In 1989 author Stephen Covey wrote the instruction manual for success, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” In the book, Covey provided a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, human dignity, and success. Even though this guide was written almost two decades ago, the principles are still relevant today, especially for blog content writers. The following information represents an adaptation of Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People specifically for blog content writers.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Premium content creators are proactive and are always scouring their world for information. Whether it’s reading the morning paper for interesting news headlines, cruising Quora, or using Evernote, the best blog content writers live in research mode. This proactive nature allows these writers to stay informed and ready to create engaging content.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Successful writers have the vision to see any topic through to the end. More importantly, these writers are always on topic because they stay focused on the end or the main point. This hyper focus allows these writers to create interesting and engaging links between seemingly unrelated topics, such as Sesame Street and family law. As a result, the best blog content writers have the amazing ability to make even the most mundane subjects fun and interesting.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Even the most valuable and engaging content will go unnoticed if the title does not connect with the readers. The best word architects embrace this concept and are skilled at creating interesting titles. These writers also understand they have less than three seconds to hook readers and keep them reading, so they always lead with an engaging intro or first sentence to arrest their reader’s attention. Simply put, the best writers put first things first.
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
With mutual respect and mutual benefits in mind, the best blog content writers always create content the client and readers will love. These writers communicate with clients and are open to edits and criticism. As a result, these writers revel in compliments, repeat business, and referrals.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
The best content creators always begin by seeking to understand their client’s needs and expectations, relevant timelines, and the subject matter. More importantly, these writers seek to understand audience personas. Armed with this information, these wordsmiths are able to exceed the expectations of the client and speak directly to their target audience with the highest level of understanding.
Habit 6: Synergize
Synergy is the interaction between two or more pieces to create a greater combined effect than the sum of the parts separately. Any average writer can create lucrative content. However, the best text artists are able to use keywords naturally, create relevant internal and external links, and implement other components of an effective SEO campaign. These writers create a synergy between all these individual parts to render impeccable SEO results and content.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Premium content creators know excellent writing never magically happens in the first draft. Instead, the first draft is typically a valiant effort at organizing ideas. As a result, these writers are always “sharpening their saw” by editing, rereading, and editing some more.
Elliott C believes the key to success in content writing is always being in the know and doing the next best thing. With the world of SEO and content marketing swiftly changing, he spends an arduous amount of time researching new trends.
