Sometimes, our tasks might be blog posts for different client blogs. We also have some writers helping out with our Topcontent blogs. See this guide for how to write an inspiring blog post, specifically related to our Writers blog.
Look & Feel
Always think magazine, sleek, smooth, trendy, sophisticated. The text should be flowing and relatable, appealing to a wide audience. Keep a chatty, friendly and enthusiastic tone of voice and aim for engaging material.
Writing Style
- Very easy to read.
- Free flowing text.
- Grammatically perfect.
- Character of writer must be present.
- For Writers Blog, they should write and draw on their own experience too.
- Tell a story.
- Be informative.
- Have fun reading it.
Layout
Remember text should be presented as attractively as possible to the reader. This will help the reader to remember what they have read, for longer. Paragraphs should be short – and so should sentences! Avoid large chunks of information. Instead, give the reader breaks by employing useful strategies such as numbered or bulleted lists, columns and/or tables. Don’t be afraid to use colour to highlight important information.
Catchy words should be bold to capture attention. Use different font sizes or styles to distinguish headings from the rest of the text, but don’t go too crazy so your text won’t be all over the place. Instead, stick to a minimum of two/three font sizes/styles and use them throughout. Above all, aim to be consistent.
Additionally, keep an eye on your chosen font style. Use display fonts for titles and subtitles, but go for text type for the rest of your body text to enhance readability.
Images
All images should be attractive and not look like quick money-making scams. Avoid images showing money. Must feel authentic.
When selecting images, make sure that they are related to the text. Where you put the image (ie. the proximity of that image to the relevant text) is also very important. It’s also wise to double-check that the same image hasn’t been used in similar blogs as this could potentially mean copyright infringement.
Pictures are useful for breaking up large chunks of text and helping readers relate to what they are reading – but it’s easy to go overboard as well. More than three or four pictures for a 1000-word article is usually too many. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with sizes and placements – and remember that text wrap is a highly useful tool! Above all, it’s essential to remember who your target audience is and select age-appropriate images. For example, if you’re writing about different careers on the go, choosing a picture of a successful-looking adult might be wiser than opting for a cartoon car.
Free Resources
https://freeforcommercialuse.net/
http://allthefreestock.com/ (free mockups and icons too)
https://www.stockvault.net/ (illustrations too)
https://morguefile.com/photos/morguefile/1/pop (multisearch, not everything’s free)
https://www.dreamstime.com/free-images_pg1
Additional tips!
- Be objective! Remember that your text will be read by a lot of people who won’t necessarily share your opinion!
- Be honest! Saying it like it is will always be appreciated, so don’t be afraid of outlining any negative aspects. Just be diplomatic and choose the appropriate diction. And never, never lie or over-exaggerate.
- Be chatty, but not colloquial. You need to engage your audience by avoiding unnecessarily elevated tones, but try not to slide into being too informal. While abbreviations used in common speech such as “shouldn’t”, “don’t”, etc. are absolutely fine, try to avoid slang as much as possible.
- Use synonyms. When writing at length about a topic, you’ll sometimes find yourself using the same words more than once. Remember variety is the spice of life, so add colour to your text by using a variety of words. Use online dictionaries and thesauri for help if you get stuck!
- Follow our style guide! We use British spelling as a rule unless otherwise specified, so make sure your spell-checker is set to UK spelling. A good source to double-check this is collinsdictionary.com
Last but not least …
Let us know if there’s anything else – we’re always ready to help!
Happy writing and stay awesome!