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Word Wise Blog: Content Writing Made Easy
Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content , with 750K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.
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Jan 22, 2026
Avoid oblivion. Steer clear of these 5 email marketing mistakes
One of the biggest email marketing mistakes you can make is to not send email.
But I assume that you already know that.
So you’ve avoided one of the biggest email marketing mistakes already – you’ve started an email list. And maybe you’ve even started sending emails to that list.
But all that digital goodness has a few pitfalls. If you’re not careful, you’ll make the most common email marketing mistakes without even knowing it.
I did. In the process, I sabotaged my own ...
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Jan 21, 2026
50 copywriting terms every writer needs to know
Headlines, hooks, CTAs, AIDA, PAS — copywriting terms can sound like a foreign language.
But learning these basic copywriting terms isn’t about memorization. It’s about thinking like a copywriter.
Once you understand the language, you’ll write faster, communicate more clearly, and start making intentional choices instead of guessing ...
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Jan 20, 2026
What are contextual links -- and why do you need them on your site?
An entire post about creating contextual links? Yep. You click on them all the time. Why not learn how to create them?
Contextual links are a specific type of link. Links, as you know, are those connectors that ...
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Jan 19, 2026
How to write a How-To article (that actually gets read start to finish)
If you’re a writer, you need to know how to write a how to article.
A how-to article is a durable short content form because it provides step-by-step instructions to help your reader complete a task.
Personally, it’s one of my faves to write because it is so logical and sequential. First, do this. Then ...
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Jan 18, 2026
The perfect example of social proof
An expert is an authority or specialist in a particular field, whether it’s a geriatric upper extremities orthopedic surgeon or a teenager who has reached the highest level of a video game.
The expert’s comments are powerful social proof to use in persuasive writing because he knows the topic thoroughly, knows the issues associated with the topic, and has earned ...
Jan 17, 2026
One simple (and no-cost) way to use social media for good
A Brigham Young University study of 308,849 participants concluded that people with strong social connections have a 50% greater chance of living longer.
That explains why we’re attracted to social media. People hunger for interaction.
A well-written social media post can help build strong, positive social connections that ...
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Jan 16, 2026
If you're overwhelmed, but want 2026 to be different ...
t'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 ...
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Jan 15, 2026
The 4 business letter layouts you need to know
A letter writing format is a standard layout – a widely-accepted way to organize a letter.
Business letters (including cover letters, appeal letters, acceptance letters, and resignation letters) follow one of four basic formats...
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Jan 14, 2026
The ONE sentence you need to attract more readers
“So … what do you write?” If you’re like me, you’ve bumbled and mumbled more than a dozen answers to that question.
Which means you need a core message. Unless …
You want to sound like every other writer ...
You want writing to be harder than it needs to be...
You want your writing to be vague...
Continue reading "The ONE sentence you need to attract more readers"
Jan 13, 2026
Write first, edit later: 15 tips to help you
"Write first, edit later." It’s a cardinal rule for writers.
Yes, there’s one rule that precedes it: there are no rules. But the “write first, edit later” rule clocks in as a close second.
The principle is simple. Write-first-edit-later means that you get your thoughts out on paper or the screen before you ...
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Jan 12, 2026
Point of View (POV) explained clearly
Point of View (POV) is the position you take as a writer while you narrate your content.
It’s your lens, like a camera.
You explain the events or information from your view (first person), directly to another individual (second person), or as an observer (third person) ...
Jan 11, 2026
4 out of 5 readers look at this first
When I first started my writing journey, I viewed a letter's P.S. as a throwaway.
Then I found out that nearly 4 out of 5 readers – a full 79% – look at the PS first. As in before the first paragraph, according to legendary direct marketer Ray Jutkins.
That stat adds a whole new slant to the principle that “the last shall be first.”
Jesus coined that phrase as a ...
Jan 10, 2026
What should go first on the top your blog post or web page?
Today’s typical newspaper article opens with a summary lead. It’s a tight condensation of the article’s most important information, presented in a sentence or two and totaling 30 words or less.
The summary lead format grew from the mid-1800s invention of the telegraph. The new-at-the-time technology meant journalists could ...
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Jan 09, 2026
2026 is here. Make a simple 1-page business plan to succeed
Freelancer ... small business owner ... nonprofit ... solopreneur?
Yes, you need a business plan.
No, you don't need an MBA to create one. Use this 1-Page Business Plan template to create your...
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Jan 08, 2026
8 things your webpage MUST have
Web usability guru Jakob Nielsen reports that 17% web page views last 4 seconds. That’s not a lot of time. So you need to make them count.
When I’m web surfing, my index finger stays poised on my mouse, ready to click off a site that doesn’t answer my question or grab my interest immediately.
Your visitors are the same way.
That’s why your home page is so important. Readers intuitively use certain criteria when visiting your site. Take steps to make sure your nonprofit webpage - or any website that you write, for that matter - pulls in visitors and keeps them reading...
Jan 07, 2026
Need skills? Take a writing course - here are my faves
Online courses for writers exist for a simple reason: learning to write well on your own is harder than it needs to be.
It's harder because of uncertainty.
Every new writer eventually hits the same wall: Am I doing this right? I know I did. Figuring everything out on your own is slow and discouraging.
But now, thanks to the internet, your frustration and isolation are unnecessary...
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Jan 06, 2026
Build a niche site for fun and profit
One question I hear a lot from writers is, “What is a niche site – and should I create one?”
The confusion about niche sites creates plenty of angst for writers because digital content has become more specialized. New and prospective bloggers want to know how detailed their website must be – how “niched down” – in order to get traffic.
Particularly now with AI on the scene.
Should you create a niche site? It depends on your goal. I started my first niche site as a ...
Jan 05, 2026
Avoid the Imposter Syndrome from Day 1 of 2026
If you’ve ever felt inadequate or incompetent about your writing, you may have Imposter Syndrome.
It's a pattern of thinking. You doubt your skills and fear that you’ll be exposed as a phony, even when evidence suggests otherwise.
Not sure if that's you?
You may recognize yourself by these kinds of nasty thoughts that plague your inner dialogue.
Who would want to read what you write, anyway?
What makes you think you’re qualified to ...
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Jan 04, 2026
Better business writing in 2026 means ...
Email -- done right -- is a good example of better business writing.
It’s short. It’s quicker and easier to write than print mail. It creates a digital paper trail. And it costs less to use than snail mail.
When you write clearly and concisely, email can be the more efficient, better choice.
Scripture, too, extols brevity...
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Jan 03, 2026
New Year's Resolution: Keep your writing simple (and why)
The conductor glared at me. “Make sure the minim is held its full length – not the length of a crotchet,” he yelled.
Huh? My blank stare communicated confusion. I spoke English, but I had no idea what the maestro was telling me.
I felt humiliated...
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Jan 02, 2026
1-page writing goal planner for 2026
What do you want to write in 2026?
You CAN accomplish your writing goals. All you need is a plan.
Not a plan that eats up 36 pages of a spreadsheet. Or a plan that takes 6 days to create.
Instead, you can create a simple 1-page plan that helps you achieve one writing goal at a time ...
Jan 01, 2026
Do you have a 2026 strategic plan? It's not hard to make one
Don’t have a strategic plan? You may not make much progress with your wonderful work. That’s why strategic planning for nonprofits, small businesses, and solopreneurs) makes good business sense.
When you don’t undertake planning, you set yourself up for frustration and even failure.
Yet the term "strategic planning" can be intimidating for ...
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Dec 31, 2025
How to create your 1-page marketing plan for 2026
A simple 1-page marketing plan can do more for your freelance writing business than any course or template. It’s been my secret to steady work, better clients, and less stress. And it can be for you, too.
You may have been told you need a full-blown strategy document to market your content writing skills. No wonder ...
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Dec 30, 2025
In 30 seconds, can you explain what you do?
A perfect example of an elevator speech is offered in one of the final scenes of the 1988 Academy Award-winning film, Working Girl. Wall Street secretary Tess McGill (played by Melanie Griffith) has thirty seconds in an elevator to explain to an investment bank CEO how she conceived a lucrative deal for his firm.
Tess describes her acquisition idea so clearly and simply that the CEO gives her an executive job on the spot – and fires her boss for stealing the concept from her.
In the same way, your “elevator speech” is a brief, concise explanation of ...
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Dec 29, 2025
19 of my favorite resources for writers (free or low-cost)
I am always on the lookout for good writing resources, particularly those recommended by people I trust. (And if the resource is free or low-cost … well, that’s even better.)
That’s why I created this resources page. I’ve included links to tools, courses, downloads, and other good stuff. I have used and continue to use most of them – or they come highly-recommended to me from reliable personal sources...
Continue reading "19 of my favorite resources for writers (free or low-cost)"
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