Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy

Sep 03, 2026

7 copywriting elements you need to know how to write

If you understand how to write just a handful of copywriting elements, you can write enticing copy that persuades your reader to take one step - copy for an appeal letter, landing page, email campaign, quick ad, capital campaign, or any other kind of persuasive piece.

It's like working a puzzle. When you write just one element at a time and then fit the pieces together, you reduce a lot of copywriting's intimidation factor.

If you're a freelancer, content writer, or ministry writer, you need to know how to write these basic copywriting elements ...

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Sep 02, 2026

Always be writing: 20 ways to keep building content when you have no time

“What are you working on right now?”“I need some tips for staying busy writing.”

I hear this a lot from newbies, part-timers, and freelance writers who may not have a lot of assignments or deadlines.

I’ve been there. And early on I adopted this mantra:

ABW: Always Be Writing.

If you’re always writing, then you’re always producing content. The more content you produce, the more clips you have, whether you’re a newbie copywriter or a seasoned pro. And the more content you produce, the more ...

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Sep 01, 2026

What is content writing? FAQs to eliminate confusion

Ask ten people “What is content writing?” and you’ll get ten answers. One article offered 40 definitions of content writing gathered from an online survey.

That’s just a little too complicated for most of us. As you know, one of my goals is to make content writing simple. Forty definitions ain’t going to do that.

First of all ...

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Aug 31, 2026

Start your day (and your week) with a quick writing win

When you start your writing day with a quick win, you get momentum – and more.

A quick win is a writing task that you can accomplish in 15-30 minutes. And by task, I don’t mean checking your email or reading an article. A quick win is a short spurt of writing that contributes to one of your current writing projects.

Why do you need a quick writing win each ...

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Aug 30, 2026

Why you should set a SPECIFIC goal for your campaign

A client hired me to write a year-end campaign. “Last year we didn’t do so well,” he said. The gifts they had received did not even cover the campaign costs.

I saw the problem when I looked at the previous year’s appeal, which read, “Please give to our organization.” There was no goal … no “Why”… no explanation.

So I asked the client what his organization needed most.

“Sweaters. Each child in the school needs ...

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Aug 29, 2026

The case for writing case studies

For writers, a case study is useful tool because it allows you to gather information about a specific person, group, item, or event and then tell the story to make a point.

“A case study is a research method that relies on a single case rather than a population or sample,” says Ashley Crossman, Ph.D. “When researchers focus on a single case, they can ...

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Aug 28, 2026

Busy? Overwhelmed? Just take a step

It's easy to get busy, distracted, and overwhelmed. You beat yourself up and then focus on what you don’t do.

Just Take A Step points out what you can do. Each of the eight chapters of this short book walk you through ...

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Aug 27, 2026

2 ways to connect your reader to your point

Compare and contrast: you can use these two writing tools to connect a reader to your devotional’s point.

And as they say, how you do it is all in the details.

Your illustration makes the connection to your devotional point. It is the details in your illustration that help you ...

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Aug 26, 2026

Every writer should steal these 6 copywriting templates

If you write, you’re in the sales business. (Bold statement, I know.)

Maybe you’re not writing to sell a product.

But as you write that article or blog post or book, you’re selling an idea, a perspective, a cause, or a story. Every piece that you write asks your reader to do something …

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Aug 25, 2026

Are you guilty of writing thin content?

In your impatience to build new pages on your site and get traffic, you may have generated a problem: thin content.

True, you may have created this problem unknowingly. You want more readers to find your website or blog. So, you took a logical first step recommended by writers everywhere by studying well-ranked pages in your niche – ones that address a similar topic as your post-in-progress.

If you mimicked other successful online writers, you reasoned, your page or post could compete with theirs. You’d move up in the rankings and get more traffic, right? Your next steps followed ...

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Aug 24, 2026

Web writing vs print writing: What's the difference?

Web writing and writing for print are two different mediums.

Copywriting for print leads to a tangible piece, produced on paper. Online writing, on the other hand, is delivered to a computer screen, tablet, or mobile device.

But the most significant difference is the what readers need. To be effective, you need to know what a web reader needs and what a print reader needs ... and how to structure your writing accordingly...

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Aug 23, 2026

How to cut out extra words (and why you should)

Get rid of extra words: it’s a guiding principle of good writing.

But which ones are extra?

“Examine every word you put on paper,” said American journalist and teacher William Zinsser (1922-2015) in his iconic nonfiction guide, On Writing Well.

Then determine whether or not each ...

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Aug 22, 2026

How Jesus used statistics to back up His claims

Statistics can get a bad rap in church – and with cause.

When attendance is low we hear, “Numbers don’t matter.” Because clearly, it’s people and their hearts that matter to Jesus.

Yet in scripture, statistics make that same point – using numbers.

For instance, Jesus talked about ...

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Aug 21, 2026

Turn your random ideas into searchable content

uncover the exact words and phrases your audience is already typing into Google.

Designed specifically for writers, bloggers, and content creators, this simple but powerful worksheet walks you step-by-step through ...

* Identifying your core topics

* Clarifying your audience’s problems and questions

* Brainstorming root (seed) keywords you can expand later

* Spotting content angles you may be overlooking

In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a focused list of seed keywords you can...

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Aug 20, 2026

Avoid the most common appeal letter trap

“This appeal letter doesn’t get to the point until the fourth paragraph,” said the development director.

Oops … she was right.

Your first few sentences rank up there as one of the most important elements of an appeal (along with the carrier teaser and the P.S.)

If it takes several paragraphs or even pages to get to your point, you have what's called a ...

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Aug 19, 2026

Conversational writing vs formal writing: what content writers need to know

Which of the following is easier for you to read and understand?

Example 1: When analyzing the effectiveness of various communication techniques, it is important to understand the distinctions between conversational writing vs formal writing.

Example 2: What’s the difference between conversational writing vs formal writing? Here’s a simple way to think about it.

I chose #2, too.

This is a good example of ...

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Aug 18, 2026

Avoid these 7 words in headlines

Clickbait headlines are sensationalized or exaggerated titles.

You can find clickbait on blog posts, in article titles, and most plentifully on social media.

In fact, Facebook faced down the rise of clickbait in its 2017 algorithm update. “People tell us they don’t like stories that are misleading, sensational, or spammy,” say the app’s engineers. “That includes clickbait headlines that are designed to get attention and lure visitors into clicking on a link.”

But a headline’s job is to get attention, right? If the reader doesn’t get beyond the headline, then they won’t read the piece. Online, that means a headline’s role is to get the click...

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Aug 17, 2026

Business letter closings that mark you as a pro

You’ve completed your cover letter … inquiry letter … sales letter … or another business letter. Now it’s time to sign off. You want to finish strong with your letter closing.

A letter closing, also called a “complimentary close,” is the short phrase you use when you end a letter or email. It comes before your signature. And there are plenty of business letter closings you can choose, ranging from "Respectfully yours" on one end of the spectrum and "Ciao, man" on the other.

It’s tempting to just go with Yours truly and be done with it. But can one closing fit all? Not really...

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Aug 16, 2026

How a Master Storyteller uses 1-sentence stories

One thing that fascinates me about Jesus’s stories is that many are so short.

In fact, some are just one sentence long. They are quick word pictures.

For instance ...

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Aug 15, 2026

Are you hiding your book from readers? Here's how to know

I don’t like book promotion. Writing a book is one thing. But marketing it makes me feel icky and salesy.

But that changed when I learned that my book is a message God wants me to share.

“Christian authors hesitate to make book promotion offers because ...

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Aug 14, 2026

FREE mini-course: Discover 6 great reasons to build your blog EASILY

Your blog is an incredible way to build your online audience, extend your reach, and build your business.

But building your blog takes some time. If you’re going to invest yourself, you want to know your why.

Take this free mini-course, and in less than 15 minutes you will understand six great reasons to build your blog ... and you'll have identified YOUR unique "why" for building yours...

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Aug 13, 2026

3 cost-saving writing tips in a down economy

Easy and cheap: those words are gold when it comes to writing during times of upheaval, whether it's nonprofit fundraising tips or promoting your biz or building an online following.

Chances are during uncertain economic times, you’ve had to whittle down your communications budget. Promotion departments pull back. Solopreneurs trim budgets to the bone. People expect a “disappearing act” from solopreneuers and nonprofits and businesses alike.

Don’t be like everyone else! It’s absolutely urgent that you keep yourself in front of your readers...

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Aug 12, 2026

How to choose a story angle - it takes just 3 simple steps

"Your content is too general. Choose a story angle and be more specific.”

That editor’s rejection letter hurt.

Worse, I didn’t know how to begin drilling down my story to specifics.

Today I am grateful to that editor for taking the time to scribble that tip – “choose an angle” – in the margin of my article. He helped me understand the need to narrow a story idea to one that’s saleable and engaging for readers...

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Aug 11, 2026

NOW is the time to secure a matching gift donor for year end

A matching gift as part of your year-end appeal is an excellent way to maximize your campaign.

When you identify a major donor (an individual, group or business) who will make a significant-sized contribution to your nonprofit by December 31, you can use that pledge in to motivate other readers.

That sum can be leveraged as a “matching gift” during your year-end appeal series. It's a powerful and persuasive ...

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Aug 10, 2026

Email campaign vs email newsletter: What's the difference?

An email campaign versus an ezine: what’s the difference? As a freelancer, blogger, or content writer, you’ll be called upon to write both.

But the terms are easy to confuse.

If you don’t know what makes each one unique, then you will struggle with what to write or how to write it...

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