Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Category: Writing and Editing

  • Writing Skills that Entrepreneurs and Santa Would Crave?

    Writing Skills that Entrepreneurs and Santa Would Crave?

    Would you feel more comfortable crafting a handwritten letter or sending a quick text? Most likely you answered “text” because most of us feel a bit out of practice when it comes to writing by hand. In fact, our writing skills (by hand or keyboard) has been declining each generation! A perfect example of this is the tradition of writing letters to Santa Claus at this time of year.

    Good kids (well, all kids) are still writing their wish list to Santa at the North Pole. But over time, people haven’t been writing as well as they used to. When was the last time you picked up a pen and wrote a complete letter to someone? How confident are you in your grammar and spelling each time you compose an email for work?

    If you’re feeling a bit shaky about your writing skills, you aren’t alone. Entrepreneurs have noticed, and they’re doing something about it. Whether you need to write a letter to Santa or need some help with business writing, you can count on your own secret elf to help you out with this task. What is this secret elf… well, tech?

    I’ll answer that in a bit. First, we need to understand how we got here – why the marketplace created a need for technology to assist us with writing in the first place.

    Writing Skills and the Impact of Technology

    These days, our writing skills are at the point where we may need help to write our letters. Blame technology for the decline in our writing. (And then thank technology for saving us, ironically.) Like dinosaurs that couldn’t adapt to change, we stopped seeing the value of composition when we didn’t need to grip a pen in hand.

    Why write a note when you can send a text or voice message? Technology is so much more convenient and painless. Back when we had to write pages and pages of sentences by hand, you could get callouses on your fingers just from holding your pen for hours. And back then, you could get a high from sniffing liquid whiteout when painting over your mistakes.

    Those were the days when writing was a workout, you double checked your spelling, and you could identify verbs and nouns. Now we spend more time rapid firing messages with abbreviated words on our apps, LOL. (LOL is laugh out loud, if you still like to handwrite things.)

    A study showed just how much times have changed. The study found that these days, college students are spending more time on social media now than reading. When it comes to assignments, they are graded on the content of what they write, not their writing ability!

    In fact, a study found that “Teachers have been reporting anecdotally that even compared to five years ago, many are seeing declines in vocabulary, grammar, writing, and analysis.” Good writing skills are on their way to extinction.

    Despite this trend with writing skills, people still treasure a handwritten message. Think about your reaction to a hand scrawled message on a birthday card. Or a quickly jotted note from a loved one. There is something about handwriting that technology just can’t replace.

    The Skills Behind Writing a Handwritten Letter

    It’s been a long time since most of us have seen something as rare as a handwritten letter. A survey of Americans found that “33 percent say they haven’t gotten a handwritten note in more than a year,” and another survey said that “fifteen percent of Americans say they haven’t written a note to someone in more than five years.”

    Think of how wonderful it would be to receive a handwritten note. Years ago, people cherished handwritten letters a lot more, and it was a way to communicate messages that you could keep someplace safe and look back at them time and time again. The early letters to Santa is one example of this way to pass on advice.

    Photo credit: Jonathan Borba

    That’s right – pass on advice, not send Santa a list of toys. The tradition of writing letters to Santa has a long history that has evolved a lot over time. At first, the letters weren’t about getting toys. Over a century ago, Santa was writing letters of advice to children. He would comment on their past behaviour over the year and how they could improve for the coming year! Santa (well, the parents) would leave these letters near the fireplace.

    As it became more common to buy stamps in the 1860s, American children started to send letters to Santa at the North Pole, where they believed he lived and worked. The tradition evolved to what it is today: children who are good ask for toys that they would like to see under the tree at Christmas.

    Technology has also evolved. If you don’t know how to write a letter – or struggle with letter writing in general – you can still be a competent writer.

    Websites such as emailsanta.com make the writing process super easy for those who want to write a basic letter to Santa. You choose a stamp, go to a webpage with the skeletal structure of a letter, and fill in all the blanks. And just like that, presto, your letter to Santa is complete! You will also instantly get an answer back.

    You could say that letter writing programs such as this one is contributing to the decline in writing skills because the process has become so automated. But you could also say that technology can help with teaching writing skills.

    At the marthastewart.com site, they teach you how to write a letter to Santa Claus. It even has instructions on how to get the letter sent back to the child’s home. When the child reads the letter, they will find a personalized answer from Santa himself. The secret of course, is the additional instructions to the parent on how they can write the reply as Santa before the letter is returned.

    I don’t remember writing to Santa as a child, but I’m sure back then I would have been impressed that he took the time to write to me, one kid out of millions. I was already content that he could spare a few seconds on Christmas Eve to drop into my home and fill my stockings with gifts.

    With all this technology, what will happen to letter writing in the future? Will children be sending voice messages or video messages to Santa in a couple centuries?

    Photo credit: Valentin Petkov

    Are Shortcuts to Writing the Solution to Writing Skills?

    Chances are written messages will still be around for a while. Entrepreneurs are constantly devising new ways to answer our desires for personalized content and bridge the writing skills gap.

    If your handwriting looks like a chicken scratched some random ink on the page, digital handwriting services are here to rescue you. Marketing research has found that customers are more likely to read a handwritten message. Just think of the last time you held a pile of mail in your hand and you saw handwritten words on an envelope. Weren’t you assuming a friend or family member had written to you?

    I was surprised when one such envelope with handwriting on it turned out to be a marketing campaign from some company I hadn’t even heard of. However, I’ll give them credit for piquing my interest for a good minute while I opened the envelope to see what was inside.

    Thanks to technology, we don’t need to hire a human to handwrite each letter or note to a potential customer. We’ve got automated bulk mail machines to send the same letter to hundreds of people at the same time. The handwritten text just adds that extra personal touch.

    With these services, it is even possible to get these digital handwriting services to “handwrite” your annual Christmas letter to your family.

    Entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to solve problems. Writing skills may be on the decline generation after generation, but AI (artificial intelligence) could save you.

    A site such as copy.ai is geared toward brainstorming the copy for digital agencies, copywriters, and ecommerce brands. There’s no excuse for writer’s block anymore. Not when a website can help you with copy creation for Facebook, your blog, Instagram, and more. There’s a fee for the service, of course, but maybe now you won’t need to pay for writing courses to improve your skills.

    I wonder what people from two centuries ago would say about our writing skills today. Would parents have preferred to use technology to handwrite their Santa letters to their children?

    Summary

    Handwritten letters seem to be a lost art. Nowadays, people’s writing skills aren’t as good as they used to be.

    However, entrepreneurs and businesses have found a way to solve the writing skills gap. A letter to Santa could be composed using technology you find online. At the office, you can employ the services of a website to write your copy for you. Despite these changes, one thing remains the same.

    People still value receiving a handwritten note. Perhaps you could handwrite a short letter to a loved one this Christmas and see what happens.

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  • Skills Insight of the Day #1 – Writing

    Skills Insight of the Day #1 – Writing

    “…the Snapchat generation may produce more writing than any group of teenagers before it, writing copious text messages and social media posts, but when it comes to the formal writing expected at school and work, they struggle with the mechanics of simple sentences.” – Dana Goldstein, The New York Times

    For more on writing and technology, check out this post on writing skills.

  • Storytelling at Work: Giving the Presentation They’ll Always Remember

    Storytelling at Work: Giving the Presentation They’ll Always Remember

    Stories are a powerful motivator, wouldn’t you agree? You see the world through the storyteller’s eyes, feel what they feel, and rise when they rise to success. It’s emotional storytelling and compelling presentations like these that you always remember. But what’s the secret ingredient to keeping you engaged from start to finish?

    The audience’s level of engagement has everything to do with how well you relate to them and how you make them feel with your story. A recent experience of mine is a perfect example of this need for shared enthusiasm.

    Making Your Story About Them, Not You

    A not-for-profit startup company was born during the pandemic and it had a noble cause. It wanted to save lives with vital health education that it had developed. During its first few months, however, it didn’t realize one critical and important problem.

    Its mission was about itself, and not about its clients.

    To catch a bigger audience, and to win others to your cause, you need to make your story about them, and not about you.

    Creating a healthier world by providing clients with an educational course at a price wasn’t actually about helping others. During the pandemic, businesses were too concerned about their finances and their own survival to spend any money on professional development.

    So how did the startup pivot to focus more on potential clients?

    The company founder decided to tell the story about why he established the company. He noticed that business owners were uncertain or confused about what safety protocols to follow. Staff were afraid for their health and safety during the pandemic and were reluctant to work. Customers who were fearful for their health stayed home.

    The startup founder decided the company had an important role. It had a humanitarian cause to help these businesses stay in business. What it did was offer free education about how to keep employees and customers safe during the pandemic. The startup existed to help others first.

    Later, when it established a relationship with the client, the startup had products and services for a fee to continue to help the client through its challenges during an unprecedented, difficult time. The humanitarian role came first.

    Confidence and Delivery Over Perfection

    Through trial and error, we learn what does and doesn’t work. One of the greatest examples of powerful storytelling that I’ve ever seen was a speech given by a woman who spoke English as a second language. Although she had practiced many times, the speech was far from perfect. But when she delivered that speech, her audience was riveted to her every word.

    The speech was the story of her immigration to Canada and the struggles she faced. She had to learn a new way of life and cope with an entirely new language so she could find work here.

    The speech was her assignment at a Toastmasters club meeting. When it was her turn to speak, she walked over to the center of the stage, faced the audience, and locked eyes with people in the room.

    She admitted her English wasn’t perfect. Her accent made the sentences choppy and her verb tenses were often incorrect. But the strength in her voice cancelled the imperfections in her speech. The tone of her voice conveyed her feelings.

    The audience could feel the moments when she had cried when she had felt overwhelmed. We could feel her triumph when she paused to emphasize great moments. Her confidence and her delivery were far more important than achieving perfection in her speech.

    It’s been a few years, and I still remember how confidently she walked to the podium and began to speak. Although she had fears about speaking in a second language, that didn’t affect our impression of her. What people recalled was the strength in her storytelling.

    Delivering Your Story in Easily Digestible Bites

    Technology has taken storytelling to a global level. Influencers and brands are using platforms such as Tik Tok to tell their story in short, easily digestible bites. These video clips can be intriguing, and with the right music, catchy.

    For some Tik Tok accounts, I’ve invested time watching all their video snippets, slowly piecing together an overarching story from all the vignettes. Each video can be humorous and reveal a short anecdote about a moment in the person’s life.

    Two of the Instagram accounts are influencers who have grown up in two different cultures. In one instance, it’s an Asian American woman who tells people she’s American but people treat her as Asian. For another account, the influencer is half Asian, half Black, but people have difficulty accepting his duo culture.

    These videos are an effective way to market their talents. They also tell a story about their identity. I can relate to their duo culture.

    They’ve attended language classes to learn the language of their parents. But despite this effort, people question the authenticity of their accent and if they can really speak the language.

    Each video is just one experience from a lifetime of experiences as the influencers share what it’s like to grow up in two cultures.

    I can relate to their experiences and I’m always eager to see their next video. From comments, I can see some fans relate to growing up in two cultures while others are entertained by the humour in each mini story.

    Commanding the Attention of the Room

    The most powerful form of storytelling is also the most dramatic. Imagine yourself in an indoor theatre with hundreds of people seated in front, next to, and behind you. The lights dim and you see a woman walk across a stage large enough to fit an entire penthouse condo in it.

    When she begins to talk, a PowerPoint slide is projected on the gigantic screen behind her. She introduces herself as Kindra Hall and her brand is storytelling.

    In her presentation, she tells us how storytelling is one of the underrated skills in business. It’s the secret weapon of entrepreneurs for building an empire.

    Her tips on storytelling make sense and are easily applicable. You’re jotting notes, making sure you remember all these valuable bits of information.

    Her delivery is professional and powerful. You can tell she’s rehearsed her presentation many times, making her an enthralling presenter. But she’s also got something in her arsenal that the Toastmasters presenter and the Tik Tok influencers don’t.

    It’s the physicality of her presence: the large screens, the projection of her talking points, the lighting, and the audience of hundreds. Both her presentation and the venue grab your attention. She commands the room with her storytelling. This to me is storytelling at its best.

    The final proof of the impact of her presentation is how she was able to sell without selling. When I heard about her book, I went to buy it.

    Summary

    Storytelling can be powerful and compelling. A story can motivate people to join your cause, buy into your company, or follow your brand. Just as important as the words in the presentation is the delivery. The confidence you project and the way you deliver your story is what will make it stand out in the listener’s mind.

  • 6 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills Fast

    6 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills Fast

    What if all your communication was through written messages? How efficiently and clearly would you be able to communicate your thoughts? For those of us with poor or average writing skills, workplace writing tasks can be challenging and intimidating. But you can improve your writing skills by following these habits. Here are six ways to improve your writing skills fast.

    1. Start a collection of professional writing samples

    Like a squirrel preparing for winter, start collecting examples of great writing. Start with a Google search of email or business writing samples or templates. Bookmark those websites or begin saving your own files.

    Refer to these templates of great writing when you work on your next writing task. You may even want to paste the template into your document or your email and replace the concepts with your own words as you write.

    Another tip is to save emails that you receive if you admire the writing for its structure, vocabulary, or style. When you have a chance, as a practice exercise, copy the words from the email until you become familiar with how it is written.

    2. Keep a List of Common Grammar Mistakes 

    Grammar is a tough subject. It’s also considered a dry and boring subject for most people. However, like the vitamins you should eat, it’s necessary to know your grammar. So how can you improve this writing skill without torturing yourself with lengthy grammar lessons?

    Take a look at this list of common grammar mistakes that many people make. Do you know the difference between their, there, and they’re? Do you know when to use “then” and when to use “than”? If the answer is no to any of these examples, then start a list of grammar mistakes for yourself to review.

    If words seem like a dull endeavor, there are many online quizzes you can take to test your grammar skills, such as this one which tests pairs such as “it’s” and “its.” You’ll get feedback fast, like having a study partner.

    Also, turn on the grammar check function on your email and documents. Doing this will help to reduce grammar errors such as “He could of won the game” versus “He could have won the game.”

    3. Make a List of Frequent Spelling Errors

    Bad spelling doesn’t necessarily indicate low intelligence or poor writing skills. Accomplished writers Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald were bad at spelling. However, even if writing isn’t one of your favourite activities, taking the extra time to check your spelling can make you look smarter. You will definitely look more professional.

    To improve this writing skill fast, turn on spell check functions in your email and documents. This will help to reduce silly typos such as “tommorrow” instead of “tomorrow.”

    Look for lists of commonly misspelled words such as this list. Take a few minutes each day to quiz yourself on your ability to spell these words. Or keep your own list of words that you often catch yourself asking, “How do you spell that again?”

    If you like immediate feedback, try out online quizzes such as this one which tests your ability to spell frequently misspelled words in the business niche. Add the words you spelled incorrectly to your list of words to watch for when you are writing.

    4. Double Check Your Facts

    Those who have an unusual name can relate to this: your name frequently gets misspelled. It happens often enough that you accept it as a common occurrence. But let’s not be the next person to misspell someone’s name. It’s a bad start for your email or letter.

    To look as professional and polished as possible, don’t be that person who misspells the names of people, companies, or common cities. Take the extra second to ensure you’ve got the details correct.

    Take an extra second to check your calendar to make sure that Monday really is the 12th and not the 13th. Don’t be that person who confuses the other party by saying you’ll meet them on Monday the 12th when Monday falls on the 13th of the month.

    One little trick is to have a routine for your emails. When you type someone’s name, check what you typed against the original email. When you refer to companies, dates, and file names, double check you’ve spelled them correctly. You’d be surprised how often you think a word or name is what you think it is… but turns out it’s a slight variation.

    Most importantly, make sure you follow up on what you say you’re going to do. Attach the file that you referred to. Follow up and do the research that you promised you would. These tiny details improve your workplace writing skills and make you look more polished.

    5. Use Simple Vocabulary and Write Shorter Sentences

    You might be wondering if writing longer sentences and using bigger words will make you appear smarter. It’s true. In the academic world, it’s common to write in longer sentences with more complex vocabulary. But at the workplace, plain language is just as effective at getting the point across.

    To improve your writing skills, use plain language. Start with choosing the simpler word when you have two words with similar meanings. For example, say “use” instead of “utilize.” A list of simpler words and phrases is found here.

    State your main point before going into details. Your thoughts should be clear and easy for the reader to follow. One way to do that is to use the active voice. Stick to one topic (or idea) per paragraph.

    Your sentences should be only between 15 to 20 words in length. If your sentence is longer than that, consider splitting the sentence into two.

    Plain language, or clear language, is ideal for the workplace because the writer states the point clearly and directly.  

    6. Establish a Writing and Editing Process

    Lastly, have a routine for your workplace writing tasks. Some recommend starting your day with the most difficult tasks to make sure they get done. If you dislike writing, procrastination could make a writing task even more discouraging.

    In this case, work on these tasks first and reward yourself with doing tasks you enjoy (or just the easy tasks) after.

    For each task, establish a routine. Start by checking what needs to be covered in the task. For example, do you need to answer specific questions in an email? Attach a file? Do some research and present the data in a table?

    After you finish the writing task, check grammar and spelling, and double check your facts. Then set the task aside. If you’re working on a critical document, leave it until the next day to check it over.

    When you return to the writing task, read it aloud. Hearing your own words helps you to catch awkwardly-written sentences or repeated words. For example, you might notice you keep using the same word over and over so you can substitute it with a synonym for some variety.

    Having a routine ensures you won’t miss important steps, such as a final edit of what you’ve written.

    Summary

    If writing is not your favourite subject, don’t worry. You can improve your workplace writing skills fast by following some quick tips and creating some solid writing habits.

    Keeping a list of spelling and grammar mistakes you often make, for example, will help you to minimize small but careless errors. Start collecting examples of writing that you can copy or inspire you with your writing tasks. Check the accuracy of your details, and most importantly, have a writing routine that includes editing.

    If you follow these tips, you’ll look far more professional and competent.

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  • 5 Best Websites for Learning How to Blog

    5 Best Websites for Learning How to Blog

    Blogging has become a powerful way to promote your business, attract an audience, and express your ideas to billions of people. Blogs cover a wide range of topics and niches, including learning how to blog as a hobby or as a source of income.

    According to OptinMonster.com, there are more than 500 million blogs in 2019, 60 million blogs on WordPress, and an expectation that the number of bloggers in the USA will reach 31.7 million in 2020. If you want to start making a name for yourself as a writer, or if you’re looking for a way to find leads for your business, blogging is clearly one option to explore.

    To help you begin your blogging journey, I’ve chosen five of the best websites for learning how to blog.

    1 HubSpot

    Top spot in this list of best sites goes to HubSpot for two reasons. First, HubSpot’s training on many topics is widely recognized. Second, after visiting multiple websites about the same topic, I found visual appeal is what differentiated one resource from another.

    The article “How to Start a Successful Blog” addresses many of the topics that a newbie blogger would be curious to learn.

    Pros

    As I had mentioned earlier, HubSpot Academy training is widely recognized. You can take a course on business blogging and using WordPress. As part of your marketing education, you can take certificate courses on marketing.

    The introductory article “How to Start a Successful Blog” includes a PDF download with many topics. A table of contents shows you at-a-glance what you will learn, including determining your blog’s purpose and goals, setting up your first post, deciding on content, and monetizing your blog. It covers all the basic topics that a beginner will want to know.

    The PDF is free and you can refer to it even when you are offline. It is visually appealing, with graphics, well organized text, and links to other sources. When you are finished the PDF, you’ll find other articles on the website to build on your skills, such as “How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide [+ Free Blog Post Templates].”

    Cons

    To obtain the PDF, you’ll need to provide some basic information about yourself, which could put you on their email list. The PDF is free, but those who are wary of downloading files may wish to look for other resources on how to blog.

    Verdict

    HubSpot offers a visually appealing resource from a company that’s recognized for its marketing training. It covers basic topics on learning how to blog and offers additional resources on blogging and marketing.

    2 Neil Patel

    Neil Patel’s site has a comprehensive library of resources on digital marketing. Blogs and videos show his expertise on content marketing and SEO. He introduces blogging as something to appeal to a wide range of people, from the average person, to someone looking to make an income, to businesses. Of his many articles on blogging, the post that seemed most relevant to beginners is “How to Start a Blog That Generates $3817 a Month in 2020.”

    Pros

    The article covers all the topics you need to know about learning how to blog. Like most other articles on this list, it covers webhosting and how to set up your blog. It focuses on the WordPress platform and how to work with the theme and dashboard and optimizing for SEO.

    Deciding on topics for your blog can be a challenge, so you can brainstorm topics and ask yourself questions such as, “What do readers love or hate about your niche?” In addition to useful activities like these, the article covers how to set up an editorial calendar and how to monetize your site.

    Once you’ve completed this article, you can follow up with other articles such as “Neil Patel’s Guide to Blogging Consistently” and “The Ultimate Guide to Writing Blog Posts That Rank in Google’s Top 10.” As a break from all the reading, check out his educational videos on content marketing and blogging.

    Cons

    The article is lengthy, with plenty of information about blogging, but it lacks an overview on what topics you will cover. To get the gist of what the article will cover, you would need to quickly scroll down the entire page.

    Verdict

    Those who have trusted Neil Patel as a source of information for SEO and digital marketing will find the resources on learning how to blog both informative and familiar. This article follows a similar format as Patel’s other informative articles. The steps for learning how to blog are easy to follow, and there are plenty of text and video resources on the website to expand on your knowledge of blogging.

    3 ProBlogger 

    Problogger is the first website I discovered when I wanted to learn about blogging years ago. The site has plenty of resources on blogging, including an article titled, “How to Start a Blog” for a basic introduction on the subject. It also has a free course called, “Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog.”

    Pros

    As you read through the article, you work your way through a series of five steps to set up your first blog, beginning with choosing your hosting platform, and an explanation of the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

    The article alternates between clear, easy-to-read font and videos on each of the five steps. The text includes links to explanations of common terms related to blogging. At the end of the article, you’ll find links to additional resources, such as blog posts and a book on your first week of blogging.

    What makes this site different than the others, however, is the job board for those who are looking for blogging gigs. This resource is great for those who want to blog but not take on blogging on their own website.

    Cons

    The information offered in this article isn’t that much different from the other articles I’ve read about learning how to blog. If you’re a visual learner, you’ll find the article is text heavy, broken up with video and links with no graphics. However, the article is a solid introduction to blogging, without diving into too much detail for a beginner.

    Verdict

    The article is a useful introduction to blogging, and perfect for those who like to learn a new skill through a combination of text and video. To learn more about blogging, you have access to blog articles, a book and courses. If you’re looking for a gig or job to practice your newfound blogging skills, there is a job section to explore.

    4 Quick Sprout

    The next best site on this list for learning how to blog is from Quick Sprout, which teaches you the skill in 11 easy steps. What separates this article on blogging from the others on this list is the title. “How to Start a Blog That Makes Money (Lessons Learned)” takes the approach that this guide is here to protect you from making the same mistakes the author made. You can skip the brief intro and go straight to “How to Start a Blog in 11 Steps” if you’re not interested in the preamble about why blogging could be a profitable income choice for you.

    Pros

    The article begins with a table of contents that lists all the topics that will be covered. You can jump straight to the topic that interests you or go through each section in order. It assumes that you will be blogging on WordPress and teaches you about the technical aspects of choosing a domain and theme for this platform.

    It also covers useful topics such as narrowing down your niche, building an email list and an audience, and several options for monetizing your blog. If you need some motivation to get you going on your projects, there are “action steps” at the end of each section that describe activities you can complete to master each topic in the eleven-step list.

    Each section is clearly laid out with examples and recommendations from the author. The section on analytics is well explained.

    Cons

    This article, although very educational, is text heavy, with a few screenshot-type images. These images explain points from the text and simplify learning to blog in clear steps. When you are finished this article, there are many others you can read to learn more about blogging.  

    Verdict

    This site is a solid source of information about blogging. It’s perfect for those who like to read and follow directions step-by-step using text and images. As you increase your expertise, you’ll find plenty of blog posts to educate you on your blogging skills, how to monetize blogging, and examples of successful blogging sites you can learn from.

    5 Blogging Guide

    This website ranks fifth in this list because your opinion on this site will depend on whether you like general or detailed overviews to topics. If you like detailed information when you’re just beginning your learning journey, you will rank this site high.

    The site is a series of guides that teach you various blogging related skills, starting with “Blogging for Beginners.” The resource is quite technical and addresses blogging for other platforms in addition to WordPress.

    Pros

    The guide is quite extensive in its coverage of topics. After you choose your platform, you find an outline of steps for creating a blog on the platform of your choice. The first is steps for WordPress followed by the same steps with Medium. The outline is a great overview of what you’ll learn. The estimated time for completing each section is also shown. To expand on each subtopic, you click on the +.

    Each section provides clear, step-by-step direction on how to develop your blogging skills. Other topics covered in this introduction are newsletter writing, webhosting, and domain registration. When you are finished with the overview, you can explore the other guides on relevant topics like content marketing and blogging platforms.

    Cons

    If you like things to be straightforward and simple when you are first learning about a subject, you may find this resource overwhelming because you have many decisions to make. For example, the first step to blogging is choosing your platform. If you have a platform preference, you can read about that one first. Or, if you are undecided, you can read about all three types and the one you prefer.

    Verdict

    This website has many useful guides on blogging and content marketing. I liked how the information was organized, but I also know what I’m looking for. If you are a true beginner to blogging, then searching by topic (such as WordPress or Medium?) can be daunting and you can become overwhelmed by the choices.

    Conclusion

    Blogging continues to increase in popularity over time, for businesses and hobby bloggers alike. If you’re just getting started on learning how to blog, there is no shortage of websites and blogs to teach you about this topic. I have found five sites that provide clear guidance on how to start your own blog. Is there a website you would like to add to the list? Comment below!