11 Writing Tips by the Rich Sage

This is a list of simple steps, rituals, just plain ‘ol best practices that I maintain while writing.  I hope it helps you.

I didn’t call my post the TOP BLOG TIPS because I don’t consider this a blog.  This is my “corner of the world” that I update as often as I can, and it runs on WordPress CMS  –Content Management System.

Apart from that, I keep to simple language and good ideas to build any online business.

My blogging tips continue…

TIP #1: Setting Up, Long Term

And that is my first tip –get WordPress installed on a hosting account.  If you are serious about any level of success online, you need to have a good virtual place to work.  Myself, I had to move things to a dedicated server to handle the “Community”, but in your case, you can manage with a good hosting account.  I can recommend Web Host Giant, which is maintained by the same company that I work with -WebIntellects.  They have great customer service!   Even with a low-cost hosting setup, you can host all the domain that you want to, giving you great room to grow.

I too got started with just the basic, and as I needed, I kept upgrading a step up each time.  So, my first advice is to get setup correctly, while maintaining a small expense.

TIP:  You’ve purchased a very cheap hosting account.  Why not find a Client near where you live and offer them hosting at the amount that you pay for Web Hosting Giant?  Then you hosting is FREE!  — NO out of pocket expense.

TIP #2: Content -Good Stuff, Updated Often!

This I believe is the most vital item that you have direct control over  -what you say and do.  I think it’s vital in that you need to tell the truth. You need to work on business building plans that are sustainable.  You need to create content that adds value to the readers time.  OR just forget it.  I have been following several early “make money online” successes, and several of them seem like TABLOID GUYS now.

I suppose that too would attract a good number of readers, but there is a difference between writing content for the Paris Hilton crowed and the serious Internet Marketer who is working to put food on the table or pay the mortgage with what they earn.

Keep you focus on the content that you are good at and make it the best it can be.  I certainly do.  I spent last week weeding out the bad links on the site.  Now I am going thru many of the most popular posts and updating all of them.  Yes, I am updating ALL the content I have written from DAY ONE.

I will keep doing this, from time to time, focusing more on the most read posts.  Obviously, there is a reason they are popular, and I need to update them about once a month with research and results that I see.

TIP #3:  Sophisticated Solutions –or Just the Basics?

I often see sites that present incredible solution to problems Internet Marketers face.  On the other hand, I’ve stuck to a lot of basic content and trying to show simple solutions.  Trust me, people don’t have time to do a hundred things –they want solutions that take a few steps and the job is done.  The more sophisticated items can wait ’til the next round of upgrades.

Take for example, my article just a few days ago about search engine optimization.  It’s surprising how few people will have many of those steps done.  Not only are you then completing with the neighbor and the guy on another continent, but, you’re also trying to do all the work with one hand, when you doing do the basics.

Thus, I’ve kept emphasizing the basics that everyone should do.  And doing that part goes a long way.  Certainly, I’ve done just that and traffic keep growing and growing.

TIP #4: Spell Check and Read Over Once!

I cannot tell you how many times I forget to do this.  I will write away, often at night after a long day of work, which means that I make a lot of mistakes in grammar and spelling.  Then I press “publish!”  Ouch. Often the result is embarrassing.

I am writing this post late at night, but I plan to re-read it in the AM, before posting.  That catches nine out of ten mistakes and I even get a chance to correct some of my writing errors.

Then there is spell check.  How often do I forget that?  I think WordPress 2.5 has a very good spell checker.  Just use it!  You’ll be fine.  I haven’t mentioned this, but I have an excellent vocabulary.  I know a lot of words.  However, my spelling is awful.  Without using a computer I cannot write.  I just mentioned that to let you know to never let any obstacles stand in your way to online success!

TIP #5: Don’t Copy Others Work

I just read today that cheating in schools is at an all time high.  No doubt.  Kids these days have too much to do.  It’s rather easy I suppose to “cut and paste” and have a paper done quickly.  OR I may be from the old school  –These days I am sure school papers can be outsourced to someone for lunch money.

In my writing I run across great articles, that I tell my self, why didn’t I think of that title or content.  It’s then tempting to just copy it.  I don’t.  I don’t because when you do it once or twice, it gets to be chronic.  Next thing you know, I’ll be empty of original ideas.  I’ll have to keep cheating off of someone else’s work.

I do from time to time gather ideas from other writers.  I think that’s fair.  Sure I can make a “map” of ideas from an article and then set about writing my own copy.  That’s fine. You can do the same from my content.

TIP #6: Tags and Titles

I think the title of the post, story or the article is the most important.  The title is vital to human readers who will use it to decide to read it.  Just like newspaper print.  You want to use ACTION TAKING titles to get the reader to spend his or her time with you.

The “tags” for the post are more for the search engines to categories the post.  Make sure to do that with each post, especially using your new WordPress software  –its very easy to do.

Lastly, when you are done with a post, go back and look at the title.  IS the title that you wrote first still resonating with the writing?  Is the title convey the same ideas as your post?  IF not, WordPress gives you an easy way at the top of each posting area to EDIT the post title.  Make sure of it.

TIP #7: Categorize & Summarize All the Time!

I am sure that you have noticed by now that I often use the “BEST 11″ or the “MOST POWERFUL 11 TIPS” etc., etc. in my posts.  Why 11?  Well, the joke is that I work harder than the guy who writes 10!

Well, I go a little further than the other guy.  I’ve had to do that all my life, or I know that I end up at the end of the line. I hate the end of the line. I want to be up front. So, I have to work harder.  Thus, I work on “11 Helpful Tips”.

The other tip you need to follow is to use BULLETS as often as you can to convey ideas.

Why?

• Because bullets help organize information.
• They are easy to read.
• They make up a list of ideas that belong together.
• They break the monotone text into easily comprehensible thoughts.

Lastly, take as many posts that are of a series and organize them into a list of TOP 10, TOP 25 or even TOP 100 “OF SOMETHING” that is very helpful.  These types of lists get a lot of traffic from search engines because people tend to talk about them in forums and posts links to them in their own blogs.

TIP #9: Publishing Times

I try to post my articles around 9 to 11AM Eastern Time.  I figure many people spend the first hour of their time reading or if that period is missed, they will spend lunch time reading.  For the Europeans and Indians, the timing is not bad either.  I cannot cater with timing to Australia, but publishing at a time when 80% of my visitors tend to come is fine.

Of course, WordPress lets you edit the posting time to any part of the day and really any day from the line right above the “publish” button.  I am sure you can write 10 posts, time them to publish while you’re on vacation and easily manage your website.

TIP #10: Images, Links & BOLD text…

I try to display an image with every post.  Often I use the image “above the fold” and right below it, I display a link to continue reading the post.  i think images help break the monotony, and often add to helping the readers know what I am talking about.  So, I l leave each post with one or two images, unless it’s a post that is about images.

In the same manner, I use links to connect to internal ideas that can help the reader.  I often link to my posts without a new window opening to show the reader that there are more points to the conversation.  This also helps the reader spend more time on the site and have several page views.

Lastly, many of my more important points are in BOLD making it easier for the reader to concentrate on important points.

TIP #11: Just Have Fun!

It shows when you do that, and having some fun keeps you going.  In my case, I have kept one eye on the traffic growth to keep me going.  With the other eye, I’ve implemented the various parts of the Rich Sage Community, again with an approach to having a bit of fun and discovering new ideas.

I hope my ideas helped!
Carpe Diem,
Rich Sage