For many content writers, rhythm in writing is one of the hardest things to get right. Rhythm can (and should) vary from piece to piece – so it takes a lot of practice and revision to make it seem effortless. In this blog post, we’ll take you through our top five tips for getting the rhythm of your writing right.

What Is Rhythm in Writing?

Have you ever read something and felt that the words sang? Or that you’re short of breath but compelled to read on? The way a piece of writing makes you feel is no coincidence! A good content writer will carefully select words and arrange their sentences to create a particular rhythm – and achieve a specific effect.

Rhythm in writing is the way words and sentences are arranged to create a certain sound and pace. It can be impacted by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, use of vowel and consonant sounds, variations in sentence length, and punctuation choices. We’ll cover all of these elements in detail in the next part of this blog post.

Much like rhythm in music, rhythm in writing can also be used to control tone and mood. For example, if a content writer wants to create a sense of urgency or excitement, they may opt for a fast-paced rhythm. If they want the reader to quietly contemplate and reflect, they may opt for a more slow-paced rhythm.

5 Tips for Writing with Rhythm

The exact choices you make when it comes to building rhythm will depend on what you are trying to achieve with a piece of content. However, there are some general tips you can employ to improve the rhythm of your writing.

Consider Your Sentence Length

There is no right length for a sentence. It can vary depending on the context, your target audience, and the message you want to convey.

Short sentences are great for providing concise, easy-to-digest information. They tend to be easier to understand, reducing the likelihood of confusion or misinterpretation. Just be careful not to overuse them – this could give your writing a choppy, stuttering feeling or come across as overly simplistic. As we mentioned above, short sentences increase the pace, creating a sense of urgency, immediacy, and excitement. They often work well for:

• Instructions and how-to guides
• Social media posts
• News articles (to quickly convey key facts)
• Online content like web pages and blogs (to aid skimmability)
• Marketing and advertising copy (e.g., taglines and promotions)

Longer sentences, by contrast, tend to slow the pace, and they can add smoothness and richness to your writing. They are ideal for in-depth exploration of an idea, nuanced discussions, and a contemplative tone. They work well in content (such as blog posts and articles) where you want to:

• Explore a topic in great detail
• Paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind
• Create a narrative
• Present a nuanced argument or analysis
• Explain complex or technical information

You’ve probably been told at least once in your life that the best writing uses a mixture of short and long sentences. And that’s true, as Gary Provost demonstrates.

In most cases, varied sentence lengths and structures make for the most engaging content. The variation creates a natural rhythm and prevents monotony. Experiment with sentence length and see what works best!

Make Careful Punctuation Choices

Punctuation choice can make all the difference to rhythm in writing. Each punctuation mark has a different meaning when the text is read aloud.

Periods (.) note a full stop. They help to create a clear separation between ideas and points within a text. A period signals the end of one idea or thought and prepares the reader to move on to the next. They help add structure and, depending on the length of the sentence, can speed up or slow down reading pace.

I planned to go straight home after work. My friends convinced me to go to the pub.

Commas (,) mark a pause between ideas in a sentence. A comma can help a writer divide complex information into more manageable chunks and maintain a smooth, steady rhythm.

I planned to go straight home after work, but my friends convinced me to go to the pub.

Semicolons (;) also mark a pause, but a longer pause than that suggested by a comma. They help to convey a sense of flow and continuity between closely related ideas, especially in longer sentences.

I planned to go straight home after work; my friends convinced me to go to the pub.

If you read each example sentence aloud, you can hear how each punctuation mark changes the flow of the sentence.

Other punctuation marks have an impact on rhythm in writing, too. For example:

• Ellipses (…) can be used to build suspense or create a dramatic pause in the rhythm
• Parentheses [()] can help add supplementary information without disrupting the overall flow of a text
• Dashes (-) can be used to emphasize certain words or phrases and to guide the reader’s attention
• Exclamation marks (!) add moments of intensity and emotion to a text and draw attention to key points
• Question marks (?) prompt the reader to pause and reflect and to engage actively with the text. They can also add authenticity by reflecting the flow of a conversation.

Add Transition Words

Transition words are words that help to organize a piece of writing. They help the reader move smoothly from one topic to another by connecting the ideas in the previous sentence to the ideas in the next one. Transition words can be used to:

• Highlight a contrast (e.g., on the other hand)
• Highlight a similarity (e.g., similarly)
• Show cause and effect (e.g., as a result)
• Clarify a point (e.g., in other words)
• Provide an example (e.g., for instance)
• Place emphasis (e.g., above all)
• Summarize (e.g., in conclusion)
• And more!

Transition words make it easier for the reader to follow the writer’s train of thought. They provide clues about the direction in which the text is going and create a sense of clarity and coherence – all of which contribute to a smooth rhythmic flow.

Use Literary Devices

Some literary devices, like similes and metaphors, have developed a bad reputation among writers because they have been overused and become cliche. However, used sparingly, literary devices can add rhythm and flavor to your writing. For example:

• Alliteration (the repetition of consonant sounds) and assonance (the repetition of vowel sounds) can create a melodious effect. Just think of that old rhyme about a girl selling seashells!
• Repetition (for example, anaphora) can help establish a poetic rhythm and sense of momentum
• Parallelism (the repetition of grammatical elements in a sentence) can create a sense of balance and rhythm

Always Read Aloud

Our final tip for improving rhythm in writing is to read the text aloud. There are tools that you can use to do this, but it is often better to read it yourself. Research has shown many benefits to reading aloud, outside of figuring out rhythm in writing. It can help you spot when the rhythm is off (and it’s also a fantastic proofreading technique).

Becoming a Freelance Writer

Our Becoming a Freelance Writer course covers everything you need to know about writing professional blogs and articles, including writing clear, engaging content. If you’d like to see how this course could benefit you, you can try it for free.

The post Rhythm in Writing: How to Get It Right appeared first on Knowadays.

1. What is a subheading?
2. What is the purpose of a subheading?
3. How to write subheadings
4. Examples of effective subheadings
5. How Knowadays can help you improve your writing skills and launch a freelance career

Keep reading to learn more!

What Is a Subheading?

A subheading is a secondary heading that appears under a headline or title and is used to provide context for a distinct section within an article or expand on information given under the main heading. Think of a subheading as a brief preview or summary of the content that follows, giving readers an idea of what to expect in each section of an article.

Header tags, HTML elements used to define the heading hierarchy within a blog post or article, are often used with titles and subheadings to help structure the content and help search engines understand the relevance of different sections of the text. In HTML, there are six header tags, ranging from <h1> to <h6>, with <h1> being the highest level of importance and <h6> the lowest. Typically, the <h1> tag is used for the main heading of a blog post or article, <h2> and <h3> are used for important subheadings, and <h4>, <h5>, and <h6> are lower-level tags used to further break down the content within subsections of text. Note that not all header tags will be used in every piece of content (although most blog posts and articles will at least use <h1> for the main title and a combination of <h2> and <h3> tags to organize the subheadings).

What Is the Purpose of a Subheading?

Subheadings are valuable to the overall structure of a blog post and serve several essential purposes. They’re used to:

• Organize writing into logical sections, which makes it easier for readers to follow the flow of ideas (especially for long or complex pieces)
• Let readers know what to expect from a section of text
• Establish a hierarchy within the content and indicate the relationship among different sections
• Improve readability and scannability (e.g., for skim readers or mobile users)

Another purpose of subheadings is to improve SEO. Search engines prioritize content that is easy to read and understand, so well-structured content with clear subheadings can improve a website’s ranking on results pages. Subheadings also usually include relevant keywords and phrases, which play a role in boosting SEO and driving website traffic.

How to Write Subheadings

To write subheadings that make an impact and engage your readers, consider the following points:

1. Make Subheadings Relevant

Remember that some readers may only read the subheadings to get the main ideas of the article, so ensure they’re relevant and reflect the main content. Sometimes it can help to write the main content of the article first and then use that information to craft the subheadings.

2. Use Keywords and Phrases

Incorporate relevant keywords into your subheadings, especially if you’re aiming to improve your article’s visibility in search engines. Keep in mind that keywords should always read as smoothly as possible and fit well into the surrounding text (i.e., avoid keyword stuffing).

3. Keep It Concise

Keep subheadings short and to the point. To keep readers from losing interest, aim for brevity while conveying the main idea of each section.

4. Consider the Heading Hierarchy

It’s essential to maintain a logical hierarchy with subheadings to avoid confusing your readers. Each subheading should build upon the previous one to create a clear and organized structure.

5. Maintain Consistency

For consistency, aim to make your subheadings similar in length whenever possible. You should also ensure that all headings and subheadings within a section follow a parallel structure and recognizable pattern. For example, use consistent verb forms (e.g., all gerunds or all infinitives) and capitalization for a series of subheadings.

Subheading Examples

As inspiration for your own writing, here are some examples of different types of blog posts that effectively incorporate subheadings:

• This HubSpot blog post on sales techniques utilizes a logical heading hierarchy and parallel structure, making it easy to quickly skim the content and pick out the main ideas.
• The subheadings used in the travel website uncornered market’s blog post clearly explain the content that follows and help organize the article.
• In this Mailchimp blog post on improving freelance pitches, each subheading serves as a “tip” for the reader, which makes it easy for readers who are short on time to process the conte
• This Shopify blog post on woodworking uses concise subheadings to clearly indicate the type of project that each section discusses.
• Microsoft’s article on their diversity and inclusion efforts effectively uses subheadings to break up different (but related) topics within a lengthy piece.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to launch a freelance writing business? Check out our comprehensive Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It teaches you everything you need to know about writing professional-quality blog posts and articles, including how to best structure your writing. Claim your free trial to get started today!

The post What Is a Subheading? (And How to Write a Good One) appeared first on Knowadays.

In this post, we explain everything a content writer needs to know about Google E-E-A-T and how it can help you produce high-quality content.

What Is Google E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T is a framework that Google’s Quality Raters use to evaluate the quality of online content.

E-E-A-T stands for:

• Experience – Having the necessary first-hand experience in the subject the content covers
• Expertise – Making use of professional, academic, or other forms of expertise to write about a subject
• Authoritativeness – Demonstrating an established reputation within an industry
• Trustworthiness – Keeping content accurate, up-to-date, and well-sourced

Why Is E-E-A-T Important?

As E-E-A-T is used to judge the quality of a website’s content, it helps to determine where on the search engine results page that content will appear.

In other words, the more your content demonstrates the E-E-A-T principles, the better its SEO score will be.

But that’s not the only reason content writers should keep E-E-A-T in mind. Using the E-E-A-T concepts to improve the quality of content can result in:

• More clickthroughs
• Increased backlinks to and sharing of your work
• A higher chance of your content becoming a featured snippet

E-E-A-T in YMYL Content

While the principles of E-E-A-T are relevant to any type of content, there are some topics for which they are particularly important. These are topics that fall under the initialism YMYL, which stands for Your Money or Your Life.

Google uses YMYL to refer to content that could significantly impact a person’s health, financial status, or general well-being.

Potential YMYL topics include:

• News and current events
• Financial advice (e.g., where to invest money)
• Medical advice (e.g., how to treat symptoms of an illness)
• Emergency procedures (e.g. evacuation routes)

YMYL content needs to demonstrate the highest levels of E-E-A-T, as publishing incorrect, misleading, or otherwise low-quality content in these contexts could have severe consequences.

How to Demonstrate E-E-A-T in Your Content

Knowing that the quality of your writing will be judged by these criteria can be overwhelming, especially for new content writers.

But being able to use the principles of E-E-A-T in your content isn’t all about how long you’ve been writing. In fact, any content writer at any stage of their career can demonstrate E-E-A-T. Here’s how to do it one step at a time.

Experience

Experience is the newest part of the E-E-A-T framework, introduced in December 2022, but that doesn’t make it any less important than the other elements.

Demonstrating your personal experience in the topic you are writing about helps instill confidence in your work and adds that personal touch that’s essential for good-quality content.

To demonstrate experience in your content:

• Provide real-life examples. Sharing relevant real-life examples can help you connect with your audience and make your content more personal. If you were writing an article about the best places to visit in Europe, for example, providing an anecdote about your recent trip to Berlin would be the perfect way to cement your experience in the topic.
• Share your personal insights. While it’s not always appropriate to share your personal opinion in content, adding your own insights to less formal writing is a great way to demonstrate your personal experience.
• Reach out to your network. If you’re writing on a topic that you don’t have much demonstrable experience in, try reaching out to your colleagues, coworkers, and others who you know have the relevant experience. You might be able to incorporate that experience in the form of an interview, case study, or success story.

Expertise

Despite the alliteration formed by the words Experience and Expertise, the two shouldn’t be mistaken for each other. After all, a person who has received medical treatment from a doctor might have experience with that treatment but no expertise in it.

So, even if you’ve demonstrated personal experience of a subject, surface-level content is unlikely to impress Google’s Quality Raters. The ability to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of your subject – in other words, expertise – will help improve the quality of your content and how well it performs in search results.

Here’s how to make expertise part of your content:

• Specialize in a niche. If you have qualifications or credentials in a particular subject, your expertise in that area should already be established. You might even want to consider specializing in that topic, particularly because finding your writing niche has many other benefits.
• Do your research. If you are writing something for a client, they may have provided research resources in the brief. If not, you’ll need to find reliable sources to get the information you need. See our Content Research Toolkit for tips.
• Contact experts in the field. Consider contacting more established experts if you lack expertise yourself. Sharing a quote or interview from someone with demonstrable expertise can show how committed you are to producing quality content – and may have the added benefit of increasing your content’s reach if that expert shares your work with their network.

Authoritativeness

Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines reward content that comes from reputable sources or writers who have established respect in their industry.

However, that doesn’t mean new or part-time writers cannot reach Google’s standards for Authoritativeness.

The following techniques can help you establish authority – and quality – in your content:

• Craft an author bio. Author bios or bylines are a great place to share your credentials and help establish your authority on a subject.
• Write guest posts. If you don’t yet have a well-established platform for your content, consider writing guest posts for more established sites in your industry. That will help build your reputation as you progress in your career.
• Build up backlinks. A reputable source sharing a link to your website or content – known as a backlink – establishes your content’s credibility. There’s no one right way to build backlinks, but creating content that is shareable, high-quality, and original will increase its likelihood of being referenced on respected sites.

Trustworthiness

Arguably the most important component of E-E-A-T, Trustworthiness, can be informed by the other three factors. Yet, at the same time, trustworthiness can underwhelm their effect on a content’s quality.

In other words, it doesn’t matter how much experience, expertise, and authoritativeness you demonstrate in your work if you can’t also demonstrate that it is trustworthy.

To produce trustworthy content:

• Provide reliably sourced evidence. Every point you make in your content should be backed up by evidence in some way. This evidence could be a particular statistic or another person’s writing. Whatever form this evidence takes, though, you should always provide links to your sources – and make sure those sources are credible.
• Remain transparent. Transparency is key when establishing trust. In content writing, this means making sure you’re clear and honest about where the information in your content comes from, whether that’s by linking your sources or identifying when you’re quoting another person or publication.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

From mastering SEO to establishing your own content writing business, our Becoming A Freelance Writer course can take you from a complete beginner to a thriving freelancer.

Why not give it a try for free?

The post A Content Writer’s Guide to Google E-E-A-T appeared first on Knowadays.

That’s why we’ve put together this content research toolkit, for new and established writers alike, to provide you with the essential research skills and tools you need to plan and produce great content.

Why Is Research Important?

As fast-paced as the internet and its trending topics can be, it can sometimes feel like writers need to publish content as quickly as possible in order to keep up.

But taking the time to conduct thorough research will ultimately improve your content – and your reputation.

Properly researching your content can:

• Speed up the writing process
• Enhance your writing’s quality, accuracy, and credibility
• Improve your content’s SEO ranking
• Provide you with ideas, inspiration, and knowledge for future content
• Provide more benefit to your clients and readers, which in turn helps establish your reputation as a writer

Types of Research

Before we begin, it’s important to keep in mind that research isn’t one-size-fits-all.

While there are many different types of research, they typically fall under two categories:

• Primary Research: the process of collecting data that has not already been collected, for example, by conducting an interview or survey
• Secondary Research: the process of reviewing data that has been collected by someone else, such as in a book or blog post

As a content writer, you’ll primarily be conducting secondary, desktop-based research (or in other words, searching the internet).

However, it’s not uncommon for some clients to provide primary sources that they would like to be included in the finished article.

If your client does require you to conduct more in-depth primary research, such as conducting interviews, make sure to account for the extra time and effort this may take when agreeing on your rate.

How to Do Research for Content Writing

The following section covers tips for approaching content research, from planning your articles to making sure you’ve sourced your references properly.

1. Planning Your Content

Before getting stuck with the finer details, take some time to determine key information about the content you’ll be writing. You’ll need to know:

• What subject(s) your content will cover
• What form your content will take (e.g., a listicle or how-to article)
• Who your content is for

If you’re working with a client, they should have already provided you with some of these details as part of a content brief.

However, you can conduct your own research to refine these details further.

Subject and Keywords

The main subject of your content will likely be informed by the client or publication you are writing for, or the niche you specialize in as a writer.

If you’ve been given a title for your post, this is a great starting point to kick off your research by:

• Googling the title to see what is already out there – and what ranks highest on search engines – on the subject
• Conducting keyword research to find out what related subjects and terms your audience is likely to search for

Keyword research can also identify related searches and subtopics, which can inform the structure of your content and provide ideas for subheadings.

Format

If your client hasn’t specified a format for your content, researching the subject matter can give you an idea of some of the more popular article styles.

See what style of posts are ranked highest for your content’s keywords. Are there lots of “Top 10” articles? How about reviews, tutorials, or case studies? The more popular formats are most likely to perform well with your target audience.

One thing to watch out for when researching format, though, is structural plagiarism – copying another piece of content’s structure too closely.

While some subjects will have a limited number of logical structures (how-to articles, for example, will likely follow a very similar series of steps), you should try and avoid following someone else’s use of format, headings, and subheadings too closely.

Audience

Audience research is a whole realm of study in itself, and you shouldn’t need to conduct in-depth audience research for a client (unless, of course, they’re paying for the extra service).

But identifying some key details about your content’s audience will help you determine the direction your writing will take.

By researching popular blog posts and social media trends on a topic you’re writing about, you can get an idea of:

• Demographics about your target audience, such as occupation, age, gender, or social status
• What tone and style of writing is most likely to appeal to them
• What benefits your audience is looking for or what challenges they are trying to overcome

2. Finding Credible Sources

Some clients may provide you with a list of sources to use when writing content, but this isn’t always the case.

Most of the time, it will be up to you to find credible, trustworthy sources for your research. This is an important step to take, as taking the time to verify sources ensures that the content you produce is accurate and reflects well on yourself and your client.

To identify credible sources, check that:

• The author possesses the required qualifications, reputation, or expertise to be writing on the subject
• The information shared is recent and up to date
• Any claims made are supported by evidence or corroborated in other sources
• The author, publication, or platform is unbiased on the subject

For more tips on finding sources you can trust, check out our blog post, How to Spot a Credible Source.

3. Taking Notes

As you conduct your research, make sure to take notes and organize your findings in a way that makes sense to you. Common note-taking strategies include:

• Separating your research into relevant subheadings
• Color-coding your notes
• Using a note-taking system such as the Cornell method

Remember not to copy content from other sources word for word, though, unless you’re quoting that source and properly referencing it. Copying content is plagiarism, and it can have a severe impact on you and your client’s reputation.

As you take notes, spend some time reviewing your competitors’ posts on the subject matter. Ask yourself if anything seems to be missing or isn’t covered in depth.

This can help you identify what you can improve on with your own writing and where you can provide additional value to your client and audience that isn’t present in existing content.

4. Managing Your References

As you conduct your research, it’s important that you make a note of the sources you’ve used and any references you will need to make.

It’s also a good idea to keep a list of sources you’ve read as you go, even if you don’t intend on referencing them directly. This will help you keep track of what information you’ve found and where.

Managing your references properly is especially important if you’re producing a piece of academic or scientific writing, as these industries tend to have strict standards when it comes to crediting (and formatting) references.

Content Research Tools

There are a lot of different aspects to consider when it comes to content research. Luckily, there are also plenty of tools to help get the job done.

We’ve listed our favorites for you to try.

Keyword Research Tools

Keyword Generator

A free, basic tool that generates and ranks up to 150 keywords for a given subject.

Answer the Public

A free research tool that lets you identify what questions people are searching for in relation to a given keyword.

Ahrefs

A simple-to-use, free SEO tool that allows you to generate keywords and research keyword ranking.

Semrush

An advanced tool that provides more in-depth keyword and SEO insights.

Note-Taking Apps

Microsoft OneNote

A free note-taking program included with Office365, which allows for easy integration with other Microsoft software.

Notion

An all-in-one note-taking, collaboration, and project management tool.

Ulysses

A note-taking and writing app with plenty of features that can help convert your research notes into finished articles.

Reference Management Tools

Mendeley

A free-to-download reference manager designed for academics and researchers. It can be used in-browser or as standalone software.

Zotero

Another free-to-download manager that works as a browser extension.

EndNote

A premium reference management service with a free trial option.

PaperPile

A web-based reference manager that offers a 30-day free trial.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Want to learn all there is to know about being a freelance writer? Our Becoming A Freelance Writer course will equip you with the skills you need to write (and research) with confidence.

Like to do your research first? No problem – you can try us out for free.

The post Content Research Toolkit: Essential Strategies and Tools appeared first on Knowadays.

Why Does a Blog Post Need a Conclusion?

A conclusion is so much more than simply a signal to your reader that they’ve reached the end of the post. A good blog conclusion needs to inspire the reader to take further action. The type of action will depend on the purpose of your post. For example, you might want your reader to:

• Read more of your posts
• Share your post with others
• Engage your services
• Purchase a product
• Sign up for something (e.g., a free trial or a newsletter)
• Do something for themselves

And, at the very least, you will want your reader to remember what you’ve said in the post. The conclusion is the place to do this because it is the last thing your reader will read – and, therefore, the thing they are most likely to remember.

How to Write a Strong Conclusion

So, what do you want to achieve from your post? What would you like your reader to do after reading it? Answering those key questions will help you figure out what to include in your conclusion to make it a strong one. Here are our top tips.

Summarize Your Key Points

We’re not suggesting for a moment that your writing will have caused your reader’s attention to drift midway through your post. However compelling your post, your reader will want – and probably need – a neat summary of the main points they should remember. Providing that in the conclusion will assist not only the reader who’s diligently read the full post but also the one who’s skimmed through to the end.

Link to Further Information

If your aim is to spark your reader’s interest in a subject, then use your conclusion to show them where they can discover more about it. You could include a link to another post you’ve written, a more in-depth article, or information from another authoritative source. The link doesn’t even have to be something in writing; if you’ve got a podcast, for example, link to that.

Entice with a Trailer

While writing your post, you may have had to fight the temptation to go off on a tangent. Perhaps what started as a simple subject opened up a whole raft of related issues. Instead of writing one lengthy post to cover everything, you may have wisely decided to produce a series of posts on a subject. Your conclusion will then become the perfect place to trail the next one, keeping your reader engaged with your blog.

Invite Feedback and Discussion

Allowing your reader to participate is a great way to help them feel more engaged with your blog. But simply having a Comments section is unlikely to be enough. If you hosted a party without sending any invitations, it would hardly come as a surprise if no one turned up. People, whether because they’re busy or polite, tend not to become involved in things without an invitation, so use your conclusion for this. Conversation is more likely to flow if there’s an icebreaker. Think about the kind of feedback or discussion you’d like, and don’t be afraid to ask for it.

Prompt Sharing

Whatever your blog post is about, you probably didn’t write it for just one person to read. You can, of course, hope that a reader who enjoys it will recommend it to someone else, and you may be providing the necessary buttons to allow for easy sharing. Remember what we said about inviting feedback? To go back to the party example, if you would like someone to bring a plus-one, you should make that clear. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain by adding a simple prompt for your reader to share your post.

Call to Action

What would you like your reader to do after reading the post? We’ve already covered a few possibilities, from which you may spot a growing theme. If there’s something you want your reader to do, then tell them (or, if you’d like, gently guide them)! In blog terms, this is the Call to Action (CTA). As well as the suggestions we’ve already made, this is where you could include a link to:

• A relevant service you provide
• A resource you’ve created

Or the CTA could simply be aimed at helping your reader do something for themselves.

• Asking a question could get them thinking more deeply about a subject.
• Suggesting a simple, practical step could help resolve their problem.

The key is to use your conclusion to provide your reader with the necessary prompt.

Keep it Short

First impressions are important, but last impressions are what will stick in your reader’s mind. If all you do in your conclusion is repeat everything in the post, your reader may remember the repetition instead of the key points. And it’s unlikely that they’ll want to read other things you’ve written or recommend your post or blog to others.

Like with a party invitation, keeping your conclusion to a clear and concise recap of the necessary details. This will help direct your readers to the right place, with the intention to act.

Examples of Blog Conclusions

Now that we’ve set out our tips, let’s have a look at how they come together in practice with some real-life examples.

This post about the difference between although and even though used bullet points to provide a short summary and included a practical way for the reader to remember the information:

In this post about working through the (peri)menopause, the writer’s aim – to provide support – was boosted by the use of external links to where readers could find further help and information:

Having neatly summed up the purpose of a post on their writing year, this writer provided a teaser for their follow-up post:

Humor is a brilliant icebreaker, which has been effectively used to promote discussion in the conclusion to this post about attracting better clients using the “chuckle point” technique:

The prompt to share your post can be as simple as this prompt in a post about the definition of economics:

And for an example of another type of CTA… keep reading!

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Now it’s time to work on your own blog post conclusion. Remember:

• Include the key point(s) you want the reader to remember.
• Provide links to show you can further help your reader.
• Guide your reader toward ways they may help you.

If you would like to take your writing to the next level or simply brush up on your skills, our Becoming A Freelance Writer course covers everything you need to know to write professional blog posts and articles, including how to structure your writing. You can even try it out for free.

And if you’ve found this post helpful, please share it.

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Why Is a Glossary of Writing Terms Helpful?

As a freelance writer, you must familiarize yourself with the key terms used in the writing industry. Being well-versed in writing terminology will help you communicate effectively with your clients and convince them of your ability to deliver high-quality work. Using the correct language shows that you take your craft seriously, understand the context in which you’ll be writing, and know what is required to meet the client’s needs.

Writing Terms Glossary

Here are our top writing terms for freelance writers.

• A/B Test
  A/B testing is a simple but powerful way of comparing two versions of something to determine which performs better. For instance, a client may request a writer to provide two titles for a blog post to decide which one resonates better with the target audience.
• Business-to-business (B2B)
  B2B marketing promotes products or services to other businesses rather than individual consumers. For example, a software company’s target audience would be other businesses that require software solutions to improve their operations rather than individual consumers who may not have a use for such software.
• Business-to-consumer (B2C)
  B2C marketing is directed at individual consumers. Tailor your writing to keep your target audience in mind, which will vary from product to product.
• Body Copy
  This is the central part of a blog post or article, where all the primary information is. Body copy often encourages the target audience to take a particular action, for example, buying a product or trying out a service. It will go into detail on the features and benefits of the product for the consumer.
• Branding
  Branding creates a distinct identity for a company, individual, product, or service. It’s the image you want your readers to consider when they think of a particular brand. There are lots of different aspects to branding, including:
  
  – A consistent use of visual elements like logos, color schemes, and typography across all platforms
  – A consistent communication style and personality (e.g., language and tone of voice) 
  – Establishing a mission statement and core values
  
  When writing for clients, keeping their brand identity in mind and maintaining consistency throughout the content is essential.
• Byline
  A byline is a line that tells readers who has written a piece of content. Sometimes, a byline is simply the author’s name, whereas, in others, it’s a more detailed bio. A byline is a great way for freelance writers to get their work noticed and establish credibility.
• Caption
  A caption is a brief description of what is shown in a photo.
• Call to Action (CTA)
  A CTA is a short line or phrase that encourages a reader to take a specific action, for example, buy a product, sign up for a newsletter, or contact a company for more information. CTAs can appear anywhere in a piece of content but are often found toward the end. They usually take the form of an embedded link or a clickable button. One example of a call to action is “Contact us today to learn more!”.
• Cold Email
  A cold email (or pitch) is a message you send to an individual or company with whom you have no prior relationship. It’s a form of marketing that writers can use to attract new clients. In contrast, a warm email is sent to someone with whom you have an existing relationship.
• Conflict of Interest
  Maintaining objectivity and avoiding conflicts of interest is essential when writing a blog post or article. If you have a personal or professional relationship with a source or the subject matter, it may be perceived as a conflict of interest. Therefore, it’s necessary to disclose any potential matches immediately. You can collaborate with your editor or client to find a solution to any conflicts that arise.
• Content Management System (CMS)
  A CMS is a computer program that enables you to write, edit, modify, and publish content. While WordPress is one of the most popular CMS, freelancers who work with content companies often use one created by the company itself.
• Conversion
  Copy that aims to motivate a reader to take a specific action – such as signing up for a mailing list, sharing information, or making a purchase – is known as conversion copy. Every time a reader takes a desired action, it’s a conversion. The effectiveness of any web content can be evaluated by its conversion rate. Clients often seek writers who can produce content with a high conversion rate.
• Copy
  This refers to the text in any article or blog post that you write.
• Copywriting
  Copywriting involves writing promotional copy designed to benefit a business (for example, by persuading a reader to buy a product).  Copywriters work on a wide range of content, including advertisements, slogans and taglines, social media posts, and email campaigns.
• Content Writing
  While copywriting aims to sell a product, content writing is more about delivering information to solve a problem or address a pain point. Its tone is educational and informative rather than sales-y. Like copywriters, content writers work on a wide range of content, including blog posts and articles, white papers, case studies, and ebooks.
• Content Brief
  A content brief is a document given to a writer at the start of a project, which should cover everything they need to know to get started. For example, it will usually include the objective of the content, the desired target audience, the preferred structure, the expected word count, etc. If a client doesn’t provide a content brief or provides an incomplete brief, the writer may need to reach out to clarify expectations and discuss any information gaps.
• Deliverable
  A deliverable is a quantifiable output you agree to produce by the end of a project (for example, a 1500-word blog post). Before starting work on a project, it’s essential to ensure that you and your client know exactly what you will be delivering. This can help avoid any confusion later on.
• Dummy Copy
  A dummy copy is placeholder text inserted into a space before the final copy is added. It’s often in Latin, starting with “Lorem Ipsum” to indicate that it’s not actual content.
• Evergreen
  Evergreen content is designed to stay relevant for an extended period. When clients request evergreen content, they ask for something that will remain useful to their audience today and in the future, possibly for months or years.
• Hook
  To keep readers engaged, you need a “hook” that captures their attention. A hook is a sentence found in the first sentence or two of a piece of content, designed to compel the reader to read until the end. There are lots of different types of hooks that you can use, depending on the goal of the content.
• Infographic
  Infographics are visually appealing and highly informative graphics that present complex information in a simple and engaging way. They often incorporate captions for various elements within the graphic, making it easy for the audience to understand the information at a glance.
• Invoice
  An invoice, or a bill, is a document a freelancer issues to their client to request payment for their completed work. It’s the first step in collecting payment from the client.
• “Kill” Fee
  When a writer is assigned to write an article for a publication, there is always a chance that the article may not be published. However, if this happens, some publications offer a small consolation fee to the writer for their efforts. This fee is usually 10–20% of the planned publication fee the writer would have received had the article been published.
• Landing Page
  A landing page is a web page that a reader “lands” on after clicking on a link – whether in search results, an email, or a social media post. Landing pages are usually designed with a specific goal and include CTAs to persuade readers to take a particular action. Examples include signing up for a free trial, completing a form to access gated content, enrolling in an event, or signing up for a newsletter.
• Long-Form Content
  While there is no strict definition, long-form content is typically considered to be over 1,200 words. Examples of long-form content include pillar pages, in-depth blog posts, guides, and tutorials. This type of content is designed to educate and inform the reader.
  
  As it explores a topic in detail and provides much value, long-form content can boost audience engagement and conversions. Long-form content typically ranks better in search engines; it’s easier for Google and other search engines to understand and present more opportunities to incorporate keywords and links.
• Meta Description
  A meta description is a web page summary that appears under the page title in search engines. The meta description aims to inform the reader about the web page and convince them to click through. It’s usually 120–155 characters.
• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
  An NDA is a binding contract between a client and a freelancer. This agreement aims to safeguard confidential information and trade secrets that may be shared during a project. It protects both parties legally and ensures that the client’s sensitive information is kept secure and not disclosed to any third party without their explicit consent.
• On Spec
  Writing “on spec” (an abbreviation of “on speculation”) means creating content without a contract or guarantee of payment, with the hope of selling it later on. Freelance writers will write on spec to showcase their skills to potential clients and build their portfolios. Writing on spec is particularly useful for writers who don’t have many prior work samples to share.
• Portfolio
  A freelance writing portfolio is a compilation of writing samples that showcase your writing skills and expertise. It’s a professional representation of your work that clients or employers can view before hiring you.
• Proposal
  This is a document that describes your product or service. Freelance writers typically send a proposal to potential clients after conversing with them in person, over the phone, or via email.
• Query Letter
  If you want to get your work published in magazines or newspapers, you’ll need to be familiar with query letters. A query letter is a sales pitch designed to convince an editor that your article idea will interest their readers and that you are the best person to write it. It’s worth getting your query letter right; even if your idea isn’t the right fit for them, they may still be interested in working with you on a different assignment.
• Scope
  Scope refers to the work that must be done to complete a project (for example, the deliverables and the intended timeframe). It would be best to discuss a project’s scope with your client before you start work. If your client begins to request work that falls outside the project’s original scope, this is known as scope creep.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  SEO is the practice of optimizing web pages so that they rank highly on search engine results pages. The higher a webpage ranks, the more traffic (i.e., visitors) it will receive. More visitors can translate into better brand visibility, leads, and sales.
• Short-Form Content
  Short-form content is brief, concise, and straight to the point. It’s designed to be easily digestible in minutes or even seconds. Typically, any content that is less than 1,200 words is considered short-form. Examples of short-form content include infographics, social media posts, and short blog posts.
• Style Guide
  Some clients and web content companies will provide writers with a detailed style guide and standards for producing content. It may include detailed information regarding the intended audience, style specifications, and keywords. Adhering to it is of the utmost importance. If there is no style guide, writers can create their own.

Becoming a Freelance Writer

Our Becoming a Freelance Writer course is the perfect starting point if you want to become a freelance writer. Our comprehensive modules cover everything from finding clients, setting rates, and building your portfolio. With the valuable knowledge you’ll gain from this course, you’ll be well-equipped to succeed in your career path!

Don’t hesitate to sign up for our free trial today and take the first step toward a fulfilling and lucrative career as a freelance writer!

The post The Ultimate Glossary of Freelance Writing Terms appeared first on Knowadays.

This post will tell you all you need to know about plagiarism: what it means, why you should avoid it, and how to make sure you never plagiarize someone else’s work.

What Is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism happens when someone takes another person’s work or ideas and presents them as their own. It can be intentional or unintentional:

• Intentional plagiarism involves knowingly using someone else’s work without seeking permission or including proper citations. Intentional plagiarism is committed with the intent to mislead.
• Unintentional plagiarism, on the other hand, is not intended to mislead. It tends to occur when an individual has poor research and writing practices. For example, they might not have managed their references properly or sufficiently understood a particular citation style. It may therefore be unclear what work is theirs and what has been taken from an external source.

Unfortunately, plagiarism is common in many industries. And it’s not just freelance writers who have to avoid plagiarism. Any kind of material can be plagiarized – words, original ideas, designs, products, music, etc.

To help you avoid it in your writing, here are some examples of what constitutes plagiarism:

• Taking someone else’s writing (passage or full text) and publishing it under your own name
• Copying and pasting something from the internet without properly citing the author
• Not providing (or doing so incorrectly) references and citations
• Not using quotation marks correctly
• Incorrectly paraphrasing another author’s ideas
• Using another author’s exact words in your writing without proper acknowledgment

Why Should You Avoid Plagiarism?

It is extremely important to avoid plagiarism as a freelance writer.

As a freelancer, you’re responsible for developing your personal brand and finding work. Part of this involves building a portfolio that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise in a particular area. Your portfolio helps you build authority and credibility in your niche and secure clients. Even one occurrence of plagiarism in your portfolio can seriously damage your reputation. If a client agrees to work with you based on your portfolio and then discovers it contains plagiarized work, they are likely to end the working relationship.

Similarly, if you produce well-researched and original content, your clients are likely to give you positive reviews and testimonials. You may even secure repeat work with them. But if they find that your work has been plagiarized, they may leave you a negative review. Negative reviews can prevent potential clients from working with you, thus limiting your opportunities for new jobs. Not only can plagiarism damage your reputation, but it can also harm your client’s business.

Depending on how severe the plagiarism is, you can even face punishments or fines. In academia, plagiarism can be penalized by a failing grade, loss of funding for research, and even being fired or expelled.

In the professional world, plagiarism can negatively affect your reputation. You can lose money from canceled contracts, and your clients may take their business elsewhere. More severe cases of plagiarism can even lead to legal and financial consequences or charges for copyright infringement.

Even if you never get caught, it’s still wise to avoid plagiarism. You want to take pride in your work and grow your skills as a freelance writer, which is not possible if you are stealing someone else’s words and ideas.

How to Avoid Plagiarism in Content Writing

If plagiarism worries you, you can relax. Luckily, avoiding plagiarism is simple. All you need to do is correctly acknowledge any words, ideas, or data you’ve used when they belong to someone else. If you’re unsure how to do this, keep reading to learn some of the best practices you can implement as a freelance writer to make sure your work is plagiarism-free.

1. Do as Much of Your Own Research as Possible

When doing your research, make sure you write original notes and put everything into your own words before you start your actual writing.

Looking at as many sources as you can is better than only using a couple. Having notes written in your own words from many different sources will make it less likely that you will be stealing specific words or ideas from someone else.

As a freelance writer, knowing how to research properly, take insightful notes, and manage your references are valuable skills.

2. Don’t Copy and Paste

While it’s tempting to copy and paste information while researching, this can be dangerous. If anything you’ve copied makes it into your final draft verbatim, you can be guilty of plagiarism. As mentioned above, write notes and make sure to put everything into your own words.

3. Reference/Cite All Your Sources

There is nothing wrong with including other people’s ideas in your work, as long as you acknowledge them.

Not only will citing sources avoid plagiarism, but it can also help legitimize your work. When your readers see the list of sources you have included, they will know you have taken the time to research thoroughly and are knowledgeable enough to speak on the given topic.

In-text, footnote, and endnote citations are all acceptable methods of recognizing your original sources. If you find that you can’t express your idea any better than the original author, it is acceptable to directly quote them as long as it is formatted properly.

4. Paraphrase

If you really want to avoid including references or quotations, you can always paraphrase the original. To paraphrase something, simply take the thought or idea you want to use and rewrite it in your own words. In this way, you have the opportunity to express the idea in a clearer way.

You do need to be careful, though. If you paraphrase incorrectly, you may be plagiarizing unintentionally. You must reword and format your writing in an original way and avoid using words or phrases that were included in the source. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, just include a citation as mentioned above to avoid plagiarism.

5. Use Plagiarism-Detection Software

As a last resort, you can always consider using a trusted plagiarism checker once you are nearly finished with your writing. There are free and subscription-based software available and lots of options. If you are especially concerned, you can even consider using more than one.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

If you want to become a freelance writer or improve your skills if you are one already, try signing up for our Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It will teach you how to write blog posts and articles from start to finish – including how to effectively carry out research and avoid plagiarism.

Start your free trial today and see for yourself!

The post How to Avoid Plagiarism as a Freelance Writer appeared first on Knowadays.

17 Online Writing Tools for Writers

With so many online writing tools to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here, we outline 17 of the best online writing tools for freelance writers.

Grammar and Formatting Tools

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know that we stress the importance of good grammar and formatting in anything you write. And, while we always recommend hiring a professional editor or proofreader to help you with this, a good first step can be using one of the many grammar checkers or formatting tools available online.

Grammarly and ProWritingAid

Grammarly and ProWritingAid are online grammar checkers that can check a document for punctuation errors, clarity, concision, dialect, and other grammatical issues. They do essentially the same job, so it will be a matter of personal preference. Both have free and paid plans, with the paid plans allowing the user access to more features. Please be aware that neither of these apps can replace a human editor.

Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is another editor, but it focuses solely on passive voice, clarity, and readability. It uses different colored highlights to note issues in the text. Hemingway Editor is free to use.

Title Case Converter

Title Case Converter helps you capitalize your titles as per the conventions set out in style guides such as AP, CMoS, and APA. It’s free to use.

Thesaurus

Sometimes, as writers, we get a word stuck in our head that we use repeatedly throughout an article, which can make the writing feel repetitive and uninteresting. Thesaurus.com helps you find synonyms to vary your word choice. When you search for synonyms, Thesaurus.com will provide the closest matches (in orange) and other suggestions that might be useful to your query. It’s free to use and has a free dictionary attached.

Research Tools

Research is a vital step in creating engaging content, but it can sometimes feel like a daunting task. Luckily, there are plenty of tools that can help!

Google Scholar

One of the biggest challenges in researching using the internet is wading through the nonsense to find a credible source. Google Scholar hosts thousands of research papers, patents, case law, and citations. Most items listed on Google Scholar have been published in academic journals, meaning they have been peer-reviewed and are less likely to contain false information. Having said that, we still recommend you confirm any information in the article with another unrelated source. Google Scholar is free to use.

Zotero and EndNote

Keeping track of your references is essential as a freelance writer. While it’s perfectly acceptable to draw on the work of other writers or external sources, you must cite them correctly. Otherwise, it could amount to plagiarism. Reference management tools like Zotero and EndNote can help you keep track of the sources you are using so you don’t fall into that trap. Plus, they can save you time searching if there is something you need to come back to! Zotero is free to use. EndNote offers a 14-day free trial, followed by a one-time purchase for full access.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools

A basic knowledge of how to write an SEO-friendly blog is a must in today’s competitive online world, but that’s not to say that you shouldn’t use SEO tools to help you on the way.

AnswerThePublic

Content that solves a user’s pain points will likely perform better. AnswerThePublic is an SEO tool that analyzes keywords and search terms on Google, YouTube, and Bing so that authors can incorporate them into their copy. On the free plan, you have three searches a day. If you pay for one of the subscriptions, you can have upwards of 100 searches a day.

InLinks

InLinks is a content optimization tool that automatically generates an internal linking strategy, which can help boost your content’s visibility online. The tool works on a credit system. Every feature costs the user an assigned number of credits, which can be bought in bundles.

SEO Writing Assistant

Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant helps writers and editors optimize their copy for engagement and SEO. It provides feedback on SEO, readability, and tone/voice. You can access some of the features for free, but most of the features are part of its $130 to $500 subscriptions.

Headline Analyzer Tool

Capitalize My Title’s Headline Analyzer Tool can help you create click-worthy titles that are optimized for search engine results pages. It can also help you create better titles using AI. This tool is free to use.

Yoast

Like SEO Writing Assistant, Yoast provides feedback on your content’s SEO. It provides information about where best to include your keywords, best practices for image alt text, and the relevance of your internal and external links. Yoast Premium costs $99 per year, with different extras costing between $79 and $229.

Readable

Readable is an advanced readability tool that helps you assess how effectively your content conveys its message. It can help you with aspects of grammar and punctuation checking, but it also has an IELTS score (which tells you how proficient someone needs to be in English to be able to understand your content) and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (which determines how difficult writing is to understand). Readable is free to use; however, it does have paid membership levels with premium features.

Organization and Productivity Tools

Last but not least, we’re going to look at some organization and productivity tools that can help you stay on track (especially if you’re managing multiple projects).

Scrivener

Scrivener is a fantastic app for organizing and writing large projects. It’s most popular among fiction and non-fiction writers, but it also has templates for various academic projects, poetry collections, and even a recipe collector. You can store both your research and your writing in the same file and switch between pages without leaving the app, using the sidebar. This keeps everything you need in one location. Scrivener comes with a bit of a learning curve, but the beauty is that there are many videos that explain the features. You can decide which you want or need to use. Scrivener costs $59.99 for the full version and $50.99 for students and academics. 

ClickUp

ClickUp is an all-in-one platform that allows teams to collaborate on projects within one platform. The platform allows teams to store important documents, create tasks and to-do lists, and design content for publication. ClickUp has several different membership levels that depend on the size of the organization: Free Forever (probably best for freelancers), Unlimited (for small teams, costing $7 per member per month), Business (for mid-sized teams, costing $12 per member per month), and Enterprise (for large teams, customized pricing).

Tomato Timer

Tomato Timer is based on the Pomodoro Technique of working solidly for 25 minute-blocks of time before taking a short break of 5 or 10 minutes. Freelancers often have to juggle multiple balls, and it can be easy to get distracted by the 20 other things on your to-do list. Focusing on one task for a block of time can help you be more productive. Tomato Timer is free.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

If you’ve ever considered freelance writing as a career but don’t know where to start, why not check out our Becoming a Freelance Writer course? It takes you through the process of writing a blog post from start to finish and setting up your freelance writing business. You can even try it for free before you buy.

The post 17 Useful Online Writing Tools for Freelance Writers appeared first on Knowadays.

In this post, we’ll take you through what brand voice is and why it’s an important tool for freelance writers to get to grips with. We’ll then explore 10 great examples of brand voice:

1. Mailchimp
2. Slack
3. Duolingo
4. Monzo
5. Fitbit
6. Canva
7. Harley-Davidson
8. Disney
9. Entrepreneur
10. TechCrunch

What Is Brand Voice?

Brand voice is the distinct personality a brand displays when communicating with its audience, whether that’s through social media posts, website copy, or other materials.

Businesses can make use of different linguistic tools to cultivate their brand voice, including:

• Tone (e.g., authoritative, conversational, or tongue-in-cheek)
• Style (e.g., formal or informal)
• Word choice and vocabulary
• Subject matter

Certain brand voices will cater to a specific target audience, while others will be more widely appealing.

Why Is Brand Voice Important?

As a freelance writer, there are two reasons why you should understand what brand voice is and how it works:

1. When working with business clients, you will be expected to apply their brand voice to any content you produce for them. You may be provided with brand guidelines to follow.
2. You will need to establish your own brand voice in order to successfully market your freelance business.

A well-executed and consistent brand voice is essential, as it can help clarify a brand’s core values, resonate with a target audience, and establish its reliability.

Brand voice also helps ensure a business is recognizable, memorable, and stands out from the crowd, so it’s important to get it right.

10 Examples of Brand Voice

We’ve established why brand voice is important, but what does a good brand voice actually look like in practice?

Let’s take a look at 10 examples of brands that have perfected their brand voice.

1. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an email marketing platform aimed at both large and small businesses as well as freelancers.

Its brand voice is informal but informative, explaining complex marketing concepts clearly without being patronizing. It also makes use of some dry humor to build a rapport with the audience.

Take a look at this example from one of their blog posts:

The continued elevator imagery displays Mailchimp’s subtle sense of humor while maintaining a helpful tone.

The overall effect is a brand voice that reads like a friendly coworker offering advice – a great approach for a company that provides email assistance.

2. Slack

Like Mailchimp, Slack is a SaaS (Software as a Service) company that maintains an informative yet friendly brand voice aimed at professionals and businesses.

However, Slack’s brand voice tends to get right to the point with short, snappy sentences and a neutral tone.

This straightforward brand voice reflects Slack’s goal to create convenient and efficient workspaces.

3. Duolingo

If you’ve ever used Duolingo or seen its ads, you’ll be familiar with Duo, its green owl mascot. But it’s not just the language-learning app’s logo that leaves a lasting impression.

Duolingo cultivates a brand voice that is quirky and characterful with plenty of humor to be found across both its app and social media copy.

Take a look at this example from one of their social media posts:

This has proved to be a successful brand voice strategy, particularly as it reflects one of Duolingo’s key values – making learning languages fun.

It’s this informal approach to brand voice and education that sets Duolingo apart from its competitors.

4. Monzo

Monzo is an online bank that has embraced a casual tone in its content.

Financial matters are serious business, so it’s no surprise that many banks make use of a formal, complex tone.

But Monzo took a different route, earning its customers’ trust with a friendly and down-to-earth brand voice that engages people on a human level and recognizes their everyday needs.

Monzo also uses an active rather than passive voice, which creates a sense that the bank takes responsibility for its decisions – a position sure to earn respect from customers.

Take a look at this example from their homepage:

5. Fitbit

Fitbit produces wearable activity trackers that help users monitor their health and fitness levels.

However, Fitbit isn’t a brand that targets fitness enthusiasts exclusively – in fact, Fitbit makes a point of demonstrating that its products are for anyone, no matter their ability or what stage of their fitness journey they are in.

This approach is clear in Fitbit’s brand voice. Comforting, encouraging, and uplifting messages are shared across its customer-facing communications, and it makes use of the plural first person to promote a sense of community.

Take a look at this example from one of their blog posts:

6. Canva

The digital design tool, Canva, is a free service that allows anyone to create social media and website graphics.

Canva is a tool that turns complex ideas into something understandable and accessible, and the same is true of their brand voice.

Canva’s brand voice is friendly and informal but also adventurous and inspiring. It makes use of plenty of energetic words, prompting its audience to take action without overcomplicating things with lots of adjectives or tech jargon.

As they state in their brand guidelines, “Canva makes it easy for people to achieve ​their goals. We do this by making design ​simple. Our words should do the same.”

7. Harley-Davidson

Motorbike manufacturer, Harley-Davidson, haand you need a strong brand voices had a lot of time to perfect its branding since the company’s humble origins in 1903.

The Harley-Davidson brand is synonymous with rebellion, adventure, and biker culture worldwide, and its brand voice capitalizes on these qualities.

It makes use of tough, no-nonsense messaging that is full of confidence. It may seem to go against many marketing guidelines, but in fact, it asserts its expertise as a business that’s been going for more than a century and packs its content with personality.

Its “Screw It, Let’s Ride” marketing campaign is no exception:

8. Disney

The Walt Disney Company is one of the most instantly recognizable brands, so it’s no surprise that its brand voice makes our list.

The media and entertainment juggernaut is most known for its magical feature films, and that touch of magic is present across its brand communications.

Disney’s brand voice is one that is joyful and friendly. Its content across platforms invites children and families to “be part of the story,” “find your magic,” and share in the place “where dreams come true.”

9. Entrepreneur

The aptly titled Entrepreneur magazine shares news and advice on business and entrepreneurship, particularly aimed at new and smaller businesses.

As a result, its brand voice is one that is helpful without being overly complex, takes on the second person, and uses an informal tone to address readers directly.

Take a look at this example from one of their blog posts

10. TechCrunch

Last on our list of great brand voice examples is TechCrunch. TechCrunch is a digital magazine that publishes articles about tech startups and the tech industry more generally.

It’s frequented by industry experts and has a reputation as one of the most trustworthy sources of tech news, so it’s no wonder that its voice is informative and full of technical terms that demonstrate its contributors’ expertise.

At the same time, TechCrunch embraces a tone of voice that is witty and occasionally tongue-in-cheek, which creates a sense of familiarity with its core readership.

Take a look at this example from one of their blog posts:

Becoming a Freelance Writer

If you’re a freelance writer looking to work with business clients, our Becoming A Freelance Writer course teaches you everything you need to know to write blog posts and articles professionally, including how to adapt to brand voice.

Don’t just take our word for it – try us out for free.

The post 10 Great Examples of Brand Voice appeared first on Knowadays.

Can You Make Money Blogging?

While it’s definitely possible to make money off the content you create, earnings from blogging can vary based on a variety of factors, such as the target audience and topic of the blog. The overall income earned by bloggers can range from less than a dollar a month to over $150 thousand a year. According to a recent survey by Productive Blogging, most professional bloggers at all levels are earning more overall income now than they were at this time last year.

However, the age of your blog can make a difference in how much money it brings in. According to the same survey by Productive Blogging, blogs under one year of age generate significantly less income than older, more established blogs.

You don’t have to write about one particular topic or have a certain number of readers to monetize your blog. In general, while having a larger audience can certainly increase a blog’s earning potential, it’s not strictly necessary to make money from your content. The key is writing high-quality blog posts that engage your target audience and keep them coming back for more.

How to Start a Blog

If you’re interested in starting a blog, here are some essential steps to consider before you begin publishing content:

• Choose a niche: If your blog addresses a specific niche or industry, even a smaller audience can be valuable if they are highly targeted and engaged. Advertisers and sponsors often prefer niche audiences over more general ones.
• Select a platform: Choose a platform to host your blog. Popular options include WordPress, Blogger, and Medium, but it’s a good idea to look at several platforms, and compare their features to find the one that’s right for you.
• Choose a domain name: Select a unique and memorable domain name that reflects your blog’s theme. Consider using a domain name registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap to purchase your domain.
• Study popular blogs: Learn all you can about common blog formats and features of successful articles so you get a better understanding of what works (and what doesn’t).

It can also help to learn the basics of SEO to make your blog more discoverable on search engines. Use relevant keywords, create descriptive meta titles/tags, and provide links to high-quality, credible sources.

How to Make Money with a Blog

There are many different strategies that you can employ to monetize a blog. You can choose the method that works best for you, or combine several methods to increase your chance of success. Remember that it often takes time to begin earning a substantial income from a blog, so it’s important to be patient and persistent throughout the process. Here are some options for monetizing a blog:

1. Offer Sponsored Content to Brands

Partner with brands or companies to create content promoting their products or services. This content often looks and reads similar to your typical blog content (known as native advertising). The type of income for offering sponsored content varies – some companies pay a flat fee, while some provide free products in exchange for the promotion.

2. Participate in Affiliate Marketing

When you sign up for an affiliate program, you receive a link that tracks the traffic and sales generated by your promotion of a specific product. When a reader clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase or takes a specified action (such as signing up for a free trial), you earn a commission. The commission structure varies among programs and can be a fixed amount or a percentage of the sale.

3. Seek Advertisers for Your Blog

Use ad networks like Google AdSense to display targeted ads on your blog. You can earn money when visitors click on or view these ads. You can also sell ad space directly to advertisers. This can be more lucrative but requires a substantial amount of effort to find and manage companies to work with.

4. Market Your Skills

If you have a niche, especially an in-demand niche like technology, finance, or healthcare, you can market your services and use your blog as a portfolio to attract clients. You can also use your platform to promote other services that you offer, such as consulting or coaching.

5. Charge for Content

Another way to monetize your blog is to host virtual events related to your specialization, such as webinars or workshops, for an admission fee. You can also implement a subscription model where readers pay a monthly fee to attend virtual events or access other premium content.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to launch a freelance writing business, including how to write professional blog posts and articles? Check out our comprehensive Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It teaches you everything you need to know about the competitive world of freelance writing. Sign up for your free trial to get started today!

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