Semalt: Unexpected Lessons That Made Us Better Content Writers

There are many factors that determine who a great content writer is. And there are many courses that can help improve your writing skills. However, we've discovered the secrets to writing great content, and you must see them if you plan on succeeding in 2022. 

One thing many writers will agree on is that sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places. It is even possible that you've had to run out of the shower to write an idea that flashed your mind. Oftentimes, we do not create content because we attended impactful lectures, courses, or conferences. In fact, these typical learning mediums only reiterate what we already know. 

In over two decades of writing, we've learned so much, and it's time we teach you some of the unexpected lessons we've learned that have made us better SEO writers. We hope you learn from these experiences and they help you as well. 

Asking questions guides you to the core of a subject. Readers need you to address the main issue in a topic, but for your content to be complete and evergreen, you need to get to the core. One helpful question is "So what?" asking this question will guide you until you have fully satisfied the needs of your readers. 

Asking the right question will also create the perfect version of the content for your audience. Having answers tells you who your audiences are and what their priorities are. If you're talking to academics, your answers will be different from kids. However, it would be best if you always had an answer. 

We are asking and answering key questions like "so what" has helped us become better communicators and allowed us to create better content. 

As we grew over the years, we met several professional content writers, and we discovered that a good number have a unique way of creating content. Others prefer to write on the feeling, which can also work for you. However, it is important you discover your process. Once you do, you can repeat your winning technique and maintain the standard of your content. 

As you continue to write, it is possible that you adopt the writing process of other writers or modify yours. Remember to pay attention to the functionality of the content you create. Take a close look at how words appear on the page, as this can make or mar your content. Sometimes, it's not just about using the keywords correctly. 

Always experiment and test your skills, this will help you evolve and create different formulas you can use for different audience types, and once you have found the right rhythm, you can repeat that process for continuous success. 

It is likely that this isn't the first time you're hearing this. What you learned about writing in high school is far from reality. In fact, the chances are that your teachers would have preferred to do something other than grade your essays. That is why you learned how to write in a way that is quick and easy to mark. 

Most writers make the mistake of continuing that style of writing, forgetting that their target audience is not their teachers. They are two entirely different classes of an audience, and your content should reflect the difference. 

Here is something we've learned. When we read, we focus on the subject of the sentence and the item that is mentioned first in a sentence or paragraph. By adjusting the structure of the sentence, you can control the readers' minds to focus on different ideas or parts of a sentence. The key to successfully engaging your audience is building a connection. 

Keep in mind that you must always be conscious of the context. In a blog post, for example, we have more freedom to bend the rules of writing, while in academic writings or a report to stakeholders, we strictly adhere to the rules. If you study and understand your audience, you will know which rules to break and where you can break them. 

Moving from one sentence to another is one of the best feelings you can have in writing. Sometimes, we type, and it's like we can see the next paragraph-long before we get there. This is possible because we've understood the power of tension, phrasing, release, and using notes to express ourselves better in writing. 

With these tools, we are able to express an idea or story in ways our audiences can fully understand. Storytelling can have a unique effect on our minds and bodies. At a certain stage, when you're immersed in a piece, it almost feels as though your mind and body are one with the content you're reading. 

This is the effect of rhythm in language. Let your writing flow and give it a soul. It doesn't matter what topic you're discussing; always let your words blend and transition your audience from one word to the next. If you're passionate and expressive in the way you write, your audience will notice and feel the connection. 

Ensure your writers feel the human connection and Genuity in your work. 

Many writers believe that they ought to be someone else to create good content forgetting that they are creating content for other humans to read. Being passionate about writing will help you create better pieces. 

Your writing needs to be flawless, which means it needs that passion and uniqueness your personality brings to the mix to make those fine details stand out and help your content connect with your readers. 

This may come as a surprise to some, but you're not all that smart. The brain responds to complex situations in an interesting way. The fact that you're reading this is proof of that fact. When we are faced with a problem we don't know how to solve; our brain begins to gather information and analyze it in an effort to find a solution. 

Our brains either work on manual or autopilot. When doing routine tasks, we sometimes forget what we're doing, but our bodies continue the process. We don't have to think too hard because our brain is on autopilot. This is different from when we have to think and analyze before making a decision. 

Have you ever heard of survivorship bias? It is what we call a situation when you focus on things that passed a test or threshold without paying attention to the things that failed the test. We tend to focus on success and ignore failure, and this develops the tendency to overestimate the expected results. This is one of the errors you need to work on as a writer. 

Another mistake we tend to make is placing more emphasis on the most recent stimuli. It could be the most recent information we heard or the most recent emotion we felt. 

As a writer, understanding errors and biases like these can help improve your responses to your writing skills. It also stops you from making avoidable errors. 

There are many places to get ideas on what to write and how to improve your writing skills. Keep an open mind, and you will find ideas from even the strangest places. Learning continuously might lead you to an unusual strategy or writing style, but in the end, that may be the element missing in your writing process. 

Learn to stand out and dare to be different.