{"id":13904,"date":"2016-12-01T10:23:26","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T17:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/?p=13904"},"modified":"2017-09-19T15:08:29","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T21:08:29","slug":"tips-for-editing-your-blog-for-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/es\/blog\/tips-for-editing-your-blog-for-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Editing Your Blog for Content"},"content":{"rendered":"

We hope you enjoyed our recent article on self-editing your blog content<\/a>. Now that you\u2019ve got an overall idea of what it\u2019s about, we\u2019re going to break it down for you and get into the nitty-gritty. You may recall we recommended you edit for content first so you don\u2019t waste your time perfecting prose or grammar on content you\u2019ll cut because it doesn\u2019t fit. So welcome to Content Editing for Bloggers 101, where we\u2019ll discuss why editing for content is important and how you should go about it.<\/p>\n

Content editing is reviewing your post for, well, content. Your content needs to stands out from the crowd. The information you present in your posts should be relevant, interesting, and informative, because in today\u2019s world, bland, overdone, or misinformed content will be bypassed. But don\u2019t worry\u2014we\u2019ve got the tips to help you make that content sing!<\/p>\n

Brainstorm and Outline<\/h5>\n

Your first step in writing great content, as mentioned in our previous article, is to brainstorm your ideas and then create an outline. An outline will help you organize your post into well-ordered paragraphs and decrease the likelihood of finding yourself on tangents. One of the best ways to outline? Topic sentences. Yes, back to English 101\u2014or even high school English\u2014but a topic sentence establishes what each paragraph will be about and helps you stay on track and connected to your main argument\u2014which is, to continue with the 101 terms, your thesis statement.<\/p>\n

Audience Awareness<\/h5>\n

As you\u2019re writing, and then as you\u2019re reviewing your content, keep in mind who you\u2019re writing the post for. Is the article for clients, colleagues, or competitors? You don\u2019t want to be writing to your clients and then switch your focus to your colleagues. Your clients will lose interest, and your colleagues may not even begin reading if they think the article is intended for clients. You also need to be sure you\u2019re using terms and ideas your audience is familiar with\u2014and if not, you\u2019ll need to define those items. If you\u2019re writing a post for beginning photographers, you\u2019ll want to explain terms like ISO and aperture. If you\u2019re writing a post for more advanced photographers, you can safely assume your readers will know what those terms are.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Your Angle?<\/h5>\n

Your angle is the way you approach your subject. There\u2019s a plethora of articles on how to eat healthy, so how will you make your article fresh and unique? This is where having a catchy title or headline and an attention-grabbing introduction are crucial. First impressions are everything! A title that clearly illustrates who the article is written for and why it\u2019s different than the other content out there is more likely to be read. For the beginning-photographer audience, your title could be \u201cBasic Photography Terms in a Flash: Getting Up to (Shutter) Speed.\u201d Furthermore, a stellar introduction promises the reader your article will deliver the unique information only you can provide.<\/p>\n

Style and Voice<\/h5>\n

Your style and voice are two things that distinguish your writing from other content creators. Your voice is yours\u2014it\u2019s the way you write\u2014your \u201cwriting personality,\u201d so to speak. It\u2019s showcased by the way you use the language and word choice. Style is a bit different. Do you write long, complex sentences that utilize figurative language tools? Or are you more of a compact writer, using simple sentences and refraining from grandiose prose? Pro tip: Find a writer whose work you recognize simply by their style. How can you make your voice stand out? For example, The Nerdy Girlie<\/a> is a fandom blog with an angle toward women who love to be nerdy but who are also\u2014well, girly. The creator\u2019s voice is unique\u2014it\u2019s upbeat, trendy, and informative. When you\u2019re editing, make sure your style and voice stay the same throughout the post. Too many styles and\/or voices in one piece will make you sound confusing and unsure, in which case your readers won\u2019t trust your authority on the subject.<\/p>\n

Consistency and Cohesiveness<\/h5>\n

Your article needs to have one clear purpose\u2014a thesis. It should be void of tangents and contradictions of that thesis. Your ideas, points, and arguments should be cohesive and always related to your thesis statement. Tangents are the very antithesis of a cohesive piece of writing. If you\u2019re writing for a certain audience, you may think they\u2019ll appreciate a few additional insights. Well, they may, but here\u2019s a thought: Why not use those tangents as ideas for separate, additional and related content (Woohoo! You just came up with a way to generate content ideas!).<\/p>\n

Tangents take your audience away from the point you\u2019re trying to make. For example, if I run a ski-equipment shop and I\u2019m writing an article on DIY ski maintenance, I wouldn\u2019t want to digress with a long-winded exposition on how there are other aspects, in addition to well-maintained skis, that make for a more enjoyable experience on the slopes. You can argue that if you get DIY maintenance right, you\u2019ll find that your day on the slopes will be fantastic. But you\u2019d want to get right back to the topic at hand, not go on to talk about how cold temperatures paired with sunshine and lots of powder and the proper gear, such as masks, helmets, gloves, etc., also make for the perfect conditions. That switches the focus from DIY ski maintenance to the other aspects of an enjoyable experience on the mountain, which is not what you\u2019ve promised your readers.<\/p>\n

Organization<\/h5>\n

Your article needs to flow smoothly. Give your audience ideas of how to implement the suggestions you make. Follow questions you pose with possible answers. As you review your article, make sure you\u2019ve got transition sentences between your paragraphs that take the reader from one idea to a related idea. You want reading to be effortless so the reader focuses on your message, not on trying to make sense of your writing. Be sure your paragraphs are logically organized. For example, I moved the paragraph about audience awareness from the end of this article to the beginning because being aware of who you\u2019re writing for should be addressed first\u2014not after you\u2019ve written the post!<\/p>\n

Check your facts!<\/h5>\n

Logic is a powerful tool in any argument. You want your points and ideas\u2014your thesis\u2014to be accurate and compelling. Even if you\u2019re stating something you believe to be true instead of something you know to be true, make sure you have a logical and effective argument that doesn\u2019t contradict itself. You may be sharing your opinion about the best place to store skis for the summer, but be prepared to give evidence for why that advice is sound. Additionally, as we mentioned in the section on organization, make sure your article is structurally logical in that the ideas and points you make build on each other, giving a full and well-rounded picture by the time you wrap things up.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h5>\n

And speaking of wrapping it up, make sure your conclusion leaves your readers satisfied. Cliffhangers can be fun in fiction, but they\u2019re generally not appropriate for blog-based content writing. You\u2019ll want to offer your readers a solution to whatever problem(s) you may have presented and bring your article full circle\u2014meaning, make sure your closing sentences reemphasize your thesis and reaffirm why the information you\u2019ve presented makes a difference.<\/p>\n

Optimize<\/h5>\n

Think of this as a postscript to the steps above. You\u2019re writing content that\u2019ll be published and read online, and if you want it to be found, you\u2019ll need to optimize it. Research to make sure your title contains keywords that\u2019ll show up in a search. You\u2019ve worked hard on that article\u2014you want it read!<\/p>\n

Remember that the best content you can provide your customers is your own unique advice, ideas, and opinions. Hopefully we\u2019ve given you the tools you need to make your already good content great! We\u2019d love your feedback, so tell us\u2014How do you edit your content? What would you add to our list?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We hope you enjoyed our recent article on self-editing your blog content. Now that you\u2019ve got an overall idea of what it\u2019s about, we\u2019re going to break it down for you and get into the nitty-gritty. You may recall we recommended you edit for content first so you don\u2019t waste your time perfecting prose or [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3121,"featured_media":15074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"content-sidebar","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,120,134,1],"tags":[118,356],"class_list":{"0":"post-13904","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advice","8":"category-content","9":"category-how-to-2","10":"category-uncategorized","11":"tag-content-creation","12":"tag-editing","13":"entry"},"acf":{"plans":["scale"],"is_featured":false,"download_source":"none","mothership_slug":"","download_url":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t