A star athlete who spends too much time filming commercials and going to parties while neglecting to work on their skills in practice or off-season conditioning loses sight of what made them successful in the first place. Their misplaced priorities can open the door to injuries or a decline in skills and bring an unglamorous end to their career.
Misplaced priorities can be damaging in any profession – especially writing. Maintaining a successful blog can become difficult if a blogger spends time promoting the blog through social media at the expense of writing blog posts. Press release writers can find their services in lower demand if they are too busy marketing to new clients to write quality press releases for existing ones.
How can a writer become better at their craft and increase the demand for their services? A good starting point is establishing a better set of writing priorities.
Write Content
Writing should be the no. 1 priority for any writer. The content you produce is what pays the rent and puts food on the table. Set goals for how much content you will produce each week. How many articles? How many blog posts. Once you have quantity figured out, focus on the type of writing you want to do. Are you writing for small business owners? Weekend warriors? Health care professionals? Figuring out your target audience will help you focus on clearly defined ideas.
Find Readers
Content without an audience is like a sandwich without bread. It is missing the important ingredient that makes it complete. When you have written content, promoting and marketing it is the next step. Use social media channels to build an audience for your content. Post links to articles or blog posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and other popular social media sites. Submit content to be bookmarked on bookmarking sites.
Build a Community
Interaction equals audience attraction. Respond to comments and questions left on your website or blog whenever you produce content. Start conversations whenever possible and join existing conversations. This is not only a great source of ideas for creating more content, but it also shows your readers you are one of them. Nothing chases away an audience away faster than an aloof writer. Building a community can truly turn your blog or website into a destination instead of a pit stop for cyber travelers.
Monetize Content
The idea of a starving artist is romanticized, but it’s not practical. You need to make money from what you write. If you are a freelance writer, it means finding clients who will hire you for projects or publications and websites that will buy your content. When it comes to building your own blog or website, it means making your content attractive to advertisers. Pay attention to trending topics and keywords and focus on incorporating the most popular ones into your content. It means more exposure for your content, which appeals to advertisers who are also looking for more exposure.
John C is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
