Content Writing
How To Enjoy Content Creation Instead Of Stressing About It
Had a lovely chat with Marc Guberti, as a guest on his popular Breakthrough Success podcast. Our main topic of conversation was how to enjoy content creation instead of stressing about it. I kicked things off by assuring listeners that there’s a do-able path forward to a place where you earn enough to feel successful,…
Read MoreWhy I’m Not Afraid of Being Replaced By AI Writing Tools Like ChatGPT
AI writing tools like ChatGPT are designed to respond to questions using fluent English syntax. You enter a prompt and the algorithm responds with a bunch of words written in natural language. It’s a cool trick. ChatGPT and the pack of competing AI nipping at its heels are impressive, from a technology perspective. They write…
Read MoreCapitalizing Titles: How To Navigate Conflicting Rules And Make Sensible Choices
There are a ridiculous number of rules when it comes to capitalizing titles. Every major style guide has its own recommendations. So far as I can tell, the only thing they all agree on is that the first word in a sentence should be capitalized! As a content writer, I’ve spent a maddening amount of…
Read More6 Punctuation Mistakes That Annoy Readers And How To Fix Them
“In writing, punctuation plays the role of body language. It helps readers hear the way you want to be heard.” ― Russell Baker GOOD punctuation is something most readers take for granted. In my 20+ years of writing, I’ve never had someone leave a comment raving about the perfection of my punctuation. If you’re doing it right,…
Read More7 Tips To Avoid Accidental Plagiarism When Writing Content
In school, we were taught to think of plagiarism as a type of cheating. It was something BAD students did. They stole information and text from various sources and deliberately tried to pass it off as their own work. As a professional writer (and a decent human being), I know how to avoid that kind…
Read MoreWant More Concise, Powerful Content? Ditch These 20+ Words!
When speaking and writing, we naturally favour certain words and expressions. To some extent, this is a good thing because readers like to hear the voice of the writer, and some of those words and expressions carry your voice. But each word and phrase you put on the page also adds bulk, so you need…
Read MoreHow To Write Copy That Converts Website Visitors Into Customers
By definition, conversion is the process of changing something from one form to another. In the context of online marketing, website conversion is generally about changing visitors into customers, donors, subscribers, or members. The bad news is that, on average, only 2.35% of people who visit a website actually convert. That said, this is just…
Read More15 Excuses For NOT Writing And How To Move Past Them
I’ve been a professional content writer for more than 20 years. And I’ve made ALL the excuses for not writing, including (but certainly not limited to): Your excuses may be different than mine. They may be better than mine. But here’s the thing… Regardless of what excuses you’re using, the end result is still the…
Read More5 Easy Ways to Warm Up Your Content and Connect With Readers
Your topic is popular and you’re providing lots of valuable information, yet… The writing feels COLD. FLAT. TEXTBOOK-ISH. (If that isn’t a word, it should be!) You know in your heart that folks are going to get bored and click away. So, what can you do to connect with readers and keep eyeballs on your…
Read MoreHow to Stop Writing Mediocre Words: 186 Better Ways to Say “Great”
How often do you toss the word “great” into a sentence, without really thinking about it? A great product, great service, great opportunity… yadda, yadda, yadda. “Great” is the written equivalent of toast with butter. It’s familiar and it feels like you’re adding something to the plate, but there’s almost no taste to it. I’m…
Read More