ProBlogger: Stand out from the Crowd: Simplicity Tips from Amy Lynn Andrews

Stand out from the Crowd: Simplicity Tips from Amy Lynn Andrews

Posted: 09 Dec 2014 06:58 AM PST

If you’ve been blogging for long, you’ve no doubt heard of Amy Lynn Andrews.

Plain-language blogging tips, tricks, and tutorials are Amy’s game. And while everyone gets louder and brighter on the internet in order to catch your attention, Amy is whispering. And it works.

Amy covers everything from How to Start a Blog to How to Make Money Blogging, and sends out arguably the most useful newsletter on the planet every Sunday morning.

I wanted to know how the simple life made a difference to her blogging experience – if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with all we’re supposed to do and use and read and be as bloggers, I hope this is useful to you. Slim down, pare back, focus on your priorities. Amy would want you to!

The Useletter

I asked Amy how she settled on her very different style of newsletter (and was reminded again how important an email list is):

“I wanted to reduce my dependence on other sources of blog traffic, like search, social media and referrals. I also liked the idea of permission-based marketing which gives me the power to go to my readers instead of waiting for them to come to me. In a nutshell, an email list was a more controllable digital asset for me,” she says.

“Once I decided to go in this direction, I knew I needed to stand out. Everyone is building a list these days; my emails had to be super valuable. I chose to leverage the reputation I had already built on my blog, which is the provider of helpful tutorials and in-plain-English content. I decided to focus on quick, bite-sized tips in my emails. I called it The Useletter because they are tips you can use.”

So did this simple template evolve over time, or was it planned from the outset?

“The basic, (mostly) text-only format has always been the same and it suits me well for 3 reasons: I like quick tips, I struggle to write blog posts and I’m lazy when it comes to including images. :)

“It was also somewhat inspired by NextDraft, the wildly popular daily news roundup written by Dave Pell.”

So what gets a coveted spot in The Useletter? How does Amy decide what’s most important?

“I love to learn and my favorite online pastime is hunting for useful information. The internet is full of impressive people who share amazing tips and tricks. Whenever I come across something that makes me think, “Hey, that’s a great idea!” or “Oh, that’s handy!” I file it away to be included in The Useletter.

“I follow dozens of blogs and newsletters. I read ebooks, magazines, books and anything else I can download or put on my Kindle. I’m a huge fan of podcasts. Videos and webinars are often great sources of information too. Basically, anytime someone is talking about blogging or online business, I take note!

“Most of my reading material is funneled through Feedly where I categorize it according to my main topics. If it makes the cut as I scan through, it gets saved in Evernote, my holding tank for The Useletter tips. (Here’s how I use my editorial calendar.)”

Simplicity Gets Results

“I think the simplicity works because it’s a little unexpected for an email. I’ve tried to format it in a way that people can quickly glean what they want. And I do my best to include a variety of actionable tips that doesn’t require reading a whole blog post to get the main nugget.”

It’s not only The Useletter that is frill-free: Amy’s website has been streamlined to make the most important things the focus and set aside all else. How has that worked for her?

“I’m still experimenting with it, but yes, it did [improve The Useletter signup rates]. However, I’ve debated about switching it back, simply because I frustrate myself when I go to my site to lookup a post and I have to click through the home page first.”

So simplicity is a theme for her. But why?

“I appreciate simplicity in my own life. The more I’m online, the more complicated it feels. There’s just too much – too many graphics, too many apps, too many choices, too many ads, too many social media options. There’s too much vying for our attention. Simplicity makes life breathable.” [Tweet that!]

Simple Advice for Bloggers

Observe, listen and respond – to the people, not the gurus. Over the last few years, one of the clear messages I’ve heard from internet users is they’re suffering from information overload. They can’t keep up. And yet, bloggers and online business owners continue to churn out content at an astounding rate (I’m guilty too!). There’s nothing magical about simplicity, it’s just that simplicity is an antidote to a common pain point.

In Mailouts

Practice the art of empathy. Put yourself in your readers’ shoes. What would they appreciate? How can you help them? When it comes to online communication, email is intimate. Treat your subscribers with respect and they’ll stick with you for the long haul. Do your subscribers really want your email? Would you?” [Tweet that too!]

Simple Advice for Email Signup Rates

You can’t create sign ups, but you can create enticing content. Let the usefulness of your emails speak for themselves and others will eventually start promoting for you. Of course you can make your sign up form clear and conspicuous or offer a great lead magnet (i.e. freebie), but in my experience, word of mouth is a whole lot more effective.

After that, make your subscribers hesitant to unsubscribe, lest they miss out on what you’re going to send next!”

Wise words! I know I’ve been yearning for more simplicity in my blogging – I want to get to the heart of sharing something without sacrificing too much time and energy to do so. How about you? Feeling the pull to do more, be more? I’d love to chat in the comments!

Stacey is the Managing Editor of ProBlogger.net: a writer, blogger, and full-time word nerd balancing it all with being a stay-at-home mum. She writes about all this and more (so much more!) at Veggie Mama. Chat with her on Twitter @veggie_mama (cat pictures welcome).

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Stand out from the Crowd: Simplicity Tips from Amy Lynn Andrews

6 Easy Writing Hacks to Seduce Readers and Boost Traffic - DailyBlogTips

6 Easy Writing Hacks to Seduce Readers and Boost Traffic

Posted: 08 Dec 2014 08:10 PM PST

Let's face it.

Creating killer content is hard. Very hard.

Dig facts out of your brain. Find unique ways to present information. Create posts every week.

Despite punishing your brain to give birth to valuable content, crickets are still chirping in your comments section, traffic is stagnant and your social media feeds are dry.

The problem isn’t your content, but the way it is written.

When it comes to your writing… people aren’t reading for fun, they aren’t reading to kill time, and they aren’t reading because they care about you.

They're reading your content in search of a solution to a burning problem.

Think of your content as a dose of medicine, and your writing as a spoon to deliver medicine to the reader to fix his problem.

Your reader wants the solution as effortlessly as possible.

He doesn’t want to sludge through your writing, force his brain to find the solution, pick it up and put it in his mouth.

This means if your content isn’t written in a way that smoothly seduces your reader into wanting to read on…

All the countless hours you’ve spent burning the midnight oil to produce killer content will go to waste because no one will stay to read it.

So here are 6 easy writing hacks that'll get you cranking out content that hooks in readers like a freshly landed rainbow trout and keeps them glued to your writing, consequently boosting engagement and rocketing traffic.

1. Cut out Bloaters and Fancy Babble

Which of these paragraphs is easier to read?

"Want to improve your copywriting skills? No problem. I can help. You'll be a razor sharp wordsmith able to cut through any reader's resistance while they absorb every single word you write."

Compare it to this.

"Are you searching to dramatically improve your copywriting skills? I'll assist you in your search to increase your copywriting chops. You'll possess a very unique skill set which will probably allow you to overcome almost any objections from your readers, and keep them fanatical about your product."

Choice is obvious right?

The first paragraph knocks the second one out the park.

But why?

The second message is obese with filler words and uselessly fancy vocabulary that bloats the message and its delivery.

Making your readers brain feel like it's painfully fighting through quicksand to get the solution, instead of having it effortlessly delivered to his open mouth.

To immediately make your posts more reader friendly, cut out fluff words that don’t add any real value. Words like very, really, almost, probably etc.

And don’t say:

Converse when you can say talk

Difficult when you can say hard

Utilize when you can say use

Remember, no one cares about tongue twisters you’ve learnt from dictionary diving.

They care about what your words will do for them.

2. Shorten paragraphs and sentences

Let's imagine you’re feeding a child.

You're doing the whole airplane in the mouth thing.

It's going well.

Rice pudding hasn’t erupted over your new shirt yet, and there isn’t a slippery mess on the floor…

Eager to get back to work, you decide to speed things up and feed him bigger helpings, but your idea backfires.

He spews out the last mouthful and stops eating.

The same thing happens with your readers and your writing.

Long sentences and paragraphs with multiple points bombard your reader's brain, forcing it to process more. This makes it harder for your reader to swallow your points, which causes his interest to dwindle.

Shorter sentences and paragraphs on the other hand, transform your writing into a fast paced, smooth, entertaining read. Making your reader feel like he's gliding down your post instead of being forced to digest heavy blocks of information.

To maximize the effectiveness of your paragraphs and sentences, express no more than one main point per paragraph, and one point per sentence.

Use your next sentence to say the next point.

3. Front load sentences

Front loading means to start your sentences and paragraphs with the "meat" of your point first and keep your writing active.

It helps create powerful writing that locks readers in.

Before:

The ball was pounced on by the kitten, who was chased by the dog.

The bat was swung into the tree by John

The nail was hit by the hammer into the wood

After:

The kitten pounced on the ball while the dog chased it.

John swung the bat into the tree.

The hammer hit the nail into the wood.

Before frontloading, the sentences are passive and the main point is pushed further down.

This dilutes the power of the sentences, is harder to grasp and forces the reader's brain to work more.

After frontloading however, the sentences feel better don’t they?

This is because the meat of the sentence comes first, which means the reader does less work to get closer to answering his burning problem.

As a writer, you want your reader to do the least amount of work possible. He should feel as if his brain is magically absorbing information.

Frontloading will help you do just that.

4. Replace Cliches with Killer Analogies

Cliches are bland overused phrases and words that have struck your reader's ears so often, that they are numbed to them.

As well as drawing out yawns from your readers, they stomp out any hint of your personality and voice in your writing. You'll think up tons of them during your first draft, which is fine, as long as you prevent them from weaseling their way into your final submissions.

One sure fire way to kill cliches is to replace the critters with analogies.

You know how they say a picture can speak a thousand words?

Well, analogies can do the same…

Analogies are a comparison of two different things to highlight a point of similarity.

They allow you to capture and condense ideas, and then show them in a way that triggers a vivid understanding. This magnetizes your writing, keeps readers wrapped up in your posts and lets your personality seep through.

Before:

"We were sitting ducks out there on the field."

After:

"It was like target practice, with big red bull’s eyes tattooed on our backs"

Before:

"As writers we must come out of our comfort zones to become better"

After:

"Just as caterpillar breaks out of its cocoon, transforming into a butterfly. We must break out of our comfort zones to transform our writing."

Analogies grab attention, paint pictures and deliver messages of generic cliched statements with more depth and power whilst keeping your posts fresh.

5. Let Your Readers Eyes Breath

Ever wondered why popular blogs like Copyblogger and Zen Habits have simple designs with tons of white space?

According to research cited from www.humanfactors.com, white space can increase comprehension by almost 20%.

The use of white space around the text and around the website makes the page simple, clear and digestible. It feels refreshing and easy to read.

The viewer's eyes are also subtly drawn to the headlines and boxes on the side without causing any visual strain.

The lack of white space and consistency creates a visually noisy page that stresses your brain and there's too much information competing for your attention.

It feels loud, cramped and "pushy".

The opposite of the smooth seductive environment you want to create.

To let your reader's eyes breath, inject a healthy dose of white space in your posts by using a simple design with low visual activity and aim 2-3 sentence paragraphs (4 being the maximum) to get more space around your text.

Throwing in the occasional one sentence paragraph won't hurt either.

6. Hijack Space in Your Readers Brain

An excellent way to keep your reader hooked is to hijack his brain.

You do this by taking the following senses:

Touch
Taste
Sight
Smell
Sound

Then using them to turn fuzzy, unclear thoughts, into loud and colorful sensory experiences that invade his brain.

Here's what I mean…

Before:

"Our writing course will teach you how to make your writing extremely powerful. We cover you everything you need to know to keep people engaged and excited about your posts."

After:

"Our writing course will have you firing words that burst out your screen and hit your readers in the jaw with a hard fist, keeping them straight-jacketed to your posts up until the very last word."

Both options sell the same thing.

But the second option uses the senses to create bright images that barge into your reader’s brain snatching up space and attention and keeping him riveted to your posts.

There you are, you're now armed with 7 hacks to create hard hitting posts that pack a knockout punch.

Do you have a favorite writer? Or a piece of writing you love to read over again? Since I'm a complete addict to powerful writing, I'd love for you to tell me about it in the comments below!

Hassan is a freelance blogger and copywriter who helps online businesses use content to grow. If you need help with your blog posts or copy shoot him an email at f-bombmarketing.com.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

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