That said, it’s quite rare to find a piece of writing that is flawless and free from errors – even dictionaries are known to contain mistakes missed by their editorial team. But if you don’t want to frustrate your readers, you cannot skip proofreading your posts.

So How Does Proofreading Work?

The key to proofreading is to detach yourself from the work or to review it in unfamiliar settings.

Why? Well, the brain is a know-it-all that likes to fill in the blanks for us, making us miss things that are “right there”. When we are familiar with the work, the brain predicts the next scene. Under these circumstances, it becomes easier for us (or our brains) to miss typos that are hiding in plain sight.

Check out this simple exercise to understand how our brain often misleads us.

How to Proofread

The easiest way to get proofreading done is to get someone else to do it for you. Fresh eyes pick up more mistakes, and just about anyone can do a quick proofreading job. They just need to have a good enough grasp of the language to catch the typos and irregularities.

If you want to go in-depth with proofreading or do your own proofreading, here are some tips and techniques that may help.

1. Read It Out Loud

You can read the post out loud or to yourself (if you are in a public setting). If there is dialogue in your writing, give it voices so that you can attach different personalities to your characters. If it is a speech, read it like you are in front of your audience – dramatize it, strive for perfection, and your mind will become more sensitized towards mistakes and typos.

2. Print It and Read It with a Pen

For lengthier posts or assignments, I would suggest printing out the post to read. More importantly, hold a pen while you read, and don’t be afraid to use it. When you allow yourself to “mark” your own article, you will “accept” the fact that the post is not yet ready, and there is still work to be done.

You will be amazed at how many typos you can find with this method. I find bright-colored ink works better than black or blue, but that’s just me.

3. Change Elements of the Piece

If you don’t want to read out loud or don’t have a handy printer around, you can do proofreading on-screen, but you will need to change the “in-house environment” of the piece.

1. Break down your piece into 3 to 4 lines for better clarity. Paragraphs that are too lengthy overburden your short-term memory. Sometimes by the time you get to the end of that paragraph, you might have forgotten what you’ve read near the beginning. You can put everything back to its “original position” when you’re done.
2. Change the font size or typeface. I have a specific typeface and font size that I am more comfortable with; you will need to find yours. If it is possible, publish your pieces in this comfort font. If you don’t want to make typeface changes, you can zoom in instead.
3. Try changing the spacing (as in 1.5 or double spacing) of the piece. If there is a lot to work with, you can split the post into two columns to make it easier on the eyes. Don’t underestimate how big of an influence spaces can have on your reading.
4. When in doubt, leave the piece aside for a while – maybe 10 days to 2 weeks. Work on something else first and totally distance yourself from the product. By the time you go back for a second look, it’s like reading it for the first time. If it isn’t, then give it a couple more days.

4. Don’t Trust the Spellchecker. Not Fully.

It is okay to depend on the spellchecker for most spellchecks, but remember that it cannot recognize context, which means it will block words like “infinitesimal” or “compartmentalization” whenever there is a typo but allow a mistake like this too go through. Like a traffic light, spellcheckers should not be trusted fully – they are tools, and tools have limits and faults too. Don’t let your trust in them be the reason for your mistakes.

5. General Tips on Proofreading

1. Always use copy paste, don’t rewrite a word that is already there. Copy-pasting minimizes errors.
2. When making a correction that spans a few words, read it on the spot to check for any mistakes. Then read it again during the next cycle. Mistakes that you introduce to a post is a major no-no.
3. Never proofread until the editing process has been completed; otherwise, that proofreading round is basically pointless.
4. In determining usage consistency, always confirm which version of the spelling or word is the right one before you make the changes.
5. Right up until it is time to print or publish, you might still find small mistakes and typos that you’ve missed. It’s alright. In books, these typos are removed in subsequent editions. In online publishing, the mistake can be rectified almost immediately.
6. When in doubt, consult the dictionary. When you have two dictionaries telling you different things, follow the newer edition, or follow the one that is considered the authority in your publishing circle – so skip urbandictionary if you write for offline publications. Remember that language is “alive”.
7. If you are helping someone else proofread their work, the writer of the post may argue with you on some of the grammar rules or changes you want to make. What you should do depends on the situation, but at the end of the day, it is the writer’s name on the post, so he or she should have the last say.
8. To make sure you catch as many of the typos as possible, do repeated readings: proofread by cycles. I call them cycles because of the repetitive nature of this exercise. In each cycle, check just one particular issue, and ignore the rest; you will get to them eventually.

Here’s a sample routine you can adopt:

1. Check two- and three-letter words. Sometimes they go missing. The culprits include ‘is’, ‘be’, ‘of’, ‘the’, ‘and’, ‘for’, ‘to’ – you get the idea.
2. Check capitalization (you may need to be more particular with brands).
3. Check subject-verb agreement. (Google has or have?)
4. Check for the letter ‘s’ (the most notorious, confounding letter in the alphabet, ‘s’ can be found missing from plurals and tenses).
5. Check punctuation and uneven spacing.
6. Check if you closed the “quotes, (parenthesis, and [brackets you open.
7. To hyphenate or not to hyphenate (this needs a post of its own, which I am ill-equipped to write).
8. Check for consistency (if you are using email, go all the way. Ditto if you prefer e-mail, but never do both in the same piece).
9. If you have particular formatting styles, check for consistency for this as well.
10. If you included Figures with running numbers like Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2, do run a check as well to make sure the numbers are right.
11. Check, check, and triple check everything.

So that’s that!

Up to this point, we’ve looked into basic techniques that you can use in a proofreading exercise. However, if you want to go deeper, here are a few areas you have to be careful with.

The next section deals with English, the language, which I am far from being a subject expert in. With that in mind, please double-check anything you are not sure of using external sources from other sites or blogs, or with your grammar teacher, if you have one available.

Problem Areas

Truth be told, some of the most common typos appear in the shortest of words. Here’s a short list of the usual mistakes we make not only in articles but also when commenting or chatting:

1. Dealing with Contractions

This happens to a lot of writers and often occurs in comments as well.

• its, it’s
• your, you’re
• were, we’re
• their, they’re

Tip: If this is a common problem for you, avoid contractions and write out the full phrase. “it’s” becomes “it is”, “they’re” becomes “they are” and so on. Continue this until you have earned the right to use apostrophes again.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Unless it’s (it is) a really, really bad one.

2. Words that Sound Too Close for Comfort

Homophones are words that sound exactly like each other but are not spelled the same way, such as:

• to vs too
• an vs and
• made vs maid
• for vs four
• weather vs whether

Tip: Sometimes you catch them, sometimes you don’t. I have no magic bullet to solve this problem. However, you can identify your weak spots and run a special check just for that word and its homophone.

3. Our Favorite Mistakes

Then, there is this group which just gets you when you are not looking. They don’t sound the same and carry totally different meanings but you see them misused in (too many) places on many occasions.

• form, from
• lose, loose
• then, than
• angle, angel
• bought, brought

For an explanation on how to differentiate some of the words listed above, check out this poster by the Oatmeal (if you need it desperately enough, buy the poster and slap it on your wall; don’t worry, I don’t get paid anything if you do or don’t).

4. Too Much of the Same Thing

Another easy-to-miss typo hotspot is in the words that have the potential to carry two of the same letters, such as:

• accommodation (2 c’s, 2 m’s)
• occasionally (2 c’s, 1 s)
• millennium (2 l’s, 2 n’s)
• possession (total of 4 s’s)
• referring (two r‘s before -ing) but furthering and offering (one r before -ing)

5. Separated By A Common Language

You may have noticed the use of ‘color’ and ‘colour’ in many publications, online and offline. Which of the two is correct? Well, it depends on who you are writing for. If you are writing for a U.S. audience, then words like

• colour, honour, neighbour, favourite, humour

are spelled:

• color, honor, neighbor, favorite, humor

Notice the missing ‘u’? I’m not sure what the reason is for this personal vendetta against the 21st letter of the alphabet considering that in both British and American spelling:

• Curious and viscous are spelled with a ‘u’
• Curiosity and viscosity are spelled without a ‘u’
• four (4) and fourth (4th) are spelled with ‘u’s
• 40 is spelled as forty (no ‘u’)
• Pronounce comes with an ‘ou’, pronunciation only has just the one ‘u’
• arduous, superfluous, and strenuous have two ‘u’s each

American spelling also snips words like dialogue, catalogue and programme, leaving you with dialog, catalog and program. And let’s not forget the preference for –re in British spelling (centre, litre, fibre) while it is –er in American spelling (center, liter, fiber).

6. Rules Are Made to Be…

If you listened to your grammar teacher, you might have heard of the “i before e except after c” thing – it is what you use to remember if it is spelled receive or recieve.

Basically, this rule is used to explain why i comes before e in words like

• hierarchy, pier, fiery

and e comes before i after a c in words like:

• conceive, receive, deceive, perceive

(Note to self: maybe we should change the rule to i after e only before v.)

The problem arises with words like

• weight, weird, height, foreign, their, atheist, neighbor

as well as in:

• relief, mischief, piety, believe

(Note to self: Okay, this throws before-V out the window.)

The frustrating thing with this language is that it gives off the feeling like it is making up rules and breaking them as it evolves.

Conclusion

We are now splitting infinitives, ending sentences with prepositions while beginning them with conjunctions – things that will make purists and grammar enthusiasts lose it big time.

Perhaps the most important thing I can share with you about proofreading is this: don’t get too pedantic about it – that means overly fussy. Once you’ve gotten the hang of proofreading, you might see mistakes everywhere – in blog posts, headlines, mail, emails, shop signage, brochures, etc. Refrain from trying to correct everything, for the sake of your sanity and for everyone else’s.

Secondly, chances are the things that drive proofreaders nuts are things regular readers like you and me don’t really notice. Don’t let the technicality of proofreading destroy a good story worth telling. Like the editing process, proofreading should help improve a post, not impede or ruin it.

Disclaimer: I am not an English teacher, please do not direct English grammar questions my way. If you do, I’d approach the problem like how the IT guy does it – I would Google it.

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The post How to Improve Your Proofreading Skills appeared first on Hongkiat.

If you’ve been facing this dilemma for some time, you might start to wonder if something is amiss. Indeed, there could be several factors at play preventing you from landing the design jobs you desire. Let’s explore some common mistakes you might be making and discuss how to fix them.

To learn more about identifying the right job opportunities, check this post on how to create your ideal client profiles.

1. Your Work Isn’t Good Enough

It might be tough to hear, but sometimes the quality of work just doesn’t cut it. Many designers believe they are producing professional-quality work when, in fact, they are not. I can personally relate – early in my career, fresh from college and overly confident in my limited skills, I faced a harsh reality. Clients were not shy about laughing at my high prices given my inflated self-esteem. It was a wake-up call that I had much to learn.

Even seasoned designers can fall into this trap, becoming overconfident and blind to their shortcomings. Some may even try to dominate client interactions, pushing inappropriate designs that don’t suit the client’s needs. This arrogance can alienate clients, costing you valuable work opportunities. Being more receptive to feedback and realistic about your abilities can prevent this.

2. You’re Not Sharing Your Thoughts on Design

Or more precisely, you’re not voicing your opinions or writing about design for the wider community that’s eager to listen. Blogs and social media are prime platforms for broadcasting your insights and establishing your authority in the design field.

The more you engage with and inspire others, the more they’ll respect you as a designer, opening up opportunities for connections and invitations to events or groups that were previously off your radar.

In today’s market, simply being a skilled technician isn’t enough if you aim for the top design positions. Being part of the ongoing dialogue about design is expected, in whichever form feels right for you.

Increasingly, businesses, especially innovative startups, are on the lookout for a designer who not only understands their vision but is also enthusiastic about making a significant impact on society. You can’t be that designer without contributing to the conversation.

3. Building Insufficient Connections

Most job opportunities arise through networking. Knowing someone who knows someone in need of a designer can quickly lead to new projects. Therefore, it’s crucial to expand your network both within and beyond the design community. Surprisingly, the most effective strategy for finding design work often involves interacting with non-designers who might connect you with potential clients.

This approach also benefits others: if you can introduce a designer friend to a potential client, both might greatly appreciate it. This not only helps them meet their needs but also enhances your reputation as a well-connected professional.

4. Not Supporting Other Designers

Providing value to both clients and peers is essential, especially in terms of technical skills crucial for thriving in today’s competitive design industry. The adage that the best way to learn is to teach holds true here – assisting others not only enhances your skills but also cements your status as a competent designer.

Creating tutorials or writing articles can significantly boost your visibility within the community. By sharing useful resources and how-tos, you establish yourself as a go-to expert, which can attract both peers and potential clients. If you contribute to external websites, make sure to promote your contributions to direct more traffic to your work.

5. Ineffective Self-Promotion

This topic warrants its own discussion (which I’ve already explored). However, the crux is that you need to actively market yourself – if you want people to recognize your capabilities, you must showcase them boldly and broadly. The approach to marketing will vary widely among designers, and there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.

Assess your strengths and how you prefer to communicate your ideas. Utilize this understanding to amplify your message and extend your reach within the industry. All strategies discussed today can double as effective marketing techniques.

Conclusion

The design community is more interconnected than you might expect, and word gets around quickly. By building a reputation as a helpful and skilled designer, you’re likely to secure more job offers than you can manage.

The post Why You’re Struggling to Attract More Design Projects (5 Reasons) appeared first on Hongkiat.

For many budding writers diving into freelance writing, the big question is “How?” How do we craft content that can transform readers in ways they never imagined possible within a mere 1000 words? Step one: captivate them from the get-go.

Read Also:  7 Tips to Become the Writer Everyone Wants to Read

First Impressions Matter

“…said the spider to the fly.” The challenge of grabbing someone’s attention and keeping them engaged long enough to click through is arguably the toughest hurdle in freelance writing.

Why? Because you’re often working with just 12 words or 70 characters. Go beyond, and search engines might bury your content. Visibility is key, and that starts with making a strong first impression.

Creating Captivating Titles and Intros

Search engine results display just the first 70 characters of your title. Though the entire title is indexed, even if it spans 1000 characters, only the initial 70 make it to the preview. It’s crucial, then, to make your point clear within this limited space.

Positioning your main keyword at the start of the title boosts its ranking, assuming your content is SEO-optimized. Early keyword placement is key.

A title that manages to rank well must be engaging, clear, and compelling to ensure the searcher’s attention is captured. Incorporating the search term early not only helps in drawing them in but also in keeping them engaged.

Establishing Immediate Rapport

Having caught your reader’s attention, the next step is to quickly build a connection. It’s essential for readers to feel at ease with your voice and style. Often writing on behalf of others, freelancers must convey authenticity as if they’re sharing their own insights.

Key to this is confidence and clarity. Your writing should communicate not just as a content creator, but as the authority on the subject matter, offering knowledge and reliability.

Sparking Interest with Trends

Even when topics aren’t inherently captivating, it’s your challenge to discover and highlight their trendy aspects. Excelling as a writer means being adept at presenting any subject in an engaging light, finding the angle that resonates with public interest.

The trick lies in viewing the topic from various perspectives and identifying what the audience finds valuable. Once the appeal is clear, illustrating its benefits and solutions becomes straightforward, making even the most mundane topics intriguing.

Cultivating Trust Through Confidence

Writing confidently is crucial for fostering trust between you and readers seeking guidance. Solid research backs up the freelance writer’s ability to add value, ensuring that the audience gains from their visit to your site or blog.

The foundation of trust is laid in the very first paragraph. After drawing the reader in with a compelling title, the opening sentences must be informative and robust enough to retain their attention. This is your chance to make a bold promise about the value your article will deliver, establishing a relationship of trust from the outset.

Building Credibility with Depth

Detailed research is vital for reinforcing trust by establishing your credibility. Offering unique, interesting facts that readers won’t find just anywhere elevates your status as an expert. It’s about providing that extra something that they can’t get from anyone else.

Uncovering those unique, verifiable insights and backing them up with reputable sources shows your readers they need not only the product or service you’re writing about but also your guidance and expertise.

Embracing Flexibility in Your Writing

The secret to authoritative writing is knowing how to flexibly apply writing rules without compromising their integrity. This is where your unique voice shines through, transforming standard information into engaging narratives. It’s about adding personality to your prose, making it resonate as though you’re conversing with the reader directly.

By skillfully bending the rules without breaking them, you cultivate a style that’s both informative and engaging, akin to advice from a knowledgeable friend. This approach not only enriches your content but also makes it more relatable and trustworthy to your audience.

Unleashing Your Creative License

Creative license isn’t about distorting facts but about presenting them through your unique lens. It’s an honest interpretation, your take on truths laid out by others, crafted into a narrative that speaks directly to your readers.

This personalized storytelling makes each piece feel like a one-on-one conversation, a letter to a cherished friend. It’s this use of creative freedom that readers adore, drawing them closer to your content and perspective.

Concluding with Impact: Your Call to Action

Mastery of the call to action is a craft honed over years, essential for transitioning smoothly from trusted authority to persuasive advocate. The art lies in weaving this call seamlessly into your narrative, maintaining the authentic voice that has guided the reader thus far.

Abrupt shifts in tone risk alienating your audience, undoing the rapport you’ve built. Thus, every piece of advice, every trend highlighted, and every fact shared culminates in a call to action that resonates with sincerity and confidence, echoing the trustworthiness of the entire piece.

Are You Ready to Make a Difference?

Armed with insights into content creation, do you feel equipped to build your own loyal readership? This journey demands confidence, authority, and a genuine connection with your subject matter, underpinned by thorough research.

If you embrace these principles, readers will come to see you as the go-to expert in your field, eagerly anticipating your take on topics within your niche. Now, step forward with confidence and start forging those vital connections.

The post Writing With Purpose Engage, Persuade, and Grow Your Customer Base appeared first on Hongkiat.

The secret recipe for crafting the perfect article or blog post does indeed exist, and it doesn’t require a stroke of genius to decipher. I’m confident that the six tips I’m about to share come very close to that elusive formula.

Soon, someone slightly more insightful might tweak these steps, make a few additions, and voila, they’ll have the formula named in their honor. Let’s just hope their name is catchier than “The Ethel Snoozelburg perfect article and blog format formula.”

But without further ado, here are the six steps to mastering the perfect article structure.

Six Steps to Perfection

The journey to the perfect article begins with its content and layout. After all, the most meticulously structured article won’t engage anyone if the content doesn’t resonate. Starting with brief and straightforward paragraphs enhances the article’s readability and appeal.

1. Keep it Simple

Embrace simplicity in your writing by crafting short, insightful sentences in plain English. Adhering to the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle is your first step towards success.

2. Visuals Matter

Incorporating clear and relevant images within your article is crucial for engagement. While I’m not the biggest advocate for videos in articles, if it complements your content, feel free to include it. Just ensure it aligns with your topic to avoid disrupting the flow of your article.

3. Highlighting Your Points

Using bold, italics, and even underline can significantly enhance your article by drawing attention to key points. These stylistic choices are not just allowed; they’re encouraged to guide readers through more complex explanations and ensure they grasp the intended message.

4. Power of Subheadings

Feeling overwhelmed by too much information? Remember, writing articles isn’t about impressing with complexity like in an academic essay. To keep your readers engaged, break up your content with subheadings that preview the next few lines.

This structure helps maintain interest and guides the reader through your article smoothly.

5. Eliminate Fluff

The truth is, filler content only works if you’re incredibly famous, where every word you pen is eagerly anticipated, or if your writing is so captivating that it leaves the audience in awe, pondering over the profound insights you’ve shared.

For the rest of us, unnecessary content serves no purpose.

Steer clear of it.

6. The Charm of Lists

It’s no secret that lists captivate readers. Unlike moths drawn to a flame, readers won’t suffer any consequences from their attraction – instead, they’ll find value and clarity. Lists are especially appealing because they:

• catch the eye of those who scan
• provide multiple answers to a single question
• offer detailed explanations
• present attributes clearly
• create a neat and orderly appearance
• aid in meeting word count goals (let’s keep this between us)
• generate ideas for additional content

Utilizing numbered or bulleted lists can significantly enhance engagement with your content. When faced with dense paragraphs, transforming them into a list can keep your readers interested.

A Gentle Nudge

The journey to crafting the perfect article or blog involves more than just structure – it’s about engaging, original content delivered efficiently. This guide focused on formatting essentials, assuming you’re already bringing compelling content to the table.

Remember, the intricacies and lengthier discussions are better suited for novels. A standout article or blog shines through its subject matter and the author’s knack for concise expression.

But mastering the format is just one part of the equation. Combine it with effective SEO strategies, and you’re on your way to perfection.

The post A Guide to the Perfect Article Writing Structure appeared first on Hongkiat.

Static site generators transform plain text into fully functional static websites or blogs. These sites don’t rely on databases, making them faster, easier to maintain, more secure, and less costly in terms of infrastructure.

Additionally, static sites are bandwidth-efficient and support version control systems. If you’re considering creating a static site, here are 10 top static site generators to explore in 2024.

Read Also:  How to Install Ghost Blogging Platform on Your Mac

Why Choose Static Site Generators?

Static site generators are perfect for simple websites that don’t need any backend interaction. They’re straightforward and efficient, making them a great choice for specific types of websites.

For more complex websites that need features like user registration, product reviews, and other interactive elements, static site generators might not be the ideal solution.

On the other hand, if you’re building portfolios, documentation sites, or landing pages, static site generators are an excellent fit. They bring simplicity and effectiveness to these types of projects.

Advantages of Using Static Site Generators

Let’s look at some key advantages of using static site generators:

Blazing Fast Load Times

Static sites are like lightning-fast sprinters – they load up quickly because they don’t need to wait for server-side processing. Everything is pre-made and ready to go, leading to speedy loading times.

Customizable and Adaptable

Static sites offer a great mix of flexibility and personal touch. They come with a variety of templates that let you make your site look just how you want. Plus, they’re versatile enough to work smoothly across different devices, from desktops to mobile phones.

Steady and Efficient Performance

Static sites are the reliable workhorses of the web world. They can handle lots of visitors without breaking a sweat and keep delivering your content consistently, thanks to their simple and efficient setup.

Enhanced Security Features

Think of static sites as being a bit like a fortress – they’re extra secure because they don’t rely much on servers. This means they’re less attractive targets for hackers and have fewer weak spots for cyber threats.

Cost Savings

Choosing a static site can be kind to your wallet. They’re cheaper to host compared to their dynamic cousins, often with free hosting options like GitHub Pages or Amazon S3, saving you from shelling out on high performance-related costs.

Jekyll

Jekyll is a leading static site generator that powers GitHub Pages. It’s favored for its ease of use and simple web development requirements. Jekyll stands out with features like templates, layouts, and configurations, allowing for easy transformation of text into personalized blog posts.

Read Also:  Set Up a Custom Domain for Your GitHub Pages

Octopress

Octopress is a refined blogging framework for Jekyll designed to simplify the blogging experience. It stands out with its compatibility with a vast array of plugins, including official ones for Jekyll and Octopress, as well as third-party offerings.

Octopress facilitates quick and easy blog building and publishing to GitHub or Rsync. It includes built-in support for Twitter, Google Plus, Disqus comments, Pinboard, and Google Analytics.

Hexo

Hexo is an efficient blog framework built on Node.js. As a static site generator, it’s incredibly fast, building entire websites in mere seconds. Hexo is notable for supporting all GitHub-flavored Markdown features and most Octopress plugins. It offers the convenience of deploying your site or blog to a web host with just one command.

Migrating websites from other platforms to Hexo is straightforward, thanks to its wide range of migration tools.

Hugo

Hugo is a versatile and speedy static site generator, perfect for crafting blogs, documentation, and portfolios. It operates independently of administrative privileges, databases, interpreters, or external libraries. Hugo supports hosting on various platforms including GitHub Pages, S3, and Dropbox.

Like Hexo, Hugo is engineered for optimal performance and speed, enabling near-instant website building.

Pelican

Pelican, a Python-based static site generator, accommodates reStructuredText, Markdown, and AsciiDoc formats for content creation. Similar to Hugo, Pelican-built sites can be hosted on any platform and it supports multilingual blog creation, along with RSS and Atom feed generation.

Pelican’s integration with the Jinja Template Engine allows for a variety of customizable themes.

Middleman

Middleman is a Ruby-based static site generator that leverages modern web development tools and techniques. It provides comprehensive documentation for easy customization and deployment, similar to Hexo’s one-command website deployment feature.

Its active open-source community ensures readily available support for users.

Metalsmith

Metalsmith stands out as a simple yet versatile static site generator where plugins handle every function. The flexibility of chaining these reusable plugins together makes it easy to tailor your site to your needs, whether you’re creating a blog, a PDF, an e-book, or documentation.

The plugin-based architecture simplifies file manipulation and format conversions.

DocPad

DocPad offers a quick-start approach with pre-built website templates, supporting diverse languages like CoffeeScript, Ruby, PHP, Stylus. It allows easy migration to various hosting platforms.

Its extensive plugin support, detailed documentation, and an active support community enhance its user-friendliness.

Wintersmith

Wintersmith is a Node.js-based, minimalist static site generator that offers extensive customization through plugins. Its project structure is highly adaptable, allowing content integration from various sources, including other static site generators.

Wintersmith is known for its quick deployment capabilities and supports the Jade plugin along with other Node.js template engines.

Cactus

Cactus is a dynamic static site generator based on Python and the Django template system. It simplifies developing websites locally and seamlessly hosting them on platforms like Amazon S3.

Read Also:  How to Create a Static Blog with Cactus

Wrapping Up

Opting for a static site is a smart choice when simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and resource efficiency are priorities. While there are some limitations with static sites, their strength lies in the principle that “content is king” and sometimes, less is indeed more.

Starting with these static site generators can make the process of building a static website more straightforward and manageable compared to content management systems like WordPress.

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We’re curious to know your preferred static site generator. Feel free to share in the comments.

The post 10 Best Static Site Generators (SSG) for 2024 appeared first on Hongkiat.

However, be mindful that not all popular writing tips are beneficial. As you endeavor to enhance your writing, you may encounter common advice that might not be advantageous. Similar to blogging, social networking, and freelancing, some recommendations do not always lead to success.

Read Also:  Effective Tips and Guidelines for Freelance Writing Success

1. Write Every Day

Many writers tout this tip as a sacred rule, believing it sharpens their craft and wards off writer’s block. Consider Stephen King, who dedicates four hours each morning to writing.

However, if writing is not your primary source of income, the expectation to write daily can be impractical. You have a business to run, and it’s unlikely you can dedicate each day solely to improving your writing skills.

Furthermore, trying to write when your mind is preoccupied with other tasks can hinder your ability to concentrate.

There’s also no assurance that writing every day will improve your abilities. For instance, if grammar is your weak point, then writing daily might just reinforce those grammatical mistakes.

How To Make It Work For You

Identify the weaknesses in your writing. Are they related to grammar, structure, or unfamiliarity with a certain style? Focus on learning what’s necessary, rather than writing aimlessly every day. Utilize your daily communications as practice.

If your goal is to develop a writing habit and improve your flow, then consider the writing you naturally do throughout your day. Emails, social media posts, comments on blogs, and forums – all these can be part of your writing practice.

View everyday communication as an opportunity to hone your writing skills.

2. Write Like You Speak

At first glance, the idea of writing as you speak seems sensible. However, a deeper examination reveals that it’s not always great advice.

Why? Our everyday speech is often filled with hesitations like ‘hmm’s and ‘um’s, and frequent repetitions as we try to clarify our thoughts. These quirks can render written content sloppy.

Beyond that, consider this: Are we all clear and effective communicators when we speak? Not necessarily.

While speaking, you can use various expressions and tones to convey your message. In writing, you typically have only one opportunity to connect with your readers or clients. Clarity is essential.

How To Make It Work For You

What this advice really suggests is that your writing should reflect your personality. A good starting point is to be mindful of how you speak. Observe your words and tone. Recording your speech and listening to it can reveal your most commonly used words and phrases. Do you lean towards a casual or formal style?

Understanding your spoken voice can help you bring the same authenticity to your writing. Instead of repetitively using phrases like ‘Get what I mean?‘, place them strategically in your writing for maximum impact.

Get what I mean?

3. Write Like No One’s Going to Read It

The advice to ‘write like no one’s going to read it’ might remind you of someone singing loudly (and out of tune) in the shower without a care in the world. When you write with this mindset, you’re not holding yourself accountable. It’s akin to saying your writing doesn’t require effort or discipline.

If you believe no one will read your work, then for whom are you writing? This mentality can lead to veering off-topic and losing focus. Your writing might follow your wandering thoughts instead of staying structured and coherent.

How To Make It Work For You

This tip can be valuable when applied correctly. Try this approach: Write as if no one will read it, but revise as if your ideal client will scrutinize every word. The promise of future editing can provide the right balance between freedom and responsibility.

While you allow yourself the freedom to write uninhibitedly, remember that an editing phase will follow. This awareness encourages you to stay as focused as possible on the subject, minimizing the need for extensive revisions later on.

4. Write What You Know

The saying ‘write what you know’ suggests that familiarity breeds quality content, but this isn’t always true. Sure, you might be an expert on your product or service, but expertise doesn’t automatically translate to effective communication.

How To Make It Work For You:

It’s common advice that to sell effectively, you should emphasize benefits, not just features.

Does your product save time? Does it alleviate discomfort? How does it simplify life for the user?

If you’re unsure how to articulate these benefits, start by listing your features in one column. Then, for each feature, think about how it positively impacts your customer’s life. Focus on the emotions and experiences your writing can evoke in your readers, and let that guide your words.

5. Avoid Jargon and Foreign Phrases

The common advice to avoid jargon and foreign phrases is well-intentioned, aiming to prevent writers from appearing pretentious. However, oversimplifying language can also come across as patronizing. Indeed, sometimes a phrase like ‘C’est la vie’ expresses an idea more succinctly than its English equivalent, ‘That’s life‘.

How To Make It Work For You

The key is to know your audience. If your readers are familiar with the industry terminology, using specialized terms is appropriate. For those new to the subject, consider providing a brief explanation of the term in parentheses upon its first use. This method is also useful for foreign expressions.

When writing for a specific regional audience, incorporating well-understood local words or phrases can strengthen the connection with them.

Reflection

It’s essential to ensure that any writing advice you follow truly benefits you. Adhering to guidance blindly, without seeing results, leads to wasted effort and frustration.

Ultimately, the success of your writing isn’t just about increasing your website or blog traffic; it’s about discovering what works best for your unique style and objectives.

The post 5 Popular Writing Tips You Might Want to Skip appeared first on Hongkiat.

An Introduction to Paraphrasing

Before diving into the tips, let’s first understand what paraphrasing is.

Paraphrasing is the art of rewording text while keeping its original meaning intact. Although straightforward, it can be time-consuming, especially with longer texts.

There are various methods to paraphrase content. You can either do it manually or use an online tool.

The essence of paraphrasing is to make changes in word choice and sentence structure. The approach, however, may vary between manual paraphrasing and using digital tools.

This article focuses on tips that are particularly useful for manual paraphrasing.

Tips for Better Paraphrasing

1. Understand the Original Text

As we’ve previously highlighted, paraphrasing involves rewording content without changing its original meaning. If the original meaning is altered, the process is no longer true paraphrasing.

It’s crucial to first comprehend the text. This is why you should thoroughly understand the original text before you start to rephrase it.

When you fully grasp the original message, you can present the same ideas in a new way.

However, if you don’t understand the original text and begin paraphrasing without this knowledge, you risk changing the meaning, which could compromise your work.

2. Use Relevant and Contextually Correct Synonyms

Replacing original words with synonyms is a key step in paraphrasing. Synonyms are words with similar meanings, such as “big” and “large.”

However, it’s essential to choose synonyms that fit the context of the original words. For effective paraphrasing, it’s about selecting the most appropriate words to replace the originals.

For example, “helpful” and “supportive” are synonyms, but they convey different nuances. A car’s manual can be described as “helpful,” but not “supportive,” which has more emotional implications.

3. Break and Merge Sentences Where Possible

Many people limit their paraphrasing to just changing words. However, this approach doesn’t fully embrace effective paraphrasing, as the overall structure of the content remains unchanged.

To effectively paraphrase, it’s beneficial to alter the structure of sentences. This can be done by dividing longer sentences into shorter ones or combining several short sentences into longer, more comprehensive ones.

Consider this example:

“John is 30 years old, a master of English, and has communication skills admired by all.“

This sentence can be broken down as follows:

“John is a master of English. He has impressive communication skills, making him admired by those he meets.“

Conversely, merging sentences involves combining shorter ones into a cohesive longer sentence. This is the opposite approach to breaking sentences. For instance, if the original text comprises many short sentences, these can be seamlessly merged.

Merging can be achieved using colons or semicolons. For example:

“Vladimir is 18 years old. He enjoys gaming. He follows a healthy diet.“

These sentences can be combined as:

“Vladimir, 18, enjoys gaming and maintains a healthy diet.“

Note: When paraphrasing through sentence restructuring, ensure the original meaning remains intact.

4. Maintain the Tone and Tenor of the Original Content

As mentioned at the start, paraphrasing means relaying the same message with different words. Therefore, it’s essential to preserve the tone and tenor of the original content to keep its original intent.

For instance, if the original content has a descriptive tone, your paraphrasing should also reflect this. Avoid changing it to an interrogative or any other tone.

5. Proofread Once Done to Ensure Zero Imperfections and Contextual Deviation

Once you’ve finished paraphrasing, it’s important to proofread your work. Look out for these common issues:

1. Grammatical Mistakes: Grammatical errors can distort the meaning of your content, leading to misunderstandings. Ensure your content is grammatically correct during proofreading.
2. Spelling Errors: Spelling mistakes can undermine the credibility of your content and reflect poorly on your writing skills. Eliminate all spelling errors in your proofread content.
3. Contextually Incorrect Word Replacements or Phrase Changes: Ensure all synonyms and phrases fit the context. Replace any word or phrase that doesn’t align contextually with the original meaning.

Conclusion

We hope the tips on “effective paraphrasing” discussed above are helpful. Remember, mastering paraphrasing takes practice, but by adhering to these guidelines, you can enhance your skills. Keep these tips handy as a checklist for your paraphrasing tasks.

The post 5 Tips for Effective Paraphrasing appeared first on Hongkiat.

Ensuring that your ebook looks good in print has several advantages. No matter how readers access your content, whether on their digital devices, a home printout, or a professionally printed version, it will look appealing.

Having a design suitable for both digital and print mediums allows you to share your work in multiple ways. This increases the chances of reaching a larger audience and potentially earning more.

Read Also:  Book Cover Design Tips & Ideas for Beginners

With some tweaks to your ebook design, it can look wonderful when transformed from a digital file to a printed copy. Remember the following tips when designing your ebook.

1. Be Concise

The number of words you use in an ebook might not seem crucial, but extra words can increase the number of pages in print. Review your content and keep it as short and clear as possible. This might even enhance your writing quality. Remember, automated spell checkers are not always accurate.

Review your content multiple times to ensure correct spelling and grammar.

2. Design and Layout

During the editing process when you’re moving, adding and subtracting ebook design elements to see what looks good, it can be easy to leave out something important. Mistakes are often made with consistency of fonts, colors, heading sizes, shadows and other small details that might have changed in some area, but not others.

This might be easier to miss in the digital space but when several pages of an ebook are printed out and the fonts change in size or consistency, it can be quite obvious. Double-check these points to ensure you’ve been consistent throughout.

3. Color Matching

It’s challenging to make the colors on paper match what you see on the screen. Different color settings in design software, digital files, and different printers can change the final appearance.

Even though many designers and photographers prefer working in RGB, most digital and home printers use CMYK. You can change your design to CMYK, but it might need some adjustments to get the colors right.

Read Also:  Best Color Tools for Web Designers

Calibrating your monitor can also affect how your design colors appear. Printing a test image and comparing it to your screen can help you understand how your monitor affects your design and how it might look when someone prints your ebook at home.

4. Picture Quality

It’s best to save your ebook PDF at 300 DPI. While lower resolutions might be okay for online viewing, high resolution is essential for clear printed images. This is especially true for ebooks with photos, detailed drawings, or other visuals.

If you’re unsure, save your file in the highest resolution available. It’s easier to reduce the size later if needed, but you can’t add more detail once it’s saved.

5. Home & Office Printer Limits

Home and office printers have limitations. They’re different from professional printers that can handle various paper sizes. Most home and office printers are limited to common paper types, like inkjet or laser paper, and usually in white, letter, or legal sizes.

Also, these printers don’t print ink right up to the paper’s edges. There’s often a required 1/2″ margin. Remember these limitations when designing your ebook for printing.

6. Understanding Bleeds, Crop Marks & Cutting Tolerances

Professional printing adds more layers to digital designs. Printers expect you to understand bleeds, crop marks, and cutting tolerances when setting up your design.

• Crop marks show the printer where to trim the pages.
• A bleed is when printing goes beyond the trim lines, which gets removed during finishing.
• Cutting tolerance means the small differences that happen when sheets are trimmed.

It’s important to know your printer’s cutting tolerance and to set the right bleeds and crop marks. Requirements can differ by printer, but many ask for 1/8” bleeds, and good printers have a cutting tolerance of no more than 1/16”.

7. Get a Second Opinion

Review your work, correct it, and double-check. Then, ask someone else to check. Sometimes, when we’re too involved in a project, we might overlook errors. A fresh pair of eyes can spot these. Make sure they review both the online and printed versions for the best feedback.

8. Choosing Paper & Binding

The paper and binding you choose will influence how your printed ebook appears. Coated paper is smooth and resistant to dirt and moisture. Its finish, like satin, changes how ink settles on it, making it good for clear images. Uncoated paper is rougher and absorbs ink more, which can spread the ink.

For binding, many printers provide saddle stitch, wire coil, and spiral options. Each has its own page limit. Discuss with your printer to pick the best paper and binding.

9. Test Print Your Ebook

Printing your ebook can show you its actual appearance. This is also helpful before professional printing. Before sending your design, print your ebook on regular paper, trim it, and fold if needed, like with a saddle stitched book. This gives a real feel of your work and lets you adjust your design if necessary.

After sending your ebook design to the printer, they’ll usually give you a digital proof for approval. Print this proof and trim it to its actual size. While it won’t represent final colors or paper quality, it gives a clear idea of how it will look when printed.

Pay close attention at this stage, because after approving the proof, making changes to the final design becomes difficult.

10. Request a Physical Proof

For professional printing of your ebook, digital proofs are convenient and affordable. But to truly guarantee print quality, ask for a physical proof. This is crucial if you’re using special paper materials or if it’s your first time printing your ebook.

If you have specific brand colors that need exact matching, a physical proof is beneficial. There’s usually a charge for each proof, considering the setup involved, but it’s a small price for accuracy.

Once you or your client is satisfied with the ebook’s look, it’s ready for final printing. You’ve ensured it looks good for home printing and made every effort for professional printing success. With the tips above, you should receive the printed ebook you envisioned.

The post 10 Tips to Turn Your Ebook Into a Print Book appeared first on Hongkiat.

Although many multi-author platforms depend on and even appreciate guest bloggers for their valuable insights, there are some behaviors that are simply not acceptable. This post elaborates on how to differentiate between good and bad guest posts, enriched by real-world examples.

Let’s just say, truth is often more bizarre than fiction. (Note: Names have been omitted as they are not remembered.)

1. Paying Attention to the Little Things Matters

Getting off on the wrong foot during a pitch can have severe consequences. Even if you believe you have an 80% chance of winning over your audience, certain blunders can quickly reduce those odds. In this section, we’ll discuss these common errors and how to sidestep them.

Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Spelling Mistakes

One common error is misspelling crucial details, like the name of your contact, the site owner, or even the blog you’re pitching to. For instance, our blog’s name is often misspelled, which may seem trivial but can be the tipping point in a sensitive situation.

Treat Your Readers with Respect

Another frequent mistake is using patronizing language towards your readers. Phrases like “WRONG!”, “That’s a foolish approach,” or “Are you uninformed?” have no place in a post meant to impress. Always be courteous and considerate in your language.

2. The Pitfalls of Being Unnecessarily Rude

Discourtesy has no place in guest blogging – much like a child fussing over the color of their new gadget, it’s not acceptable. You can’t just submit a lengthy article on an unrelated topic and expect it to be published. No. Trust me, if we publish just anything, you wouldn’t want your work featured.

If your article is rejected, don’t pester the editor for the “magic” title that will ensure publication. Blogs are not required to feature your content.

Keys to Successful Guest Blogging

If you submit a top-notch guest post, like this example, or this one, we will reach out to discuss publishing your work. The authors of these exemplary posts were cooperative, patient, and professional, making the guest blogging process a mutual endeavor.

3. The Importance of a Relevant Pitch

Some of the submissions I’ve received would astonish you. Topics have ranged from trekking in Nepal to hotel reservations in Mumbai, and even peculiar subjects like “why controversial figures deserve your affection.” Clearly, these are not suitable for our blog.

Before submitting, ensure your article aligns with the blog’s focus. If it doesn’t, it’s best not to submit it. Sending an irrelevant article will likely result in silence, as blog owners are not obliged to engage with off-topic submissions.

4. The Art of Patience in Guest Blogging

Being a guest, whether in someone’s home or on their blog, requires a certain level of patience and understanding. Just like you wouldn’t expect immediate attention from your Aunt Ellen, you shouldn’t expect instant responses from blog owners.

Guest blogging operates on a set schedule, and your contribution, no matter how important to you, is still a “guest” in this system. Being overly demanding can make the blog owner reconsider your submission.

Remember, the blog can function perfectly well without your article. So, avoid being high-maintenance. If you’re truly exceptional, some leniency may be granted, but remember, there’s only room for one diva.

5. The True Objective of Guest Blogging

The main reason blogs accept guest contributors is to obtain high-quality content. In return, you gain valuable exposure. However, if you come with demands like link swaps or sponsored posts, don’t expect a warm welcome.

If you’re considering a financial investment, look into the blog’s advertising options. If you have a team capable of writing diverse topics, perhaps starting your own blog is a better route. Guest blogging is a win-win situation when everyone brings the right elements to the table.

6. The Unacceptable Act of Plagiarism

It happens more often than you’d think. Far too often, actually. I’ve even received a guest post that was a direct copy of an article from another site – which had originally taken the content from our site.

Related: Check out these plagiarism tools to detech bot generated content.

Imagine the absurdity of being shown your own stolen car at a dealership. It’s unacceptable on multiple levels.

The Wasteful Use of Skill

Some individuals attempt to dilute their work by merging multiple authors’ pieces into one. Others spin their articles, changing tenses or sentence structures. Sometimes, it’s so well-done that it’s hard to catch unless you’re particularly observant.

It raises the question: Why not produce an original piece to begin with?

All successful relationships start with trust and understanding. No blog owner wants to feel deceived by accepting a fraudulent guest post.

7. The Dangers of Identity Deception

Just as you wouldn’t want to go on a blind date with someone hiding their true identity, you wouldn’t want to accept a guest post from an impersonator. If a submission comes with a suspiciously attractive photo, perform an image search. You might find it’s just a stock image.

Be wary of submissions featuring two first names. It could be a sign that the individual hastily chose two common names to create a fake identity.

The most egregious case I’ve encountered involved an author claiming to have “multiple personalities.” After initially accepting the post, I found that the author had copied content directly from product descriptions.

When confronted and officially rejected, the author reacted poorly. He insisted that I honor the initial approval and accused me of using “an unjust reason” to withdraw the post. Ironically, he signed the email with another contributor’s name, revealing that he had lost track of his own impersonation.

Conclusion

Despite the hurdles, we continue to welcome guest submissions as they offer a meaningful platform for skilled writers genuinely interested in delivering quality content.

Many guest bloggers have even transitioned into becoming regular contributors on our platform. Implementing a stringent screening process for submissions has proven more effective than completely eliminating guest blogging opportunities.

By adhering to this approach, we maintain high content quality without sacrificing the fresh perspectives and diversity brought by guest bloggers. This strategy has been successful in achieving our objectives.

The post The Seven Sins of Guest Blogging: Real Stories appeared first on Hongkiat.

Personal branding is described as an enhanced version of oneself, refined to highlight everything that’s pertinent to your work and vision. But what portion of this is deliberately planned, and what part is simply a natural aspect of interacting with others? Let’s explore and figure it out.

It only appears effortless

The most effective kind of branding is subtle, or what some might call “no” branding. The goal is to meticulously cultivate your personal brand while making it seem as though you’ve done nothing of the sort.

Overly conspicuous “branding” can be off-putting. However, just because it appears that you’re not actively promoting your brand doesn’t mean there isn’t a significant amount of effort taking place behind the scenes.

Take, for example, a blog about design. You may adopt a playful tone, frequently sharing anecdotes about your friends, your dog, or a recent visit to a favorite restaurant. Readers might be drawn to your blog for the humorous and insightful comments you make, perceiving you as a humble and down-to-earth individual rather than a calculated marketing strategist.

The truth is, you are indeed humble and down-to-earth. Your friends genuinely do make those amusing remarks, and so on. However, there’s also a strategic marketing plan in play, where you emphasize certain aspects of your personality to shape them into a recognizable brand.

Your mission

Your mission, whatever it may be, must be earnest and genuine. Trust me, people can discern if it’s not. Whether abstract or precise, your mission or goal needs to reside at the core of everything you do.

Do you aspire to change the world through design? While that may sound vague, it’s perfectly acceptable, provided your readers truly believe in your intent and can perceive it through your content.

Maybe you aim to educate fellow designers about the rewards and risks of the industry. This goal is also somewhat vague, but it offers ample room for you to interpret and convey the message to your readers.

Internal & External Views

Reconciling who you are as a designer and individual with what people expect from you professionally is essential. It’s akin to the Freudian id versus superego in design: instinct versus external influences.

Consider the example where you are a simple designer who blogs about design and includes random, human details from your life. You are still crafting a conscious brand that people have developed specific expectations about.

If you, the design blogger, suddenly began writing lengthy posts about golf simply because you developed a sudden interest in the sport, it would conflict with your readers’ expectations. This inconsistency could lead them to question the authenticity of your brand.

That’s not to say you can never shift topics or stray from the design-specific subjects you initially wrote about. However, keeping your general goal in mind – clarifying exactly what you want to communicate to your audience – and ensuring your content aligns with this goal is vital for a successful personal brand.

Filter, Don’t Add

Cultivating your public image isn’t about artificially inserting things; it’s about filtering out what doesn’t fit. For instance, if other designers are blogging about a hot design trend that you don’t particularly care for or have any interest in, don’t feel compelled to write about it just to keep up.

Writing about something that doesn’t interest you will lead to burnout, and your readers will detect your lack of passion. They may begin to ignore you as a result. Instead, focus on filtering out the things that are irrelevant to your personal brand’s main goal, whatever that may be.

As we learned earlier, straying wildly from the main drive of your brand – such as posting about golf on a design blog – will turn off readers. It’s not that your message isn’t genuine; it’s that it doesn’t align with what they expect when they visit your blog.

Branding Is Like Happiness

In branding design, we often say that you can’t actually create a brand, just as you can’t create happiness. Think about it: Happiness is a feeling that arises from a memory of something good, whether it’s spending time with people you care about or engaging in an activity that brings you joy.

It’s the experiences that make you happy that lead to happiness. Similarly, it’s the experiences your clients and users have with your designs that build brand loyalty.

The post Is Personal Branding Misleading or Essential? appeared first on Hongkiat.

This post lists some of the best SEO tools every content creator should know about. These tools are free so anyone from beginner to professional content creator can use them and make your content stand out. Let’s take a look.

1. Sitechecker

Sitechcker allows you to improve the on-page and technical SEO of your website or blog. It gives you an intuitive dashboard from which you can check different statistics related to your site and other aspects like site monitoring, rank tracking, and backlink tracking.

Based on the data from Google Analytics and Google Search Console, the tool gives you suggestions on how to improve your site’s SEO. You get a to-do list for changes that are needed to be done and monitor these changes 24/7.

Sitechecker notable features:

• Proper technical on-page SEO.
• Improve your website’s visibility in SERP.
• Remove major site vulnerabilities.
• Get regular reports and instant alerts about critical issues with your website.
• Detailed textual and video documentation on how to use the tool.
• Also available as Chrome Extension for easy access.
• Monitor and analyze all the backlinks for your website that you found or built

2. Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a useful tool that offers suggestions for keyword research and content creation. It gives insight into what people are looking for and how they search online based on searches in Google and Bing.

Moreover, it displays the keyword idea results as a mind map, making it easy to understand and visualize the data. The tool categorizes the keywords by questions, prepositions, comparisons, alphabetical, and related.

It features a vast database that can anticipate what visitors want. Moreover, you can get a free and paid version to help you generate better content ideas for your blog, website, YouTube channel, or social media profile.

The free version of the tool offers a limited number of searches per day. But, if you want to upgrade to the paid version, you can get more features.

Answer The Public Pro tool’s notable features:

• Conduct as many daily searches as you want.
• Reports are stored automatically so that you can access them anytime.
• Use a single account to add infinite users.
• Compare keyword data over time to acquire new keyword suggestions.
• Export your keyword data in CSV format.
• Get access to high-resolution photographs for each query.
• Unlimited access to local and language-specific search results.
• Remove irrelevant results from your research.

3. Google Search Console

Google Search Console (previously Google Webmaster Tools) is a must-use tool for content creators and website owners. It helps you understand how your site performs in Google searches and find out about any issues that may be affecting your visibility or organic search traffic.

Additionally, it provides data on impressions, clicks, average position, and other information about your site’s performance in Google searches. You can also use it to submit and check your sitemaps, track your website’s backlinks, and more.

Some of Google Search Console tool’s notable features:

• Find out which pages on your site get people to visit it.
• Check the number of times people see your site, click on it, and whether or not it appears at the top of Google Search.
• Identify and correct any issues with your website.
• Crawl your site with individual URLs and sitemaps.
• Get email updates when Google finds problems on your website.
• Use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to find out how Google Search perceives your website.

4. LSI Graph

LSI Graph is a great tool for understanding latent semantic indexing (LSI), which is the process of measuring how close a group of words are to each other semantically.

Semantic relevance is an important part of SEO, and LSI plays a big role in it. LSI Graph can help content creators understand what words are related to their target keyword and use them to improve their content.

It’s also possible to get analytical information on how well your material is optimized in terms of important metrics like LSI usage, Content Sentiment, and Semantic Density. You’ll also gain access to LSI Keywords, Top Performing Content, Popular Questions, and Frequently Linked.

Use LSI Graph to learn everything there is to know about the most popular search engine on the planet, so you can rank at the top of Google’s listings. It’s free if you use it as-is, but upgrading will give you access to more features and tools.

Here is a list of the LSI Graph tool’s coolest features:

a
• Input any keyword and get a list of related terms.
• Measure how well your content is optimized for LSI.
• Discover popular questions people are asking about your topic.
• Find out which pieces of content are getting the most shares and links.
• Export your data in CSV and PDF formats.
• Get access to analytical data on your site’s Semantic Density and Content Sentiment.

5. Google Trends

Google Trends is a tool by Google that lets you track the popularity of search terms over time. It’s a great way to see whether or not a particular keyword is trending up or down, and it can also give you some insight into which keywords are being used more often.

You can also use Google Trends to compare the popularity of two different keywords or see how a keyword’s popularity has changed over time.

This information can be valuable for content creators who are looking to write content that will be popular with their audience.

Google Trends’ features:

• Compare the popularity of two different keywords.
• It’s a useful tool for product and market analysis.
• Use Google Trends to find out how popular a keyword or topic is (in any region).
• Discover seasonality trends for keywords.
• Track the popularity of a keyword over time.

6. Rank Math

Rank Math is a wonderful WordPress plugin that lets you quickly optimize your content with the aid of built-in suggestions. With this simple plugin, you can add appropriate Schema markup to your content so that search engine bots understand it.

This plugin helps you set up rich snippets for your blog posts. You can customize the title, and description, post robots meta information, and choose a default category and taxonomies. There are detailed instructions with screenshots to make it easy for anyone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Some of the best features of Rank Math are:

• Use templates or manually change the SEO titles and descriptions for each post/page.
• Optimize your content for various focus keywords to improve rankings.
• Make your own customized XML sitemap.
• Different content parts can have their own schema. A sitewide schema can also be defined.
• Optimize your website so that it appears higher in search results for local businesses.
• Improve image optimization by automatically adding alt and title tags to your images.
• Internal and external links to posts/pages are visible.
• Set and manage 301 and 302 redirects and look out for any 404 errors.

7. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that many content creators and bloggers rely on. It analyzes content to see how closely it sticks to the focus keyword. First, it gives the site an SEO score. Next, it tells you how to improve the score. Yoast SEO is useful for checking how easy a blog post is to read.

Another handy feature is Yoast’s Readability checker. This tool can make editing your content easier because it gives you an overall score for your post’s readability. It also provides suggestions for improving readability, such as shortening sentences or avoiding passive voice.

Yoast also provides a sitemap generator and can help you ensure that all of your posts are listed on it. The site comprises of different sections, each with its own page to help your content show up better in search results.

Yoast SEO features:

• A preview of how your post will appear on mobile devices and in Google search results.
• Change your SEO title, URL slug, and meta description.
• An examination of keyword usage
• Adds structured data automatically to help Google understand your site.
• SEO meta description, title, and URL slug optimization
• Readability checker and a counter for internal links.

8. KWFinder

KWFinder is a tool that can help you find keywords that have the potential to rank high in Google. It’s a great tool for content creators looking for untapped keyword opportunities.

KWFinder gives you essential information about each keyword, such as volume (monthly search volume for the keyword), CPC (keyword value, cost per click value for the keyword), and KD (Keyword Difficulty).

You can use it to spy on your competition and see which keywords they are targeting. It also offers a list of related keywords that you can target. You’ll get keyword suggestions, related keywords, autocomplete, and questions based on keyword research.

KWFinder is a good keyword research tool that you can use to find low-competition keywords with high potential. It’s also perfect for bloggers who are new to blogging and don’t want to spend too much time on research.

Some of KWFinder’s great features:

• Find long-tail keywords that aren’t being used.
• Look at the keywords your competitors are using.
• Get keyword suggestions from Google.
• Use keyword lists to organize your keywords.
• Import multiple keywords at once.
• Get rid of the keywords that aren’t profitable.
• Most precise keyword difficulty rating.
• Keyword metrics and search volume.
• SEO metrics and SERP analysis.

9. KeywordTool.io

Keyword Tool is an easy-to-use keyword generator that can provide up to 750 ideas for content creators. It has quickly become one of the go-to tools, especially with bloggers looking to put together some new SEO-friendly copy on a budget.

Even if you don’t have an account, the Keyword Tool is free. Simply type in a keyword or phrase, and the tool will show you hundreds of long-tail keywords connected to any topic through Google’s search suggestions automatically generated. The recommendations will be constructed based on a Google domain and your chosen language.

Keyword Tool allows you to export your keyword list as a CSV file so you can easily plug them into a content creation tool, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

You can also track the ranking of any website for any keyword over time. Plus, you can see search volume, CPC (cost-per-click), and competition data for the keyword.

Keyword Tool’s notable features:

• The free version can provide you with over 700 long-tail keyword suggestions for each search term.
• It can also be used in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns.
• You can generate keywords from various search engines such as Google, YouTube, Amazon, Instagram, eBay, Play Store, and Twitter.

10. Ubersuggest

Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest is a fantastic free tool. It’s a very cost-effective SEO tool that can help you with everything from generating keyword ideas to competitive analysis.

Ubersuggest offers keyword suggestions, SERP analysis, and backlink data. Content creators can use this tool to get a detailed overview of their competition and find profitable keywords.

Some of Ubersuggest’s features include:

• Creating keyword suggestions for your content.
• Analyzing your competition’s website to learn what they’re up to.
• Obtaining information on the number of monthly searches and the cost per click (CPC) for each keyword.
• Learn how difficult it will be to rank for a specific keyword.
• Getting backlink data to see where your competitors’ links are coming from.

Bonus: MozBar

MozBar is an extension designed to make your link metrics analysis seamless, especially when you’re on the go. It allows you to track and analyze domain authority, page authority and backlinks for sites that are relevant to what you’re looking at currently, giving insight on how much worth a website has due to how many backlinks it has accumulated over time.

MozBar allows for viewing data such as which links are followed (indicating someone using a nofollow tag) or if they are internal or external links. It also provides users with page elements such as meta tags which provide information about the content being displayed on a webpage, including titles, keywords, descriptions etc.

MozBar tool’s cool features:

• Examine the metrics of Page Authority (PA) and Domain Authority (DA).
• Find out about a website’s backlinks and anchor text.
• As you browse the web, you can see MozBar data in real-time.
• Find new ways to increase your website’s link popularity.

Conclusion

When you create quality content, you want more and more people to watch, listen, read, or interact with it. The aforementioned SEO tools will help you do just that. All the tools mentioned are free, but you can get more features and better results through paid versions. Give any of the tools a try and see how it transforms your website’s SEO.

The post 10 Free SEO Tools For Bloggers and Content Creators (2023) appeared first on Hongkiat.

So, how should we go about it? Proofreading methods can vary greatly, often depending on the individual blogger’s preferences. In fact, many of us don’t adhere to a specific procedure; we simply read through the content and use our best judgment to determine where revisions are necessary.

Given the ambiguity of this practice, I thought it would be beneficial to provide some general tips for proofreading your latest blog posts:

1. Reading Aloud

Consider engaging as many of your five senses as possible when proofreading your work. This approach can help you identify areas that may seem or sound incorrect. Reading your text aloud, rather than merely scanning it visually, allows you to hear the rhythm and flow of your words, sentences, and paragraphs. This dual-layered proofreading strategy can be quite effective.

Reading aloud is particularly crucial for blog posts, which are typically written in a conversational style. You want to ensure that your readers feel as if your writing is directly speaking to them. As you read aloud, try to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Does the tone sound natural and engaging? If not, make the necessary adjustments to improve its readability and relatability.

2. Seek External Proofreading

Repeatedly reviewing your own work can sometimes lead to oversight of even the most glaring errors. This can occur due to complacency or simply because you may not recognize certain spelling or grammatical mistakes. This is where an external proofreader becomes invaluable, as they can identify errors that you may have overlooked.

Moreover, if you’ve been working on your blog post for an extended period, your perspective may become somewhat inflexible. Inviting someone with a fresh viewpoint to review your work can help ensure that your content flows smoothly.

Additionally, they may offer insights or suggest points that you might have missed, particularly if you’ve been deeply engrossed in meeting a deadline. If time permits, consider discussing the content with them. You may be pleasantly surprised by the innovative ideas that can emerge from such a dialogue.

3. Consider Your Target Audience

When you have a deep understanding of a specific subject, it’s easy to write in a way that may be difficult for others to comprehend. This happens because you’re familiar with the jargon and technical aspects of your topic, and you might unintentionally assume that your readers share this knowledge.

As a result, you could inadvertently alienate some of your target audience who might otherwise appreciate your content. To prevent this, it’s crucial to regularly assess whether your intended readers can easily understand your language and terminology. Review the terms you use in your text and consider whether they would be clear to the average reader without the need for an online dictionary.

A good practice is to fully spell out abbreviations and acronyms the first time you use them, providing the shortened form in parentheses. Also, make sure to define any specialized terms as needed. This will help your readers stay engaged and follow your content more easily.

4. Conciseness is Key

In my previous posts, I’ve consistently emphasized the importance of brevity, especially in the digital world. Online readers expect quick and immediate access to information. The more words you use, the more time it takes for your readers to understand your message. This could potentially lead to impatient readers switching to other blogs.

You might question whether shortening your posts would detract from the enjoyment of reading your blog, particularly if your readers find your content engaging. The answer to this largely depends on the purpose of your blog. If your primary aim is to provide information, your audience will expect you to deliver that efficiently.

Conversely, if your blog is primarily for entertainment, the quality of your content becomes paramount to your blog’s success. In this case, the length of your posts becomes less significant as long as you continue to captivate your audience.

However, most blogs fall somewhere between these two extremes. Therefore, it’s crucial to strike a balance between keeping your posts concise, informative, and entertaining.

5. Verify Your Data and Information

Even with impeccable spelling, grammar, and sentence structure, your credibility can be undermined if your data and information are inaccurate. This is particularly crucial when dealing with statistics. Ensure that the numbers align and that they are derived from trustworthy sources.

A good practice is to cite your sources, providing your readers with the confidence that your assumptions are not unfounded. If there are any doubts, they can always refer to the original sources for comprehensive details.

Regarding factual information, avoid making unusual claims (and presenting them as facts) unless you have substantial evidence to support them. Such extraordinary statements tend to attract more attention from readers due to their oddity.

Consequently, they are often subjected to more rigorous scrutiny. If your claim turns out to be false, it will be challenging to regain your readers’ trust in your future writings.

The post 5 Essential Proofreading Tips for Bloggers appeared first on Hongkiat.

Once you find a talented freelance content writer, hold onto them as if they were the last one on the planet. The good ones are either booked solid for months or have moved on to more gainful endeavors. Even if you can keep a talented content writer, they may not remain a content writer forever. Just like everything else in life, if someone is good at something, other opportunities will open for them to expand and broaden their horizons.

Woes of the Site Owner

Unfortunately, as a site owner, you have little to no control over when your writer needs to take leave. It often happens at the worst possible times. You may be in the middle of a huge marketing or branding campaign that just took off, or you might have a large boost in readership in your blog and require a steady in-flow of content for the next few weeks.

The last and worst possible thing you could hear at this precise moment is, "I’m leaving for greener pastures." So, what do you do?

8 Things to Do Instead of Panicking

1. Take Affirmative Action

As the Master and Commander of your ship, it’s time to take charge. Whatever you do, do not panic. Panic, at this point, would not only be counterproductive, it would make things much worse. It is not the end of the world until the deadline, which means there is still time before the iceberg hits the ship.

If you find yourself in panic mode, take a deep breath and get a hold of yourself. Remember that you are in control and that there are steps you can take to address the situation.

2. Hot Off the Press

New content writers are entering the internet every day, and the demand for their services is still higher than the supply.

Stop worrying about finding a content writer and go get one. However, be careful about how you go about it. Weeding out the bad writers from the good ones is a delicate process.

3. You May Already Have a Replacement

Don’t have time to engage with someone you can’t risk trusting? Have you spoken to your team, family, or a friend in the writing business lately? You may be surprised at how many people you know who write, dream of writing, or are already pursuing it.

By reaching out to those you know, you can get an inside look into the personality of a new writer and determine if they are someone you can rely on for steady content. This information can come directly from the horse’s mouth.

4. Go Social

Another digital option is social media marketing. LinkedIn is a great platform for Business to Customer or Business to Business marketing, as well as building brand recognition. With the help of a good content writer and six social media websites, you can create more buzz about your website than with two dozen magazine ads. LinkedIn is particularly useful as it has a wealth of content writers.

Overall, there are various methods available to promote your website. It’s important to consider your target audience and choose the methods that will be most effective for reaching them.

5. Be My Guest

Guest posting is a useful approach that can be utilized from time to time. You can put out a call for guest posts and usually, the guest blogger just wants a link in the content and a couple of links in their bio.

Some guest bloggers may even get paid for their submissions, but regardless, you get good content at half the time it takes to find a long-term replacement for your writer.

6. Editors Are Worth Their Weight in Gold

Editors are incredibly valuable for ecommerce websites and blogs. They can help increase your ROI by ensuring that your readers see what they need to see at the right time. Additionally, editors can edit the work of your content writers and even replace them temporarily if needed.

However, it’s important not to take advantage of an editor’s writing skills too often. Remember to respect their time and expertise and use them wisely. Overall, an editor is worth their weight in gold for any business looking to improve their content and increase their success.

7. Draw Ideas from the Web

The internet is a wondrous place, filled with all kinds of information on just about every subject you could possibly imagine, including your ecommerce endeavors. If your content writer disappears, there is plenty of material on the internet to pursue and draw ideas from.

However, don’t fall into the trap of copying content at liberty. Original content is still gold even in desperate times.

8. Unleash the Writer in You

Have you ever attempted to write your own content? As the one who knows the kind of content you desire, it may be worth a shot. Although it may not be the best content in the world, I can assure you that it will not be the worst either. In fact, you may even write better than some freelance content writers as nobody understands your readers’ preferences better than you do.

Take the opportunity to create your own content and express your thoughts in writing. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it and how well it resonates with your audience. So, why not give it a try?

The End Result

The end result of all this is actually much simpler than the 8 reasons not to panic and how to help yourself. If you panic, nothing gets done. So, if you need a content writer, don’t rush into anything. Take your time and find the one that is right for you. In the meantime, follow these simple tips to get through the rough patch and always keep your chin up.

Make sure to fix any grammar and spelling errors and break the text into easy-to-read paragraphs.

The post 8 Proactive Steps to Take When Your Writer Quits appeared first on Hongkiat.

At its core, writing is a form of communication. The secret to effective communication online lies in the presentation. Here are a few tips to help you write for an online audience. Once you master these, writing for the web becomes easy.

There are just a few things you should keep in mind when writing.

1. Formatting for Clarity

When writing for the web, improper formatting is considered an offense. After all, reading long blocks of text can be taxing. Nobody has the time to slow down and read; we all scan and skim online.

How to fix it:

Write short sentences for better impact. Try to limit your sentences to 15-20 words at most. Even one-word sentences and paragraphs are acceptable online.

Next, break your text into shorter paragraphs. Three-sentence paragraphs are the norm, but five-sentence paragraphs are acceptable too. Make sure you mix them up with long and short sentences!

If your text requires a lot of items separated by commas, break them into lists or bullet points. Use subheadings to help guide the reader through your text. Subheadings give readers the gist of the text at a glance, helping them absorb more information faster.

2. Avoiding Passive Voice in Writing

Writing in passive voice is so common that most writers don’t even realize they are using it. Unfortunately, passive voice can be detrimental to online writing, as it fails to engage the reader.

Here’s an example of a sentence in passive voice: "The freelancer was hired by us." The same sentence in active voice would be: "We hired the freelancer."

Now imagine reading both of these sentences in, let’s say, an email. Which one sounds better?

How to fix it:

I could give you the technical explanation of how the subject in the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb, but that can be confusing and difficult to remember while writing. Writing in active voice is essentially about creating a connection with your reader.

Instead of referring to yourself or your audience in the third person, write to them in the first person. Imagine yourself having a conversation with someone while writing.

3. Incorrect Sentence Length

Often, non-writers reveal themselves through their sentence length. Online, readers tend to scan. This means that if your sentences are too long to scan, your reader will stop reading and move on.

Any sentence over 25 words – which is already a very generous word count – risks losing readers’ interest. Imagine reading one sentence after another that is too long to read in a single breath. Just thinking about it is exhausting, right?

Let’s conduct a quick test. Go to any online content you’ve written and randomly check the word count of your sentences. If quite a few of those sentences are between 20-25 words, you have a problem.

How to fix it:

Fixing this issue is quite simple. All you need to do is break your text down into smaller sentences. Focus on one thought, point, or idea per sentence.

Ensure the sentence length is between 16-20 words maximum for an optimal reading experience. It will be even better if you can manage shorter sentences.

Make sure your sentence length varies. Too many short sentences can make the text feel abrupt, while too many long sentences can make it tedious to read. Mixing up the length of your sentences will create a better reading experience.

4. Lacking flow

One of the most popular pieces of writing advice (perhaps of all time) is: The purpose of your first sentence is to get the reader to read the second sentence, and so on.

While the quality of writing is crucial for achieving this, the flow and structure of the writing also matter significantly. If your writing is unstructured and presented in a haphazard manner, your reader will wonder what point you are trying to make.

How to fix it:

Organize your writing into a structured format and ensure it flows logically. Begin with an introduction, then move on to stating all your points before summarizing them in the conclusion.

Format your writing for the web. Use short paragraphs that explore only one idea, and incorporate subheadings, lists, etc., to make it easier to read.

5. Showing Respect for Your Readers

It is crucial to respect your readers when writing for an audience. Just as in face-to-face conversations, we demonstrate respect by being friendly, considerate, and avoiding condescension.

To be honest, there is a fine line between respecting your readers and insulting them. Sometimes, being overly helpful can backfire as well.

Consider online tutorials, for example. If you oversimplify them and explain every single detail, you risk undermining your readers’ skills. On the other hand, if you don’t provide enough explanation, you may alienate readers who find your tutorial insufficiently helpful.

How to fix it:

Identify your ideal reader and write for them. Expanding on the tutorial example, if your target reader is a beginner, detailed tutorials that explain every aspect might be appropriate. If your readers are more knowledgeable, simply guiding them in the right direction may suffice.

For tutorials and all other types of online writing, ensure your writing comes across as friendly and does not make your reader feel belittled.

Using "you" and "your" are effective ways to make your readers feel like you are speaking directly to them, but be careful not to sound patronizing.

6. Lack of a Call-to-Action

Effective web writing aims to persuade your reader to take action after engaging with your content. This action could be as simple as leaving a comment or as complex as gaining their trust to make a purchase. Without a call-to-action in your writing, how will your readers know what you want them to do or why you’ve created the content?

How to Fix It:

Incorporate a call-to-action at the end of your content. If you’re writing a blog post, encourage readers to share their thoughts, express their agreement or disagreement, or simply ask them to leave a comment.

Inviting readers to share your content through social media also serves as a call-to-action. If you want them to make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter, make your intentions clear by adding a "Buy Now" or "Sign Up Here" call-to-action.

7. Improving Your Reach

At its core, improving your reach is as simple as formatting your text, writing in an active voice, including a call-to-action, and above all, respecting your reader. The great thing about writing is that once you know what to watch out for, it becomes easy to improve.

Begin by practicing the aforementioned techniques in your emails. For other forms of online writing, compose as you typically would but take the time to proofread and edit with these tips in mind. After a few attempts, these mistakes will become more noticeable as you write, and before you know it, your writing will have improved!

The post 7 Ways to Keep Your Online Audience Reading appeared first on Hongkiat.

The keyword in this definition is “persuade.” While selling a business to potential customers is a form of persuasion, it is only a subset of what copywriting entails. Blogging about your opinions can also be a form of persuasion, whether it be to persuade readers to your view, increase traffic flow to your site, or motivate others. As a freelance blogger myself, I firmly believe in the ability of words to inspire and even change people’s lives.

Regardless of the purpose of your copywriting, there are certain fundamentals that we can follow to hook our readers. Here are a few of them.”

1. Making it Conversational

Copywriting differs from other forms of writing, such as news writing or novels, as it aims to establish a personal connection with the reader by adopting a conversational tone.

When writing copy for blogs, it is essential to remember that your post may be read by thousands of people, but you should write as if you are addressing a single person. This is because each reader will be reading your post alone, and you don’t want to disrupt their reading flow.

This personal connection is particularly important when trying to persuade your reader. You must communicate in their language and connect with them through personal experiences, observations, and emotions, which are unique to humans.

To maintain a conversational atmosphere, use short paragraphs and limit each one to a single idea. This technique ensures that the flow of the conversation remains uninterrupted, and your ideas are easily absorbed and understood.

2. Be Clear, Concise, and to the Point

When it comes to copywriting for blogs, online readers are different from offline readers. With a wealth of information available at their fingertips, they can easily skip from one site to another if the first one is boring. A blog becomes tedious when it offers many words but little information.

The first rule is to keep sentences and paragraphs short. This makes your ideas clearer and turns your article into neatly organized, easy-to-read chunks. Use headings and subheadings to show the organization of your writing at first glance. If readers can’t immediately identify the general structure of your article, they may try other sites that are more systematic.

Minimize the use of jargon as it hinders understanding. Remember that on the internet, nobody wants to waste time figuring out information. Everyone wants it quick and fast.

3. Customer-Focused

Although the term “customer” seems to imply that you are selling a service or a product, it can also be generalized to selling ideas, solutions, and knowledge to your customers, also known as your readers. Therefore, you need to assess who your target audience is and what their needs are. Remember that you are selling and persuading others, so what you write must emphasize how your customers can benefit from reading it.

What kind of information do your readers want to receive from your blog? Do they want tips or solutions on how to troubleshoot their computer problems? Or are they looking for something that inspires and motivates their lives?

These questions will be answered once you understand who your target audience is. From then on, you will know what topics are sought after by them, down to the details of how you should structure your articles. Your research (if any) for topics will be more effective because you will know beforehand what interests them and what does not.

4. Start with Good Headlines

What is the first thing that any reader notices in an article? The headline! To encourage the reader to continue reading, your headline must be catchy enough to motivate further reading. As with sentences, keep your headline short (preferably seven words or less) so that the reader can understand what it’s about upon first reading.

There are many ways to lure readers in. You may use a witty headline or something that piques curiosity. The most common (and perhaps even foolproof) method is to state the benefit.

After all, as per #3, anyone reading the article is wondering “what’s in it for me.” Revealing the benefit right from the start would spur anyone to read on, so long as it’s what the readers want. Such headlines are straight to the point and clear to Internet readers, who, as we all know from point #2, are “fickle-minded” individuals.

5. Proofreading

Practice makes perfect, and the same goes for proofreading. In any type of writing, it is critical for the writer to reread the entire piece and ensure that it flows smoothly. Without a cohesive flow, it is difficult for the reader to establish a connection with the writer through the words, sentences, and paragraphs. Persuasion requires the reader to relate to what the writer is saying.

Furthermore, if the spelling and grammar are correct, the reliability of the article is less likely to be questioned. This has implications for the number of readers who will return to your blog for more entries.

In addition to proofreading your work yourself, why not have someone else read your post? Sometimes, when you spend too much time working on a specific piece, your mindset and perspective become rigid. You may fail to see your own mistakes and may not be able to detect a lack of flow. Having another person read your article, who has not seen it before, can provide unbiased, objective, and constructive feedback.

The post 5 Copywriting Fundamentals for Blogs appeared first on Hongkiat.