5 Terrible Content Writing Mistakes that Could Cost Your Career

In an era where almost everyone claims to be a successful content writer, the truth is that not everyone knows what it actually takes to be one. And, the truth is that most are committing these terrible content writing mistakes that could actually be costing them their career. There are a lot many of us who are trying to make it big with baby steps or by leaps and bounds, but then, the reality is that not everyone is making big. Are they? Number 1- It does take the gift of communication to get through. Number 2 – You can’t be committing blunders that everyone else is.

Right! The reason why you may not be able to make it big as a content writer could be these 5 terrible mistakes. The point is that not everyone is born with the gift of the gab. Most of us develop is over our formative years. But, even if you do it later in life, (in your 20s, just like me) you can still get there. Just make sure that you steer clear of these blunders.

5 Most Terrible Mistake that Can Take you to the Dogs:

1. Writing for Yourself or for You Don’t Care Who: 

Do you know why some content is really appreciated by the audience and some doesn’t get even one click? Because the former is not written keeping the audience in mind and the latter is.

The very trick to have people read your content is to know what they want to read about. This is not to say that you write exactly what they want to read. It only implies that you do some solid research about what kind of content and what niches are doing well in the market. Unless you have understood the desire and the psychology of the audiences who is going to read you, you are not quite getting there.

When it comes to any sort of marketing, you need to understand that it’s the consumer that has the power. If you cannot please them, as a brand, as writer, the doom is pretty near. This is why you must identify your target audience and make your content reach them.

The fact of the matter is that the audience’s predilection matters as much as yours. Write for those who are going to read it. Knowing your audience is indeed the key to success.

2. Publishing and Forgetting:

It’s like launching a product and not letting the customers know that it’s available. Promotion is the soul of content marketing. You researched the audience you want to write for – Check! You wrote awesomely engaging content – Check! Did you promote the content on various media? Uh oh!

Thank your stars that you breathe and thrive in the age of social media, where you can blow your trumpet as much and as wide as you may. Van Gogh died without all the fame he has now.

The ability to promote your content on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Isntagram, YouTube, Google Plus, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc, is nothing less than a blessing. Social media is actually where the readers exist. It is one place where people spend most their lives. The publicity that can happen over social media cannot happen elsewhere. Sharing is one unique feature and leads you to success online. Make use of it.

And again, do know your audience before you post or share your content. And, once it’s there, makes sure you never ignore the comments whether good or bad. React to both with equal discretion.

3. Leaving it Looking Like a Report:

So, how many times did you stumble upon Google results that lead you to reports and scholarly articles? Often, I guess. Do you click them? Maybe! Do you read them? Maybe not!

Content writing has to differ from academic writing because the readers have different expectations from both. Else why wouldn’t they just go to the library?

So, here is the deal. Write stuff that works as predigested stuff for the audiences, its different from format of a report, make it have an easy to follow format with conveniently sized paragraphs, headings and subheading. Add images that support your words.

Don’t use heavy language and say goodbye to run-on lines. Both of these belittle your audience and their interests fags because of lack of understanding.

Not doing all this, will leave your content looking drab, hence not engaging.

4. Underestimating the Power of the Title:

Did you notice that the title of this blog could have simply been “5 Terrible Content Writing Mistakes” But, guess what? It’s not? It is “5 Terrible Content Writing Mistakes that Could Cost You Your Career”

Why is that so?

One simple reason for this is that the latter is certainly more engaging than the former. It may as well contain almost the same content as other blog posts (with not-so-exciting titles) that revolve around this title. But, it certainly draws your attention more than those other posts. That is the beauty of a title. It can make your content clickable.

The title is the mirror to your content. For the audience, a title is all that the blog post may be. Don’t let your audience down by not giving them what the title has promised. Also, steer clear from this vermin of a practice called clickbait. Trust me; creating sensational titles just for the sake of getting clicks is not taking you anywhere. If the title is sensational, the content too must be.

5. Leaving the Typos Glaring in the Audience’s Face:

Typos! What do I say in their praise? They can drive the reader away even from the most genuine content. You just can’t leave them sitting right there in your content. You need to get rid of them. If you are bad at spellings, or are an impulsive writer, Grammarly can do wonders for you. It won’t just correct your spelling for you but also polish your grammar and syntax.

It is important to take care of this given the extent to which we depend on auto-correct on our smart phones.

Bonus:

• Committing plagiarism is the most suicidal step you can ever take in content writing. Be inspired, but don’t copy.
• Measure your success with metrics for your website as well social media insights. Ignoring progress is as good as not progressing. If you do overlook this aspect, you will not know what works for you.

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