Freelance Blog WritingWriting Better Web Content

Copyright © 2014 - Ken Bradford and Dr. Deborah C. Bauers, LPC. All Rights Reserved.

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Cover design by:Ken Bradford

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Psychology & Motivation for Blogging

Chapter 2: Characteristics of a Successful Content Writer

Chapter 3: Advice for New Writers

Chapter 4: Dealing With the Frustrations

Chapter 5: Reasons Why Freelance Writers Are Underpaid

Chapter 6: Effective Blog Article Structure

Chapter 7: Defining Quality Web Content

Chapter 8: Good Writers Must Become Good Editors

Chapter 9: Basic SEO for Bloggers

Chapter 10: Blogging and Social Media

Chapter 11: Creating Social Network Profiles

Chapter 12: Niche Blogging vs. General Blogging

Chapter 13: Is Guest Blogging Still Important?

Chapter 14: Choosing a Content Writing Service

Conclusion

About the Authors

• Dr. Deborah C. Bauers, LPC• Ken Bradford

Introduction

With all the blogs on the Internet it must be easy to start a blog, right? Yet when you start

reading content there often seems to be something missing. The information is all there. The

copy looks clean. Yet nothing that you read jumps out at you and grabs your attention. Why is

that? Probably because the article writer doesn’t know how to use words to capture an

audience.

“Writing Better Web Content” will help you become a better freelance writer. Each chapter in

our book has been carefully chosen to deliver invaluable information in a simple,

conversational tone. We want to help you succeed in meeting your goals and delivering

content that will captivate your readers. Whether your objective is to educate, challenge or

entertain, this book can help you do it all.

With just the right tools and the commitment to deliver what people are looking for, you will

soon join the ranks of highly successful blog writers. So, let’s turn the page and get started by

taking a look at how understanding the psychology and motivation for blogging can help you

think like a blogger.

CHAPTER 1Psychology & Motivation for Blogging

Establishing your own reasons

You may not have realized that when you decided to become a blogger you would explore the

psychology behind blogging and your motivation for doing so. Blogging is an applied science

and as with every scientific field, there is a way to understand a blogger’s mind as well as the

process used to create a blog. Establishing your own reasons for blogging, identifying your

audience and describing your content are your first steps in becoming, not just a mediocre

blogger, but a really great one.

A blogger is a writer who shares a passion for a written form of communication that can be

published on a platform that provides instant access to people all over the world. Publishing

on the World Wide Web is a blogger’s way of leaving a footprint, proving that one life can

make an impact upon the lives of others. Blogging can also increase digital presence and

improve a business’s bottom line. Blogging is much more than something you do; It’s also a

part of who you are. Think of it as a part of your writer’s DNA. There are reasons why writers

blog that make up a part of the psychology and motivation behind blogging.

Journalist or blogger

When journalists publish their work through the medium of printed word they may never know

its impact or the size of readership. But with the help of the multiple social media sites

available on the Internet, a blogger can publish on the web and begin receiving feedback from

fans almost immediately.

Many writers think that bloggers and journalists are distinctly different. They falsely believe

that all blogging lacks the professional stamp of approval enjoyed by journalism. While not

every blogger is a journalist, there are many bloggers who are. These professionals write

about newsworthy events or social, scientific and political trends and are commentators as

well. Sometimes their personal blogs become their platforms. Journalists also work as

freelance writers hired to write blogs for the media. These bloggers are published on internet

news sites and given their own byline.

Writers sometimes blog to share personal reflections with a limited group made up of family,

close friends and colleagues. They are not necessarily looking for a wider audience. Others

blog for the pure enjoyment of belonging to and participating in a social network with those

who share common interests. Neither of these two types of bloggers would be considered

professional. This does not mean that they are not quality writers. What it does mean is that

they are not recognized as writers who have been published and/or do not have a wide

audience that follows them because of their reputation as authorities in their field.

Professionalism is determined more by the type of blog and the blogger’s established

credibility as a knowledge expert. Professional bloggers often engage in “niche” blogs that

pull together essential information from fields such as science, history, or the arts and add

personal commentaries as writers who have distinguished themselves in their respective

fields. There are also professional bloggers that blog for financial gain and can be hired to

produce content for websites run by businesses.

Socialites, muses and entrepreneurs

Some bloggers share on more of a personal level, telling stories about their loved ones and

friends that reflect the meaning and significance of being part of a community. Blogging is a

social activity that connects them to others and provides a sense of belonging. Others use a

blogging platform much like a think tank, writing to clarify their ideas and help them explore

alternative ways of looking at things. Theirs is a more philosophical approach and many of

them could be called muses in their own right. Gaining clientele and increasing profit

motivates the segment of bloggers who use their platform as a business tool. Those who write

their own blogs are often entrepreneurs.

Motivation

Bloggers come from a variety of backgrounds and their personalities are as diverse as flavors

of ice cream. Some are motivated to blog because of the stimulation it offers, alleviating

boredom and providing a source of entertainment. Others are less concerned with developing

a growing audience and choose, instead, to reach out to a smaller network while enjoying

“bragging rights” around commonly shared personal and family goals. The tone and

flamboyance found in some blogs reveal that their writers enjoy the attention of others and

feed off of the energy that they receive from positive feedback.

A small, but growing segment of the blogging community is made up of business savvy

writers who have both a product and the skills to market it to a community of readers who are

combing the web looking for information, merchandise or a service. This blogger is intentional

about reaching as many readers as possible. While there may be a desire for financial gain,

the focus is also on sharing a message and making the web a place that is rich in content.

There’s a place on the web for every kind of blogger. Some are quite successful while others

give up the notion of blogging once they realize that it takes work and perseverance to

maintain a good blog.

Why does the psychology and motivation for blogging even matter? The most fundamental

answer? Content and reason for blogging help to define the message and the messenger.

Why should it matter to you? In the long run, if you want to run a blog with content that others

will want to read, you need to figure out what kind of a blogger you will be and identify your

audience. Once you know these two things, you’ll not only know yourself better, you will also

know what kind of a blog you want to have. Wasn’t it Socrates that said we should first know

who we are before we seek to know anything else?

After you fully digest and implement the principles in this chapter you should know what kind

of a blogger you are, who your audience is and what kind of content you will produce. Now, in

Chapter 2: Characteristics of a Successful Content Writer, we will take a look at important

traits or characteristics that separate good content writers from all the rest.

CHAPTER 2Characteristics of a Successful Content Writer

Web content writing can be a very exciting and rewarding journey. You may be just starting

your writing career or you may be a seasoned freelance writer. You may love to write and be

very good at it. The ability to write words on the page is only a basic requirement for a

freelance writer. There are other important qualities you must acquire or hone to accomplish

your goals as a writer.

Patience

We live in a very impatient society. We seek instant gratification and immediate information in

every part of our daily lives. To be a successful writer, you must learn to slow it down a bit.

Conducting adequate research to write a useful article can take time. It takes time to write,

edit, and re-write articles. It takes time to network in social media. If you want to become a

quality writer you must learn to be patient with the process.

Persistence

Have you ever watched the movie "Mary Poppins"? Did you know that it took Walt Disney

almost 20 years to convince author P. L. Travers to allow him to make her book into a movie?

How's that for being persistent? Things will not always go as planned. Your customer won't

immediately respond to your email. Your best customer may have just asked for an extensive

edit to your last article or it may have been totally rejected.

Persistence is a necessary quality for a successful writer. You must learn to never give up on

an article you really believe in until your work is “ready to be put to bed".

People are going to criticize your work. You can count on that. You must remain totally

focused on your writing goals and not let distractions or temporary disappointments get in

your way of achieving them.

Commitment

To be successful, you must be committed to producing quality web content on a regular basis.

This is probably the main characteristic that separates those who write as a hobby from those

who write to make a living.

Even if you aren't writing on a particular assignment, you should be updating your blog,

posting to your website, or promoting your work in social media. You must write something

every single day. Your commitment to your writing will help ensure that your creative juices

keep flowing while you increase your skill set.

Passion

If you have become totally miserable in your writing journey, stop! Successful writers love

what they do. Sure, they deal with all the same frustrations and disappointments, but they

see these complications as only a means to an end. You must write not only for the income

but even more importantly, for the joy and pleasure in writing. If writing is no longer your

passion, it may be time to open a different door and find a new pursuit.

This is the end of the sample of our book.

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Are you bothered by writer's block? Are you concerned about creating

your social profiles the right way? Would you like to make a better

freelance income from your hard work? If your dream is to become a

successful web content writer, you owe it yourself to let professional

writers like Ken and Deborah help you.