Content writing in a word

Are you shamelessly obsessed with reading other writers’ internet content?

I know I am. I’m one of those obsessive-compulsive folks who will read anything.

And keep reading … to a point.

“Content is king”.

I’ll bet you a million, correction, 50 cents because most writers aren’t Spielberg, that you’ve heard that cliché. The content developer’s mantra, repeated like “om”. Our heads touched to the floor in reverence.

All hail the peacock king.

You’re now wondering wonder why any professional content writer would use such an old-fashioned word. Isn’t content today fresh, new, edgy?

Content writing should be innovative, but much of what we currently read is far from unique. Clients expect memorable words. Instead, many of us rehash of the same old, same old with different words in greater numbers.

Peacock. Over embellished. Why is that?

As content writers, we trade our skill with the written word for money. So much depends on how many words we write. A specified number of words for a prescribed number of dollars so we can pay the bills.

Then there’re keywords, internal and external links — “d” and “e” per “f” words. Search engine optimization.

And deadlines.

So we put in extra useless words, piling bling on bling. Not really saying anything extraordinary or adding of value for the audience. They’ve been there before, and will be gone quicker than a jack rabbit.

We don’t have time to contemplate a different angle for our content. If we do, to use the words of Samuel Delany, “sometimes you want to say things, and you’re missing an idea to make them with, and missing a word to make the idea with.”

A single word can replace 10.

We miss the mark.

It’s imperative to keep focus, twisting an old topic differently, making every word matter. So what if you don’t make the word count? Simplicity is what’s important to getting a crystal-clear message across.

Stop writing when you’ve made the point.

Content development should be about both long and short, but sometimes less is actually more. Some of the best writers are geniuses at brevity. And we hang on every word.

If we can master that feat, we too could be in high demand, never without work.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best

“Why need I volumes, if one word suffice?”

Your audience will love you (and your content) for it.