Online Writing: Ways to Improve
We all know that online writing can take different formats, like websites, blogs, social media posts, sales pages, eBooks, and even text messages. Remember that good digital writing is a complex cut-and-paste job from any print matter.
Yes, each online format has a unique structure. But all web writing formats have a few things in common – distinct from print writing.
1.
Online Writing: How is It Different?
Online writing generally involves coming up with text on digital devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It might take various formats, such as blogging and messaging.
It is important to note that online writing usually aims to boost the reader’s attention while reading it. Therefore, it should always be easy and concise to read and understand by the reader.
It is important to note that online writing is a tool that can improve the financial, mental, social, and physical welfare of people by maximizing its benefits. You can do this as it will provide the necessary tools, internet, and comprehensive training.
Moreover, as a writer, you should be protected from fraudsters by ensuring binding contracts, sharing of personal information, and awareness creation. Therefore, you should support online writing as it provides more opportunities to the young generation. It reduces vices in society and brings hope for the future.
All you need is the skill levels and the experience to write online. There are ways to improve your online writing skills.
Types of Online Writing
As there are different types of writers for different kinds of online writing tasks. Similarly, you need different types of articles and content to fulfill those tasks. You should use a blog post to sell your services or products. That is not the purpose of a blog post. Note that each kind of online writing has a specific purpose.
Here are a few examples:
A blog post is an entertaining or informative marketing article that aims to attract a large audience to your web page or website.
A press release announces exciting news about your company or industry. Which are later delivered to interested media for publication.
A white paper is a document that states your company’s position on a specific issue. It proposes a solution to a particular problem. The primary goal is to educate readers and influence decision-makers. These are called long-form blog posts.
An email newsletter could be an infrequent or monthly communication to your customers. The primary goal is to maintain brand awareness as it provides relevant tips and offers special deals.
A page on your company website or web page often explains a specific service or product. It establishes your reputation, identifies your target audience, and builds your brand. Finally, selling your products or services becomes easier.
2.
Ways to Improve Online Writing
Today writing is a significant way to make money with the growing importance of SEO and content. You can do this by writing articles and posting them on your blog.
However, improving your writing skills in several ways help you enhance your skill.
You can find various online writing jobs if you write engaging content for SEO to earn money. Either way, you will be able to place food on your table. Remember that to write, you should be able to write and write excellently. It will help you make a considerable amount of money.
Below are some steps that can quickly help up your game in online writing.
1 Seek guidance from experienced writers
Most writers, ones who have been in this field for a considerable amount of time, can help you out when it comes to advising you on various writing techniques. These people are already doing outstanding work, especially in writing. They can quickly tell you the dos and don’ts concerning this field.
2 Check your work thoroughly before submitting
For any writing to be good, it has to be edited well. Many online writers do not take much time to spell a word correctly or even write grammatically correct sentences. Therefore, you should practice it after one has written to check the work thoroughly. You should try to edit your work more than once. Failure to do this is not good writing practice.
3 Practice every day on writing
Practice makes a person perfect. Therefore, if you are passionate about online writing, you should be willing to dedicate your energy and time to writing every single minute. If you do this, you can improve your writing skills. By the end of it all, you become that excellent that you always aspired to be.
4 Continuously read tips from expert writers
You can quickly learn writing tips through the internet, which will help you enhance your game in online writing. You will try to learn and know various writing styles. As it would help you avoid mistakes while writing for your clients. Most professional writers generally publish their writing hacks on the internet.
5 Research thoroughly on the given topic
As you know, copy-pasting someone else’s work is highly punishable, especially in online writing. In simple terms, it will lower your standards as an online writer. Always take your time to research as a writer and come up with something unique. Not only will it win your clients’ trust, but at the same time will help build an excellent reputation for your profile.
3.
Benefits of Online Writing
Note that the greatest asset of online writing is freedom, as writers can quickly work anywhere and anytime. You can work anywhere as long as you have the internet and gadgets like a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
Based on the writer’s various skills, one can easily access the clients that require your skills. You only simply need to view the task and the instructions attached to it.
Some benefits of online writing include the following:
The writer enjoys flexibility
You are in charge of the schedule. As you pick up the task, you should deliver it before the deadline. Therefore, you should pick a particular task based on your availability and delivery ability.
Job opportunity
Online writing has created job opportunities for many people. Writers were paid by various clients based on the type of skills and work required. Remember that the amount paid is usually based on the agreement between the client and the writer. Your payment is usually done through various platforms like PayPal, m-pesa and other bank accounts.
Quality work within the expected time
Through online writing, clients usually receive their work on time as it advocates for deadlines. Remember that online writing generally emphasizes timely delivery.
It also ensures that as a writer, you should be aware of the work that has been allocated. You should also be aware of the time to deliver, the writing style, and referencing. All these things create a conducive relationship between the two of you.
Vast knowledge
Online writing generally facilitates the exchange of ideas as it creates a platform where many people exchange info on various fields like engineering, medical fields, etc. You can learn different things and acquire new info, skills, and knowledge. All this creates an informed generation with vast knowledge in various fields.
4.
What Makes Online Writing Unique?
It is important to note that all web writing formats have a few things in common. Things that are distinct from print writing.
Therefore, always try to format your content so it is simple to skim. Break your writing into short segments with plenty of subheadings, bullet points, and white spaces.
Here are a few of the differences.
1 It Is Easy to Skim
Even you would agree that you would read print, often word for word. But online, you would skim. Think about how you would read a book. You read it sequentially, concerned that you may miss a detail or an important scene.
But online, you skim the subheadings and bullets to get the page’s gist. If you want to get more info, you go back and read it more thoroughly.
In summary, you should format your content, so it is easy to skim online. Put the most important content first – the info that your reader may want most.
2 It is Easy to Read
When your reader wants more information online, make it simple to digest using short sentences and paragraphs. Also, use simple, conversational language.
Remember that good writing online should be clear and concise – the kind of content or copy that is easy to read. Write online content that has paras of just 4 or 5 lines. Write sentences that average only 15-20 words. If longer, then break them up.
3 It is Easy to Reuse
You can use the same content to tweet, blog about, and even post it on Facebook or Instagram. You can even combine it with other content to make an eBook.
Reusable content will permanently save time and deliver your message with more impact. It’s a hallmark of good online content and copy. You can easily repurpose it for another format.
That doesn’t mean your content must be extended. In fact, many forms of online writing today are short. Remember that good content contains enough substance so that you can adapt it to different mediums as a writer. As skills are so valuable, you can write content once and then restructure it for other formats and envs.
5.
Do You Read Online Writing Differently?
You may ask why people read online content differently. But have you thought that the online content on your smartphone or laptop is very different from – that in your storybook or magazine?
Yes, it is all because of SEO, which governs what we post content online. The approach and the style in which the content is written are quite different.
At some point, you might have asked yourself why people read online writing differently. When you sit down to read the newspaper or a magazine – you are likely to flip pages until you find a story worth your time.
You skim the advertisements, pass by the table of contents and finally focus on only what portions interest you. Unless you are reading a book, you rarely read any hard-copy publication cover-to-cover. All these are true.
The same is true. When you read content online, instead of flipping pages, you scan online writing to find what looks interesting. Then when you arrive at your blog, website, or white paper for a reason. You learn something, find specific important info, or be entertained. When people open your newsletter or press release – they find out what you have to say. So do not disappoint them.
Big Blocks of Text – Kills Reader Interest
When you open a book, you find pages and pages with only occasional illustrations, tables, or graphics, but it is mostly just words. Reading a book takes a commitment to stick to it till the end. But the story is different, and there are two ways online writing will differ from other writing:
Formatting: You should format it in a way to enable easy scanning. Formatting truly means breaking up your content into small paras, short sentences, and simple words. It becomes easy for the reader to understand. It also means using graphical elements that add to your story or reinforce your point.
Writing style: Write it in a way to deliver value right from the start. The writing style has to answer questions and, at the same time, capture interest from the very first sentence. Remember that people read online writing, especially on business platforms like your website, only to find more info. If you give them what they seek, they will return when they are ready to buy. Influencing their decision with your value-added info should be the key.
Final Thoughts
In order to become an excellent online writer – you should have the passion to do it. Patience, hard work, and a lot of reading can help you do good in this field. You also need to be passionate and always make sure you deliver top-notch content for your customers, readers, and clients. The journey might not be easy but it is worth every minute you spend practicing.
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