Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Being a writer is not as easy as it seems. For one thing, you need to please those who are willing to pay. And some clients are incredibly anal. However, you can increase your chances of making money by writing content Textbroker clients adore.
It just takes a bit of practice and learning a few tricks of the trade.
Today, I will share my eight steps to writing content for Textbroker clients which may result in future orders and more money.
If you’d rather watch the video, you can do so below.
Before we get started, I need to add a disclaimer. These are all methods that have worked best for me over the years. You may have a different experience other than my own.
Keep in mind, I cannot guarantee that you’ll succeed. No one can, really.
I can only show you what I’ve done in the past. It’s up to you to put the words together. It’ll be your overall skill that will dictate success to write online for money.
The following is meaningless if you can’t word the topic correctly for the client.
How to Write Content for Textbroker Clients Love
These steps are a culmination of my experiences since January 1, 2012. Once I perfected my skills using the methods below, I’ve yet to receive a revision request from direct order clients or teams.
Without further ado, here are the eight steps for writing content Textbroker clients love.
1. Be Mindful of Paragraph Length
Paragraph length is a huge issue among many clients. If you string too many words together in one block, it reads horribly. In fact, it can deter people from actually reading the content.
Think of using your smartphone. As more than 47% of people use phones to access the Internet, adapting text-based content is a priority.
This means content that appears as nothing more than a block of text is less than ideal. In reality, most SEO experts agree shorter paragraphs are best for website material.
Technically speaking, blocks of text don’t negatively impact SEO directly in terms of search bots. However, when people leave because they get lost in the words, it affects bounce rates and on-page time.
And these two elements do affect search result ranking. This is an aspect many Textbroker clients keep in mind when accepting your work.
Keep paragraphs between one to three sentences long. You can probably get away with four, depending on the actual length of those sentences.
Better yet, analyze how I’ve structured this very blog post.
2. Don’t Use Excessive Jargon
One of the first things I was approached for as a writer on Textbroker was my style of language. Apparently, I was quite clinical in writing. I used excessive jargon, which made the content more difficult to read by the average Internet user.
Studies show the ideal reading level in the United States is 7th grade. Which means most content should be easy to absorb. Clients, nor their customers, care if you have a built-in thesaurus within your skull.
The above study makes sense when you consider people are more likely comfortable reading two grade levels below their own ability. And as people often read at a 9th-grade level, writing for 7th grade is ideal.
To achieve a good reading level, I use tools like Yoast SEO in WordPress. This gives you a score based on the Flesch Reading Ease, a system that gauges content based on various factors.
The Flesch Reading Ease test scores for complex syllables, sentence length and other elements when it comes to text.
If you don’t have WordPress, you can use systems like Online-Utility.org to scan your content before submitting to Textbroker. This is a free system that works fairly well and may help you improve overall skills.
Another good platform is the WebFX.com checker. With this one, you can test directly from a URL or simply paste your text into the scanning system.
Regardless of what checker you use, always focus on making the content easy to read.
3. Break Up Sections with subheadings
When writing content for Textbroker clients, always make sure you break up the sections with subheadings. This is another method that makes content easier to read. That’s because most Internet users skim through an article to find specific information.
Think about it; how often do you go through a webpage looking for specifics rather than reading the entire piece?
Subheadings are used to label the content below them. Take this post, for example. As you can see, step “3” is all about breaking up sections with subheadings. This makes the particular content easier to find.
Not only that, but subheadings also help “break up” the text by helping to relax the eyes. It’s kind of like how chapters in a book work. Once a reader gets to a certain point, it’s easier to come back and continue.
It’s also helpful if you understand the hierarchy of how headers work in terms of HTML. For instance, the H2 tag supports the title of the post. H3 will then support the point of H2.
You don’t want to go hog wild with these, though.
If you need help, I suggest taking a look at W3Schools for subheaders in content. This is a free site that can help you structure posts for Textbroker clients using HTML.
However, keep in mind what the client wants. Not everyone will ask for HTML in the orders you submit. For instance, I have one client who wants subheadings in plain text rather than H2 tags.
4. Always Link to Cite Sources
Sometimes, writing content for Textbroker clients will result in linking to sources. This helps build authority for the client and demonstrates you know how to do proper research.
Anytime you’re stating a claim, make sure you can cite the source. In a world filled with “fake news,” you want to provide solid and irrefutable facts.
The bottom line is the better you make the client look, the more likely he or she will continue to send you orders.
To cite a source, take a look above. I mentioned a study to show readability, and then I linked to that actual study. And if you really want to shine, make sure you validate the information by finding several separate, high-quality sources.
It’s easy to link to a website that is just spouting numbers without evidence to support the claim. This is why I usually focus on scientific and professional sites rather than lesser-known blogs to cite statistical information.[template id=”2087″]
5. Add Personality to Content
Part of writing that clinical content I mentioned earlier was the lack of personality. In the early days, my content read more like an Ikea manual if you could feed it a Prozac.
Adding personality improves engagement with the reader. And this includes Textbroker clients and editors. The more engaged in the content these people are, the better you’ll appear as a writer.
It’s all about creating a connection with the reader. This means you need to offer text of which the reader can resonate.
Try to add a bit of flair to the content without including “filler” or “fluff” words.
Just don’t try too hard for personality as the content may appear forced. Relax, and write according to how you would speak to friends and family.
6. Don’t Add Filler to Reach Word Totals
Speaking of filler and fluff, avoid using a slew of words when writing content for Textbroker. This is when you add words that really don’t impact the topic but extend the word count just so you can reach what the Textbroker client wants.
Textbroker editors are watching for filler content, and it will affect how the article is rated. It’s not unheard of for a 4-star Textbroker author to get dropped to a three by using too much filler in orders…even if the client ranks it high.
In fact, some clients will send articles back for revisions if you try to put in too many words that don’t impact the topic.
If I feel the content is light and I haven’t reached a certain word total, I will do some research. Adding facts and supporting information is what most clients want, and it can easily help you reach a minimum word count in Textbroker.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure every sentence should have a purpose to support the topic.
Another thing you need to watch for is repeating yourself. If you reword a sentence you already wrote to make it appear different, it will make you look bad to clients as well as Textbroker editors.
Don’t repeat yourself. Each sentence needs to stand alone to strengthen the conversation.
See what I did there? I reworded the same point to make it appear different. This is an example of what I’m talking about.
7. Don’t Be Afraid of Bullet Points
Bullet points are an awesome aspect when it comes to content whether it’s for a Textbroker client or your own blog. The help draw attention to specific information and train the eyes of the average Internet user.
Instead of listing out things in a single sentence using commas, especially very long lists, use bullet points instead.
For instance, what if I was to write: I like the colors red, blue, purple, forest green and teal. A bullet list for this would look like:
I like the colors:
- red
- blue
- purple
- forest green
- teal
There’s no doubt that bullet points are eye-catching when it comes to content. It’s one of the biggest reasons why eCommerce sites use them often for various products.
Making certain elements easier on the eyes makes it far more appealing, especially for Textbroker clients.
8. Keep in Mind Client Requirements
And lastly, always keep in mind exactly what the client wants. Some will have strict guidelines you need to follow while others are more simplistic. In either case, it’s your job to make them happy with the work.
This means you’ll need to adapt quickly to various writing styles.
I’ve had plenty of days when I had to shift from a tech manual to a light-hearted blog post to creating product descriptions. Each one of these methods is a different style of writing.
Now, you can still experience success when writing content for Textbroker without bouncing around like this. However, you’ll limit how much you get paid to type words.
Not every client is going to want the same type of content. So if you want to gain more jobs, you need to adapt.
Something else you need to keep in mind is finishing the order exactly as the client wants. Even if you think the way he or she wants it done is wrong, it’s what the client is asking.
For instance, I’ve completed several orders where the keywords saturated the text beyond what is suggested by SEO experts and Google. If a client wants a keyword every other word, that’s what you create.
Besides, it’s not like your name is attached to the piece. The client claims responsibility and ownership of the article as soon as they accept. So, don’t be afraid to write something even if you think it’s asinine.
However, you still want to steer clear of clients who want “re-writes” of eBooks or other blog posts. This is an ethical grey line, and Textbroker editors will point out plagiarism practices.
Get More when Writing Textbroker Content
If you need another example of good content structure, I created a Textbroker writing sample example that may help. In any case, the above tips have helped me make thousands upon thousands of dollars on Textbroker.
As you continue to write, I’m sure you’ll come up with your own success strategy. But these steps can help lay the groundwork for building yourself up as a freelance writer.
It’s up to you to put the words together to support the topic.[template id=”2089″]
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