Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy
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Sep 24, 2020
Website Terms Glossary for New Online Writers
Computer-speak can seem like an insider language to a newbie copywriting website content. You can make sense out of the niche lingo using these handy glossary pages. Use this glossary to help you understand basic online writer acronyms ...
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Sep 23, 2020
Write a Problem Statement Using This Handy Template
You’ve got a problem: you need to write a problem statement.
A problem statement is the opening act for a business proposal, a research project, or a grant application.
Its job is to persuade readers that ...
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Sep 22, 2020
How to Get Started Writing Strong Each Day
Do you struggle to get started writing each day?
Here’s what may happen …
You avoid your laptop, but once you finally plant your fanny in the chair and place your hands on the keyboard, you don’t tackle a writing project. Instead, you open your email application. Then you...
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Sep 21, 2020
3 Things You Need for Planning a Website or Updating One
Planning a website can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it or if you’ve got a zillion other things to do to run your business.
There’s the whole question of what content to include.
But before I get to that, there’s the technical gobbledygook: how do I “get online”? You can ...
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Sep 20, 2020
Author vs. Writer
What sets apart the author from a mere writer?
Even the word gurus cannot agree on the distinction. Merriam-Webster defines an author as “the writer of a literary work” while The Oxford Dictionary defines an author as “a writer of a book, article, or document.”
Meaning that genre – what she writes – doesn’t define an author.
Digging further ...
Sep 19, 2020
What to Consider When You Choose a Domain Name
In Bible times, parents often waited a year or more to name a baby.
Time revealed a child’s temperament. Parents observed a child in order to gain insights into his nature before choosing what to call him. Choosing a domain name is similar in that ...
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Sep 18, 2020
Review: Solo Built It for Web Hosting
Choosing website hosting can be a bit overwhelming. There are plenty of web hosting options out there along with entire websites dedicated to providing you with detailed information about web hosts.
For large information sites, I’ve chosen Solo Build It (SBI) as my combo web host/ website builder platform.
For me, it’s crucial that I minimize the amount of time I invest in the technical side of getting my website set up. I’d much, much, much rather write additional pages and ...
Sep 17, 2020
How to Use Repetition to Write Persuasively
One of the best ways to write persuasively is by repetition – saying an idea more than once.
It’s a simple technique, but not simplistic. There are different ways to repeat an idea in order to persuade your reader and bring her over to your way of thinking. But you cannot write repetitively on auto pilot and expect to be persuasive.
Rather, handle with care...
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Sep 16, 2020
Use Unpopular Search Terms and Become Your Reader's Biggest Fan
There are plenty of reasons SEO experts tell you to include long tail keywords in your content. Long tails are at three to five words in length, while broad keyword terms are one to two words long. More words mean a long tail is more specific than a broad keyword.
But as a writer, you may resist the drill down to long tails because ...
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Sep 15, 2020
Top Tip on Writing a Newsletter
“I need a good tip on writing a newsletter.”
I’ve heard this more than once from clients. Is there a magic bullet – the ONE tip – that will make or break your efforts to write a newsletter?
The answer is yes. Your top tip on writing a newsletter is ...
Sep 14, 2020
Checklist of Grant Application Attachments
As you write your first few proposals you may be surprised at the number of grant application attachments you need to include.
Every grant application is different. Each grantor asks for different elements in an application and even for a Letter of Inquiry (LOI).
Because of that, you will save yourself hours of scrambling and ...
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Sep 13, 2020
Which of These 2 Words Would You Choose?
"Utilize" versus "use." Grammarians say that the distinction between the two words has disappeared. Any shade of difference in meaning is inconsequential.
Which begs the question: why ...
Sep 12, 2020
How to Use a Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech. You use it to describe one thing by comparing it directly to another. A metaphor equates the two items as in, “Matt is a couch potato.”
The metaphor paints in your mind an image of a lump on a sofa. Yet obviously, Matt is not a type of tuber vegetable, but an avid TV watcher who gets very little exercise.
We can identify with ...
Sep 11, 2020
The Christian Girl's Guide to Friendship: Great for Pre-Teens
The Christian Girl’s Guide to Friendship was inspired by my daughter.
I wrote it during her middle school years when she was working through some of the struggles preteen and early-teen girls face with making friends and learning to be a good friend.
Our conversations gave me a living laboratory in which to ...
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Sep 10, 2020
How to Start and Grow Your Email List: A Tutorial
You need an email list. That goes for all of us, whether you’re a blogger, freelancer, small biz owner, a nonprofit, ministry, or a large corporation.
The reason you need a list is simple. Email is the most common form of business communication. Nine out of ten of people check their email every day, some up to 15 times a day. A list is a tool that lets you stay in touch with readers, build relationships with them, and yes – eventually turn them into customers along the way.
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Sep 09, 2020
3 Ways You Can Make Money Writing Content For Your Own Site
You can make money writing content on your site with some basics in place: you’ve chosen an online business or niche. You’ve started a website or blog (or are getting ready to start one.) And you’re in it for the long haul. Rather than write-it-and-leave-it, you’re adding content to your site regularly. You understand that a website or blog takes time to build and because of that, it is a valuable piece of intellectual property.
So when you hear and read about writers who make money writing content on their own websites or blogs, you wonder ...
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Sep 08, 2020
How to Write an Outline for Quicker, Clearer Articles and Posts
If you’re a writer, you need to know how to write an outline for articles and posts.
Yes, you have an article idea. You’ve gathered plenty of information: facts, anecdotes, concepts, sources. You’ve studied and chosen some keywords.
But even if you know where to begin, how can you know that your article idea is a good one?
Begin with an outline. An outline is simply a plan. It’s ...
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Sep 07, 2020
Try These 5 Proven Headline Formulas
Some writers argue against using headline formulas, saying they are too predictable.
But there’s a good reason why master copywriters use certain headline formulas over and over: they work.
A good headline draws in the reader by showcasing a ...
Sep 06, 2020
The LOI: It's Your First Step in a Successful Grant Proposal
It was the third year I’d been writing grant proposals to this particular funder For the past two years, I had prepared a letter of inquiry (LOI), but I had not been invited to submit a full application.
What had I missed in the past two tries that had failed to capture the funder’s interest?
I reviewed my ...
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Sep 05, 2020
Short-Form Content: Digest a Point in 2 Minutes or Less
The shortest book of the Bible is 3 John. In the original Greek, it’s got just 219 words.
Yet this short letter is a powerful example of quality short-form content – that is, content that’s generally 600 words or less and that can be read and digested in two minutes or less.
Third John is a ...
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Sep 04, 2020
Writing Resumes: Frequently Asked Questions
For many, writing resumes is a daunting task. But it needn’t be.
A resume is a document that summarizes your background, skills, capabilities, and experience. Together with a cover letter and application, it is one of the items submitted when applying for a job, college, scholarship, or special opportunity.
Its purpose is to capture an employer or gatekeeper’s attention and lead to the next step – in most cases, an interview. That’s why your resume is ..
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Sep 03, 2020
Persuasive Writing Technique: Tell a Good Story
One of the most powerful ways to win over readers is to tell success stories about your program.
People are persuaded to give or buy when you move their hearts. Stories appeal to emotions – and emotions drive people to act. It's a fact: stories outperform description ...
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Sep 02, 2020
E-Books vs. Print Books: 10 Reasons Your Reader Chooses the E-Version
For years, I fluctuated back and forth in the e-books versus print books debate.
Should I jump on the electronic book bandwagon? On the plus side, I knew that writing an e-book meant creative freedom, faster time to publication, a global market, and low risk. On the other hand ...
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Sep 01, 2020
What Is a Lead Magnet and Why Should You Have One?
One of the best ways to generate content writing leads is to offer a lead magnet.
A lead magnet is an incentive that you give to readers and potential clients in exchange for their email address (or other contact info) and permission to send information. Lead magnets come in all ...
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Aug 31, 2020
Copywriting versus Content Writing: What Is the Difference?
Copywriting vs content writing: the terms are often used interchangeably.
And to be honest, it’s taken me a while to figure out the difference between the two.
My eureka moment came when I discovered not how they are different, but rather what they have in common.
Both copywriting and content writing are ...
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