What Makes a Good Digital Media Writer?

We received requests from our readers write a post on ‘what makes a good digital media writer’. Since had lessons for the past 15 weeks on how to be a better digital media writer, we hope that we could pass on this knowledge.

Objectives

It is important that the writer is clear with their objectives. Who is your target audience? What purpose does your blog serve? What kind of personality do you want your blog to wear? Some might wonder why is it essential for us to consider these questions. Why do we need to have a clear objective?

Here’s why clear objectives are important:

• Ensures your post is on track
• Ensures that the post has an appropriate angle to focus on
• Ensures that our post relates back to our target audience

Formatting

After coming up with the objectives, the second point to be a good digital writer is how you format your blog post. One cannot just type a whole chunk of words, one should also consider how their target audience would read their blog post.

Hence, here are some points to consider:

• Post should be 300-500 words (Keep your sentences short by using bulleted points)
• Have a constant writing styles (e.g. Standardized fonts)
• Headlines needs to precise (Less than 7 words)
• Have Subheads
  
  
  
  
• Make use of hyperlinks

Social Networks & Multimedia

With two items in place, it is now time to attract/bring your audience to your blog. The best way to do so is to use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Choose a multimedia that suits your target audience and  use it to draw their attention.

Here are some points to consider:

• Place social media badges/ widgets at the side of your blog.

• Add visuals such as pictures, videos and slideshows into your blog to make it more visually pleasing
• Make sure they (pictures, videos and etc.) are of high quality
• Have caption for your pictures
   
• Use your social media to publicise blog
• The purpose of social media is interactivity,so interact with your audience. Make use of various multimedia tools available.
   
   

Credibility

Now that you have attracted your audience to your blog, it is time to gain credibility. Credibility actually helps to establish yourself as an ‘expert’ and this would help retain the audience you attracted. Though it may take time and effort, it will build a sense of trust in your readers. Also, if you want to be a source of authority and have a position in the community, credibility is the key.

Here are some points to consider:

• Attribute sources
   

• Hyperlink to external sources

• Include a byline in posts
   

Partnership

With credibility in check and your blog is set to take of, it is time to make friends with other bloggers! How does partnership contribute to becoming a good writer you may ask.

Partnership helps to build better content. Working with them allows you to see different ways to write your post. Also, having a partnership means that you will have more platforms to attract your target audience from.

Here are some points to consider:

• How relevant is your blog to your partnering blog?
• How are you related to them?
• Consider your target audience before selecting a partner
• Is your blog compatible to the other?

Remembering these tips and suggestions helps blog post writing clearer and precise. We hope that they are useful in helping you to start out.