caretakers?
Who the heck is Julia Rosien?
As a digital brand marketer, I’m passionate about technology and how it can help us do what we do – better. How we interact with technology – personally and professionally – is where the magic happens and it’s where smart marketers focus their energy. Experience and insights coupled with emerging digital tools leads to best in class brand marketing for today’s connected consumer. Connect with me on LinkedIn.