If you have read any of the advice and suggestions given lately for good article and blog writing or the so-called secrets of successful social networking one key method should be resounding loudly in your head: good content.
The two things I’m going to suggest that you concentrate on in order to improve the content of your postings are: (1) identifying and analyzing the posted content that you admire; and (2) improving your writing skills. These two steps can significantly improve the content that you post in the weeks and months ahead.
Begin Where You Are Now
If your plans include writing good content for articles, blogs, social media conversation, whitepapers, etc., get serious by taking stock in just how well educated you are in the ability to write well. Without a foundation in forming proper sentences, outlining a topic, or structuring a good story line, how could you expect your postings to get the recognition they deserve? There are many good books available on improving your writing skills. Four books that I recommend are:
The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents by Gary Blake and Robert Bly
135 Tips for Writing Successful Business Documents by Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts
Writing at Work: Professional Writing Skills for People on the Job by Edward L. Smith and Stephen A. Bernhardt
Your Attention Please: How to Appeal to Today’s Distracted, Disinterested, Disengaged, Disenchanted, and Busy Audiences by Paul B. Brown and Alison Davis
While each of these books is important in its own right, I especially want to emphasize that you read Paul Brown and Alison Davis’ book Your Attention Please. It focuses on the need to write for today’s audiences. And don’t overlook the tutorials that article submission sites, blog site providers, and discussion or questions and answer sites offer. Many of their tips are useful, but after you have exhausted them move on to one or more of these suggested books.
Find What to Model, But Don’t Plagiarize
Put on your investigative reporter’s hat and immerse yourself in the world of good writing. Go to the articles and postings that you most enjoy reading and work at identifying just what it is that you like about them. Is it the way the authors structure the story, describe important items in detail, or how they arrange the facts in a straightforward style? By identifying and studying the works of others you’ll get insights on what key ingredients that you can include in your own writing. Strive to model the structure and methods used by your mentors, but don't plagiarize the works of others.
Like most things, if you really want to be good you have to study hard and practice.
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