Assembling a solid writing team in the realm of marketing is a very important task for businesses and brands. According to the 2016 B2B Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends by the Content Marketing Institute, 76% of organizations expect to produce more content in 2016 than they produced in 2015. While churning out extra content is a good sign for any business heading into the New Year, it’s important that content marketers grow and improve their quality with the additional workload. That’s where great writing skills come into play.
Poor writing skills not only reflect negatively on a business but also, they reduce the likelihood of nabbing those coveted shares. So, what does it take to produce better-written pieces when delving into the world of content creation? Here are some tips and tricks for improving the overall quality of your written content and ensure that everything is Zen on your writing team.
Read All About It
Reading is one of the fundamental processes of becoming a better writer. Writers should spend a good amount of time reading other content, whether they flip through industry-focused articles or classic novels. Reading not only sharpens the mind but also, it just might give writers ideas for their own penned pieces.
Encourage and Nurture Writers
Whether you have one dedicated writer or a team of writers who work hard to produce quality content, make sure they are confident and always cultivating new skills. Figure out early on what works best for you and your writers in terms of schedule, topic distribution, and feedback delivery.
Additionally, make sure writers feel comfortable to express opinions and ask plenty of questions. Hosting an open environment helps to quell the normal fears and stresses the come with producing top-notch written content.
Outline and Utilize Notes
Tackling a big content marketing piece can seem daunting and is enough to rattle even the most seasoned writers. Starting with a thorough outline and collaborative notes is a great way to get the creative juices flowing while laying out a solid plan of attack. If the content marketing project has a lot of parts and pieces, an outline is useful for laying the groundwork and even creating a template for future projects.
Attend Seminars and Workshops
If writers are truly struggling to get their voice down, then attending seminars and workshops can be a great way to boost morale and gain confidence. With webinars, a writer may not even need to leave the comfort of their home to take part in the tips, tricks, advice, and important practice a seminar brings to the table. Local meet-ups and classes can even be a bonding experience for a team of writers to experience together.
Practice Makes Perfect
Write, write, write! From the basics of grammar in a blog post to technical writing for a buying guide, challenge writers to improve by practicing what they already know, and what they learn on a daily basis. Just be wary of causing burnout, which can lead to creative roadblocks.
Pair Up With the Right Editors
Let’s be honest – working with a strong editor is sometimes a blow to the ego. While it can be hard to accept the criticism, learning from an experienced editor is a very important part of writer growth. Spend some time pairing your writers up with editors who will point out mistakes honestly and work to define skills within the content production team.
