Smart Choices that Lead to Impressive Content and Copywriting Results

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – J.K. Rowling

That Albus Dumbledore was a pretty wise fellow. And you’ve probably experienced that some choices you make accumulate into rich, productive experiences … and others tend to roll up into a doughy ball of disappointment.

There are a million ways to write copy and content — but the choices you make and the priorities you set will determine the results you see.

This week was all about how to make the smartest possible choices when you sit down to write.

On Monday, Stefanie Flaxman uncovered the magic of a micro audience. She highlights the choice of action over perfectionism, and making the decision to treat a small audience as a priority, even before you see the big wins that will come when that audience grows.

On Tuesday, Loryn Cole explored the dangers of creative regret, when we let competing responsibilities keep us from giving inspiration our time and attention. Whatever kind of writer or creator you are — and business and marketing are intensely creative pursuits — carving out the space for creative inspiration will help you do the work you are meant to do.

And on Wednesday, Belinda Weaver joined us to share the power of how we write numbers in our copy. It seems simple enough to follow the rules of the style guide we prefer — but there are other considerations we might want to put forward. She’ll talk you through how to make a number stand out, how to make it tangible for your audience, and how to present it.

If you’re setting your priorities when getting ready to publish your next blog post, podcast episode, or video, you could do worse than dedicate time to craft a fantastic headline.

The work you spend here tends to have outsized results in shares and links. Our Copyblogger FM episode this week gave you three “almost magical” headline ingredients for more traffic, engagement, and shares.

Product of the week: Persuasion Copywriting 101

If you’re looking for a skill to prioritize as a professional writer, allow me to suggest the art and craft of persuasion.

It will help you craft the kind of work that generates business results, and that can move your audience in all kinds of ways. (It’s also a skill that tends to be rewarded with more money and respect, which are both nice things to have.)

Our Persuasive Copywriting 101 course will give you the fundamentals of writing to persuade — using Copyblogger’s audience-first, no-hype approach that’s perfect for content marketers.

Learn Persuasive Copywriting

— Sonia Simone
Chief Content Officer, Copyblogger Media