These 6 Writing Mistakes are Costing You as a Writer
So, you want to be a content writer?
Or copywriter?
Oh, wait.
Aren’t they both the same?
If your answer is yes, stop reading this article and go watch some youtube video or read some articles to understand the difference between the two.
After you are done, come back because that is exactly what the first point holds.
Not knowing the difference between Content Writing and Copywriting
Let me sum it up for you.
Content writing is focusing on creating informational content like articles and blog posts. These pieces provide readers with a sense of knowledge about a particular topic.
Copywriting on the other hand is more persuasive in nature, as it focuses on making a sale or getting users to take an action. It’s often used in advertisements and sales pages.
So, next time you apply for a job as a copywriter in spite of working your whole life as a content writer, you know what to do, right.
If you don’t, the answer is simple again.
Do the exact same act as mentioned in the 5th line of this article.
Not adding a personal touch to the stories
Heard about AI writing tools?
Well, me too but trust me, AI writing tools can never replace human touch.
Readers come to content creators looking for stories that evoke emotions and make them feel connected — something that AI tools can’t do.
A machine lacks that intent, that love, and that care that a content creator has for his reader.
What a writer can do is evoke that personal anecdote in his or her writeups. He can try to make the reader feel acknowledged, heard and understood.
An AI tool, on the other hand will just churn out content, irrespective of the topic, target audience and purpose of writing.
I am pretty sure Dexter’s mind i.e. a mind sans emotions was the byproduct of an AI writing tool.
That was bad, I know it.
But, still, keep this thing is mind and watch yourself become a better writer.
Not Having a Clear Understanding Of Your Target Audience
Suppose you are writing for a parents blog.
What kind of language would you prefer?
Would you go with the more colloquial approach or the formal one?
A content writer should understand that parents blog requires a particular language, tone, and style which is different from writing for other target audiences.
The audience here is a modern parent who doesn’t have the time to look at the thesaurus after reading every line.
And in spite of those warnings, if you write in the language that Salman Rushdie wrote the Midnight’s Children, then you are in for a lot of trouble.
The audience might greet you with polite applause in the form of their beautiful shoes.
So, make sure you always understand your target audience before penning down the story.
Proofreading, what’s that?
‘I don’t proofread my work because I am too good of a writer’, said a content writer who lost his job 5 mins ago.
LOL.
Proofreading is an essential part of any writing practice. It helps you not only in rectifying grammatical and typographical errors, but also adds clarity to your work by making it more coherent.
Every top writer, and here I am not talking about a content writer but a book author, gets his or her work edited before release.
The editor, who is a third party, helps the author in understanding his own writing better. A lot of publishing houses have in-house editors for these kinds of work.
Just like a single typographical error can cause a lot of damage, an unedited or proofread article can cost you a lot of efforts and time.
And time is money, we know that, don’t we?
Not staying up to date with industry trends and best practices
A good writer knows what’s going on in the industry.
He studies the trends to understand what kind of content works best for his audience and which practice is more effective in getting higher engagements.
He goes to public forums and if required, some private ones as well to understand whether the general writing community is facing any kind of problems with their content.
He also studies the market for his client and makes sure that his writeups are in line with the industry’s best practices, generic trends and recent news.
Failing to do so can result in a lot of lost opportunities, especially if you are writing for an audience who is already familiar with the trends.
And as a content writer, you don’t want to miss any opportunity that your readers served on a silver platter.
Do you?
Not Knowing How To Use Data To Tell A Story
Readers love numbers.
They trust stats more than anything else and it is the writer’s job to get hold of those stats and use them to his advantage.
A good content writer should know how to use data in his writeups in order to give more credibility and authority to it.
He can add his own opinions, anecdotes or even evidence-based research findings along with the numbers in order to make the article more appealing.
Data-driven stories are more likely to be shared on social media and other platforms, thus getting you more attention from your target audience.
The best places where you can collect your data would be surveys, case studies and interviews. There are numerous dedicated websites like Statista, Google Public Data and Knoema to get your hands on the latest industry statistics.
If you incorporate data in your writeups, not only will it make them more interesting but also help you in building trust with your readers.
Before you leave
So, next time when you sit down to write a blog post or an article, remember these tips and make sure you do not make these mistakes.
Your writing should never be a burden to your readers. It should always add value and leave them wanting more.
Happy Writing! :)
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