Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy
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Jun 17, 2019
Have these Grant Application Attachments Ready
As you write your first few proposals you may be surprised at the number of grant application attachments you need to include.
Checklist for Grant Application Attachments from Word Wise at Nonprofit Copywriter. Get organized and save time! #WritingTips #GrantWriting6SaveEvery 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 an untold amount a frustration if you ...
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Jun 16, 2019
The Opening Line: Letter Writing Tips from the World's Most Famous Letter Writer
As I studied how to write a letter, I decided to go to the best source I could think of for letter writing tips: Paul of Tarsus.
He wrote 13 letters that are published in the best-selling book of all time – the Bible – which enterprising geekologists tell us make up 28% of the New Testament.
In those letters, Paul addressed ...
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Jun 15, 2019
The Lead Magnet: It's How The Free Content Myth Got Busted
A lead magnet is a free piece of content.
During the first days of online marketing, a lead magnet – then, usually an eBook or a PDF download – was a novelty. People were used to paying cold hard cash for books and information products. Who gave away free books, especially good ones?
Lead magnets revealed The Myth of Free Content. That myth was ...
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Jun 14, 2019
5 Blogging Myths Busted
“I’ve read so many tips on writing a blog and I just don’t think I can do it.”
Says who?
A blog can take many forms and because of that, you can define what your blog will be.
Along with the misconception about time, there are plenty of myths floating around out there about blogging. That’s why it’s important to test what you read about blogs and bust the myths among them ...
Jun 13, 2019
Understanding Writing Formulas: Why They Work and When to Use Them
Writing formulas have been around for a while – and with good reason.
A formula provides a handy outline for you to follow or serves as a self-check as you work on a writing project.
And why wouldn’t you use them? Good formulas are proven and have stood the test of time. They’re effective when used by all kinds of writers in all kinds of niches. Plus, formulas are ...
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Jun 12, 2019
How to Write a Lead Magnet: 5 Easy Steps
A lead magnet is an incentive that you give to readers in exchange for their email address (or other contact info) and permission to send information. You create a lead magnet to generate content writing leads and build your email list.
A lead magnet is a freebie. Freebies are everywhere and people love them. I do!
But here’s the catch. More and more ...
Jun 11, 2019
Writing Blogs vs. Writing Articles: Is There a Difference?
Writing blogs and writing articles – is there a difference?
I didn’t give much thought to the question until I had been writing for more than a decade. Blogs were only beginning to emerge early in my writing life and at that time, and my focus was on learning to write articles.
Things have changed a bit.
It took me awhile to catch on to the fact that a blog post and an article are ...
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Jun 10, 2019
Persuasive Copywriting Techniques #1: The One Question You MUST Answer for Your Reader
Topping our list of tactics to use when writing persuasively: Show how your work benefits or helps your reader.
The one question that’s foremost in his mind - and one you must answer in your content - is “What’s In It For Me?”
Be prepared to face this hard truth: your reader isn’t interested in your work. He’s interested only in what it can do for him.
“What’s In It For Me?” The answer to that question is a bit trickier in ...
Jun 09, 2019
What Makes a Devotional Unique As a Genre
There are lots of different kinds of inspirational writing: sermons, Bible studies, articles, books, blog posts ...
So when it comes to writing a devotional, it’s helpful to have clarity. The word has become a catch-all term among people of faith ...
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Jun 08, 2019
The Website: How to Tackle a Big Content Writing Project
I launched my first big content writing project – my website – before content management systems like WordPress were around.
In order to build the site, I needed to learn to use Dreamweaver software.
Which meant I had to take a course in Dreamweaver.
Which took six weeks of logging online, completing ...
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Jun 07, 2019
4 Tips to Help You Get Started Writing a Business Plan
Business plan writing can seem like an overwhelming undertaking. Yet the good news is this: you probably have a good part of your plan written already, and not even know it.
If your organization is new, you have likely thought through many of the elements needed for your business plan.
Putting your plan on paper is a valuable process that will expedite your launch, but you won’t have to invent the wheel when it comes to concepting. On the other hand ...
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Jun 06, 2019
The Anatomy of a Strong Email Campaign
Speed dating is hard. But copywriting email campaigns is harder.
Studies say speed daters have less than 30 seconds to make a good first impression and “connect” with a potential dating partner.
But 30 seconds is an eternity compared to the newest email marketing statistics.
With email, you’ve got 2 seconds to make a good impression ...
Jun 05, 2019
4 Writing Tips for Starting a Blog or Website
You don’t need writing tips for starting a blog or website. (After all, you’re a writer, right?) Instead, what you need are tips to get over the frustrations that go with operating your online home.
Freelancers, authors, nonprofits, ministries, start-ups: we all face The Website or The Blog issue. As in you need one.
Your blog or website is the hub of your communications. It is the place readers find you online, the place where you...
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Jun 04, 2019
Free Grants Listing: Find Grant Opportunities More Easily
Here’s a terrific free grants listing that helps remove one of the most tedious steps in applying for grants: finding them. Check out The Celebrity-Related Charities list from CharityNavigator.
Many celebrities have created their own foundations to support their causes and interests, offering grants for projects that fulfill specific guidelines...
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Jun 03, 2019
Web Writing: How It Is Unique from Print
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.
Jun 01, 2019
The Target Reader: Cultivate This One Copywriting Skill and Gain Her Trust
One indispensable copywriting skill you must have has little to do with writing at all.
It’s empathy.
“It’s your job to be Chief Empathy Officer for your audience,” says Copyblogger co-founder Sonia Simone.
When I read that quip from Sonia, I wanted to shout “Amen!”
It’s tempting for content writers – from the newest to the most experienced – to be ...
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Jun 01, 2019
Why Do Readers Opt In?
Why do you opt in to a mailing list?
Years ago, when I first started writing, my mentors encouraged me to launch an online newsletter – a type of formatted group email, they explained.
I balked. Sending mass emails felt impersonal. I didn’t like the idea of ...
May 31, 2019
Writing Articles: FAQs
If you’re venturing into writing articles to produce content or to get started as a writer, here are some basics to get going.
Q: What is an article?An article is a piece of writing that gives information (rather than opinion.) Its purpose is to explain or inform ...
May 30, 2019
Pre-Writing: 4 Easy Steps to Make Your Writing Go Faster
Pre-writing is the key to making your writing go faster and be more focused.
Whereas a project may start with many options, pre-work eliminates rabbit trails, helps you organize your raw material, and lets you sort out your ideas ...
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May 29, 2019
Your Target Audience: You've Got More Than One! Here’s How to ID Them
Your target audience is a specific group of people most likely to respond positively to your content.
The reason they respond is simple. You give them content that they really, really need or want.
But here’s a side note: you have more than one target audience.
I’m sure you knew this intuitively, but isn’t it nice to have a friend spell it out for you? Here's how to identify these different groups you write for ...
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May 28, 2019
Write Better Descriptions When You Ditch These Two Words
You can write better descriptions by eliminating just two words from your content and your copy: really and very.
Why ditch these two words? After all, they’re really simple and very easy to use.
Yep. And why is that?
Because really and very are a crutch … a lazy man’s way to write with emphasis.
You’ll write better descriptions – and better content – when you figure out ...
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May 27, 2019
Copywriting as a Job: Advantages and Disadvantages
“Copywriting as a job. What’s it like?” asked the high school girl as she interviewed me for a class project on careers.
This young lady excelled in her English classes … was an avid reader … loved to write … but she was afraid she would not be able to make a living as a writer or editor.
“Take a look all around you,” I told her, pointing out websites, social media sites, newspapers, magazines, reports, letters, and printed matter of all kinds. “Somebody has to write all of this. And they get paid to do it.”
Why couldn’t that somebody be her – or you?
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May 26, 2019
How to Choose a Scripture for Your Devotional
How do you choose a scripture for a devotional?
If an idea for a devotional comes to you through a Bible verse — or if you’re assigned a scripture to write about — then choosing a verse for the basis of your devotional is a moot point.
But if you get an idea for your devotional by ...
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May 25, 2019
The Mission Statement: Paul Used Just 10 Words
Apostle Paul’s mission statement was clear: “I proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:16).
He had a clear task: proclaim He had a clear audience: Gentiles – anyone who is not JewishHe had a clear desired outcome: make sure they understood the Good News so they could respond to Jesus.
In just ten words, Paul summarized the call on his life. How did he come up with that one?
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May 24, 2019
40 Basic Copywriting Terms You Need to Know
This simple glossary, arranged alphabetically, defines basic copywriting terms in direct mail and nonprofit fundraising. Use it to help you understand niche lingo and use it like a pro.
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