2019 is going to be a great year for writers on the Internet, with new opportunities, and new ways to reach lucrative clients. However, with new opportunities comes new competition, and the space of online writing is becoming more crowded than ever. Whether you’re writing for your own blog/web property, or taking on contract work as a freelancer, learning how to make your writing stand out will give you a massive edge over the competition.
Know Your Audience
As a writer you have to remember that above all else, you’re writing for the reader. This of course means that knowing your audience, and speaking to them in their language will get you much further than just being knowledgeable about the subject matter. By making the reader feel like you are one of them, you not only gain their trust, but also present yourself as an authority in your niche/industry.
Know Your Goals (Or Your Client’s Goals)
When you write, you’re writing for a reason. Is it to add value to your blog and increase engagement among your mailing list? Is it to help your client sell products? Or is it to get people to visit your online store? In any case, identify your goals, and then write in a way that works towards those goals.
Develop Your Own Voice
This applies more to scenarios when you’re writing for yourself, as when you write for a client they will dictate the style you use in many cases. Developing your own voice is essentially a form of branding, allowing your writing to become instantly recognizable. This again will help you to build trust, authority, and respect within your niche/industry. If you’re having trouble understanding what makes your style unique, read back over your old documents and find the similarities within them.
Use a Bio and Profile Pic
While most online writers know that using a bio at the end of posts is a must, many neglect to include a profile picture. Having a picture of yourself in your bio allows readers to instantly connect your writing with a face, improving your branding ,and helping them to develop a familiarity with your work. If you’re a freelancer, having an attractive profile pic in the footer of your emails, or on your profile on online work sites, will help you land more clients.
Specialize
This falls more on the freelance side of things, but can be applicable to bloggers and other writers as well. The more you specialize your writing, the more you become recognized as an expert in that area. For example, if you’re a freelancer you could specialize in writing emails, whereas if you’re a blogger, you could specialize in writing about pets. There are a lot of ways to specialize so find your passion, and go for it.
Formatting Your Text
How you format your writing can be a great way to make your work stand out. You can play around with everything from your headers, to how you use bullet points and highlighting. There are a ton of ways to format your writing while still maintaining best practices, so get creative and make your work stand out with a consistent, recognizable formatting style.
Getting the Most Out of Your Writing
Writing online can be great for both fun and profit. Regardless of how you choose to make your writing stand out in 2019, make sure that you don’t forget to set concrete goals for yourself and continue to work towards those goals. Also, don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Writing is an excellent way to calm the mind, relax, and express yourself. If you take the time to enjoy it, your unique voice and style will be sure to come through in your work.
