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Learning new skills and expanding your knowledge doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are loads of free resources on the Web that can help you find instructional videos, tutorials, and classes to learn a wide variety of skills from fixing basic car problems to speaking another language. With 22 sites to choose from, you’re bound to find something here that will help you learn just about anything you could want.

1. Quora

Have you ever wanted to ask someone famous a question, but you suffer from never having the chance? Thanks to Quora, you can read the opinions and answers of fascinating (and varied) questions from the leading experts in pretty much everything. You can answer questions too and get feedback from numerous others who share your love for a given topic.

2. Khan Academy

Have you ever wanted to pick up a subject you’re not well-versed in, but you didn’t have the money to invest in a college course? Khan Academy aims to provide education at the collegiate level for anyone who wants it. They provide resources for learning pretty much every subject out there, including math, science, history and more. As you learn, the platform will even assess your progress and help you gauge what you’ve learned.

3. Nerd Fitness

When we think of exercising and gym techniques, we typically think of bodybuilders and jocks from high school. Nerd Fitness aims to provide resources for getting in shape from a nerd’s point of view. All of the guides, blogs and fitness tips on this site have a geek flavor that is intended to make anyone who feels uncomfortable at the gym feel right at home here.

4. Cooking for Engineers

Founded by Michael Chu, Cooking for Engineers goes further than just providing recipes. The site is a blog that is geared toward making your food taste good. Additionally, his analytical take on ingredients and cooking recipes is interesting and will likely change the way you approach cuisine.

5. The Dating Specialist

Or Nick the Dating Specialist is a website that wants to help guys be better dates. The site is full of advice on how to approach social situations and flirt successfully with different types of people. Nick even offers personal coaching at your request so he can help your specific situation or hurdle to successful dating.

6. Information is Beautiful

I love reading, but sometimes a visual demonstration just makes information come alive. Hence, Information is Beautiful is a platform that uses gorgeous visuals to impart data. For example, if you want to find out how much money individual organizations have lost from data breaches, you can view an action visual that shows bubbles that are labeled and sized accordingly, giving you an in-depth, but easy to digest overview of the data.

7. MIT Open Courseware

As much as I would love an education at MIT, that isn’t really in the cards. Thankfully, the educators at the Massachusetts Institue of Technology decided to give out information for tons of courses online through Open Courseware. Hundreds of millions of people have benefitted from the information that they can learn from these courses, starting a trend for other sites to offer free courses as well.

8. Investopedia

I don’t like to admit it, but my lack of a business degree tends to make me feel easily intimidated when a conversation starts taking a turn for the financial. To solve this, Investopedia was born to provide a news blog that makes it easy to digest and really understand the financial markets. There are tons of resources like tutorials and videos that will help you keep up with the ever-changing world of money, and the news stories will keep you coming back for more.

9. Duolingo

This isn’t the first time I’ve recommended this language-teaching website (and app), and it certainly won’t be the last. Duolingo is a free version of Rosetta-Stone that delivers the same results: teaching you another language. Regular use of the site can have you speaking and writing Spanish, English, German, French, Portuguese and Italian in a matter of months depending on the diligence you put into it. Hopefully, even more, languages will become available soon.

10. Codecademy

If you haven’t noticed by now, the Internet has pretty much taken over everything, which means the skill of coding and developing websites is in higher demand than ever, and that’s not likely to change. With Codecademy, you can use free tutorials that teach you the basics of coding with interactive and handy tools for helping you become an expert.

11. Spreeder

According to Spreeder, a lot of us have trouble reading quickly because we can only read as fast as our “inner voice” can. Spreeder’s solution is to teach you to read without an inner voice, boosting reading speed and comprehension immensely. The best part? It’s totally free.

12. Project Gutenberg

Imagine a library with tons of free books that you can keep for the rest of your life. Actually, you don’t have to imagine that because Project Gutenberg gives you the ability to download thousands of free e-books, and it’s completely legal.

13. TED

For years, people have been benefitting from TED talks that provide free insights from the world’s smartest people. TED provides the value and learning growth of a seminar, but without the exorbitant costs and travel expenses, by providing visitors with tons of free video lectures. The app is also great for catching up on the latest talks, and you can even download some on iTunes.

14. GeographyIQ

Imagine if Google Earth and Wikipedia decided to make it official and have a child. That would be GeographyIQ. Using the world map, you can select any country and access virtually every facet of useful information there is about that country, including history, currency, population and more.

15. The World Factbook

Did you know that the CIA has information on pretty much everything in the world? Okay, but did you know that they make a ton of this information open to the public? The World Factbook is your godsend for research, allowing you to cite facts and details that pertain to a seemingly endless amount of information from reputable sources.

16. Lumosity

Using games to learn is something I’ve treasured since Kindergarten, making Lumosity a trusted resource for me and countless others. Using a daily schedule of games, Lumosity is literally designed to make you more clever. As you progress, the software figures out what your strengths and weaknesses (such as memory or math skills) and assigns you games accordingly. The best part is that the games are actually addicting and fun to look forward to!

17. CliffsNotes

Ideal for high school and college students, CliffsNotes provides valuable resources like study guides and test prep for standard books and subjects you’ll have to read anyway. The site also provides resources for math and science, giving you the chance to finally master the dark arts of homework.

18. Pinfruit

Need to memorize a lengthy number? Pinfruit analyzes the number and provides all of the options you could want as a mnemonic device. That’s all there is to it, since (unfortunately) they only provide this for numbers and not words.

19. OneLook

Finding a great dictionary is not a difficult task in a world full of search engines, but it can be tricky to define more complicated words and phrases that most dictionaries (besides UrbanDictionary) don’t attempt to define. With OneLook, you can find multiple definitions from numerous dictionaries in one place, even if you’re looking up a phrase that is obscure or too specific for normal dictionaries to help you out with.

20. Mindtools

There are countless blogs that you can enjoy for being interesting and mildly useful, but how many of them actually help you with your career? Mindtools is a blog that teaches you what they call “practical career skills” that you can apply for your job. This is a great daily read for entry-level workers who want to make a great impression, and the variety of topics and advice provided make this is a fantastic bookmark for anyone wanting to excel.

21. Learn Street

Want to take your coding skills to the next level? Learn Street helps teach you how to use advanced coding scripts such as JavaScript, Python and Ruby without making your head explode. It even provides a service for helping you teach advanced code to others.

22. HowStuffWorks

There are things we want to know about, and then there are things we didn’t know we wanted to know about. HowStuffWorks addresses the latter by providing information on a variety of topics and eye-opening facts that will broaden your horizons.

Are you satisfied with your customer service? Have you ever you felt insecure dealing with a client? Do you wish not to lose the nerves in stressful situations? Have you escaped negotiations at the last minute? This post is for you:

What will tell you in this article, are 25 keys that anyone who engages the customer should have among its qualities. Take a look:

25 skills for successful customer care

1. Learn to listen.
The customer is not always right, but surely does have much to say in your treatment, your product or your image. Listen and accepts the criticism :)

2. Create communication skills.
Use all channels that are within reach, but remember that in each medium, the type of communication is different. Maintain a consistent line of communication, but try to change the message.

3. Encourages the tranquility and patience.
An order that does not arrive on time, a failure in service ... the customer can get nervous, and they are partially right. Try to put yourself in his place, and looking calmly the best solution.

4. Be honest.
A white lie can strain ... but that is not the norm. Currently, a bad comment on social networks can derails an entire communication campaign.

5. Promise what you can deliver.
Follow the above advice. Be honest with the customer, and yourself. And if you lose a customer, try to retrieve it.

6. Become an expert, make your customers believe it.
Between being an expert and "selling smoke" there is a big difference, and customers will notice. Format establishes what your main priorities are, and make your customers see before them an expert in the area.

7. It offers solutions according to your customer profile. Adapt.
Looks for variations in prices, product type, distribution ... The most profitable business models are precisely those who manage to diversify among their demand.

8. Transmits security and confidence.
A good company is characterized by better customers. If your attitude, how to operate and especially in the way of solving problems are a reputable company, you will have loyal customers for life.

9. Watch your body language.
Your expression, the way you dress, your appearance ... not just talk about you. Also your company. Not the same work in a technology startup in a bank: always acts as your customers expect you act.

10. Develop the ability to work under pressure.
On some occasions, and increasingly often, we have to deal with the pressure of time, a boss, colleagues or even customers. All that prevents explode. Learn to work under pressure to be resolute and to remain calm.

11. Treat your client wish to treat you.
This idea, which seems so simple, often ignored. There is nothing worse than a rude and disrespectful person. certain failure.

12. Upgrade, you must be at the forefront. Be creative.
And not only for the sake of your client. Also for the sake of your company. If the customer sees a dynamic company, committed to the future, he will trust you more.

13. Always go one step ahead.
Returns to point 12. Upgrade. Read. Learn. Search market trends ... be the last you allow even raise expectations or your client scenarios did not even know.

14. Learn from your mistakes.
Because we all make mistakes ... know fit criticism, even loss of customers, will allow us to face the future more solvent form.

15. You must be a leader, this will increase your professionalism.
The authority and leadership is always well appreciated by customers, as it conveys security in our actions.

16. Generate a friendly environment.
Press a customer does not usually bring long-term benefits. Maybe in the short we get the goal, but if the client has felt uncomfortable during the sales process, you may as soon as possible, no longer a client.

17. Meet the company with which you work.
There is nothing worse than not knowing answer a customer question about our company. Learn the operation of your work. Learn from your peers, and transmits customer safety.

18. Manage your time. Get organized.
Each client needs a while. When you are one, focus on his attention, and everything else obvious. It is preferable to postpone a meeting, to take her out if you show little interest in your partner.

19. Create analytical capacity.
Perhaps the problem a customer is not isolated. Or maybe it is extrapolated to other areas of the company. Analyzes the problem, and think on a large scale.

20. Learn to negotiate.
Sometimes, customers need to feel highly valued. It's time to negotiate. But beware: Before you start talking to the customer, be very clear what you are willing to negotiate and how far you can sacrifice without incurring losses.

21. It is persuasive.
Little to add. Find a way to influence your idea, but without being annoying.

22.- Study human psychology.
Generally it is a matter above all logic and empathy, but it is worth using psychology, as in Marketing, to convince the customer. There are very interesting manuals, speaking to you from how to boost your brand without the customer realizing, to the need to have an enemy (often imaginary) to strengthen your strategy.

23. It is tenacious.
Do not give up at the first. In fact, the first approach is usually score. And surely the first response is rejection. It is time to apply the other tips to achieve your goal.

24. Develop emotional intelligence.
Each client is a world ... that may also change depending on whether you had a good day or just the opposite. Try to adapt to changing situations with a lot of empathy.

25. Close the deal.
It's now or never. Here's the deal I was looking for ... let us join hands, and arranged. Surely 15 minutes you think you could have gotten something else ... error. A deal is a deal, and there is no turning back. It only remains to congratulate a job well done.

If you are able to work and provide all of these skills, you will be the king of negotiation and customer service. Good luck!

Do you know more skills needed? Why not leave a comment? Sure other readers appreciate it.

Nowadays, the trend amongst learners seems to be to focus primarily on communicative skills. This is certainly an effective way to improve quickly, however, it is important to remember that the other key skills (reading, listening and writing) should not be neglected as a result, they are all interlinked and do affect each other significantly. Try to keep a reasonable balance between how much time you dedicate to each key skill. In this blog post, we will look at ways to improve your written communication.

The more you write and read English correspondence, the easier you will find recognizing the language. Not to mention the fact that written English is one of the main tools of workplace communication (emails or text chats), sometimes even if you’re sitting next to the person you want to communicate with (generally so there is written confirmation of the discussion). If you are looking for formal and informal email phrases you can start using right away.
 
So, what can you do to improve your English writing skills?

1. It may be obvious, but don’t forget to take notes during classes and do all your homework! Some people may not find it necessary to write down what their teacher says, but a lack of attention can result in lack of improvement. It can be quite demanding to study a new language whilst juggling all other day-to-day activities in life, and as such requires a lot of effort. So, to make it easier on yourself, be organized with your learning. Take notes to help you remember things after a busy day, do your homework and get closer to your English fluency goal.

2. Write in your own words! Read something that interests you (about a topic that you are already familiar with) and try to write it again in your own words. This is also known as ‘paraphrasing’ and can help you to solidify your understanding of what you read, by expressing it in your own way. You will undoubtedly use synonyms, so it may be worth investing in a thesaurus!

3. Exchange correspondence with your friends in English. Reading and writing in English has and always will be an effective way of improving these skills. The more you do, the more you learn, and therefore, the better you get!

4. Search interactive websites that provide online practice and correction! Here are some examples to get you started: Quizlet, UsingEnglish, CardKiwi or Grammar Check.
5. Utilize social media! There are a great number of online platforms where you can share, chat and comment – all in English!

How to Learn English in a new way!

6. Improve your English writing skills by blogging. Share your learning experiences with others and tell people how you’re improving and what you’re doing to get there. Don’t see this as boasting; it should be used purely to record your progress, give tips that worked well for you to other learners, and most of all, practice your writing skills!

Please feel free to share any writing exercises that you enjoy, in the comments box below. When do you use written English?

According to one source, there are more than 164 million blogs out there today and a huge portion of them doesn’t even hit the 1,000 visitors mark per month. 

One of the biggest issues that contribute to low blog traffic is the quality of the write ups. With the amount of blogs out there, you really need to step up the game in order to compete with the rest.
The bottom line is clear; you need stunning blog posts!

So, how do you write a stunning blog post?

Blogging is nothing unless you are systematic and this means that you can start by having a mind map. A mind map is essential especially when it is able to provide a complete layout on:

• The output of the article (structures)
• Title and excerpts to be used
• Types of content and information to provide (research)
• Proper images and media sources
• Credit and link sources to be provided in the article
• Summary of the article

Besides that, having a good blog structure is important to ensure that your readers are glued to the screen. Every blog post should contain several important features such as what’s in for the readers, the objectives of the write up is should be precise and you need to deliver them with a punch!

#1. Planning above all

Even before you start drafting, you need to have a great plan in mind. Here are several guidelines you can follow:

• Knowing the reasons why readers are coming to your blog
• How you can attract potential readers to your blog
• What can you do to ensure they stay longer (reduce bounce rate)
• How to market your writings and further increase the blog traffic

You should have a terminal goal for each blog post you published. It is also highly advisable to ensure that you have done enough research prior to writing to ensure that all the facts are top of their classes.

When it comes to planning, you can keep all your ideas and information using Dropbox, Evernote or Google Drive. On a personal note, I highly recommend using them as I could easily access the information at anywhere and anytime as required.

These plans created could easily be amended from time to time as they serve as a useful guideline for you.

#2: Preparing a killer title and excerpt

Do you believe in the 30 seconds rule? Studies showed that webmasters and bloggers have about 27 seconds to impress the visitors before they actually change the page.

So, if you want to keep your readers glued to your site and ultimately increase readership, make sure you have a good title that makes people want to click it. In order to create a good title, I always believe that it should be less than 70 characters (Google’s limitation) and it should always be short but precise.
Take a look at the example below:

• Effective ways to increase Google+ traffic to your blog
• How I increased my Google+ traffic by 700%

Between the both, which do you think is more clickable? Obviously, the second one is a better choice and does this makes any sense to you?

It was actually a case study which I had conducted by sharing an article to the relevant Google+ communities with the use of proper titles, description and hashtags. The result was explosive and I basically increased my referral traffic overnight by just spending 5 minutes preparing the ‘script’.

According to Yoast SEO, it is recommended to have around 156 characters for your excerpt. This is to ensure that it fits nicely into the search results pages.

The science behind writing a good excerpt is completely similar to writing a title. It requires to be catchy, providing good call-to-action and precise. The excerpt should give a very clear picture to your readers on what to expect from that article and of course, how it could benefit them.

#3: Content is (still) king

You’ve probably heard about this a zillion time and it is true. Most readers enjoy great articles and they are not determined by the amount of words. Instead, it all boils down to the quality of the content and how you deliver them.

For starters, each blog post should be at least 600 words and use appropriate headings. The famous wall-of-text should be avoided at all cost whenever you are building a blog post.
It is recommended that you divide the article into several parts and utilize the H2 to H4 headings to make navigation and reading easier especially when you are writing a long blog post. These heading tags should be used to classify and divide parts of the article which will make reading easier.

Personally, I ensure that the colours of my heading tags are different from the normal words. For example, bright colours like red attract the eye more than the plain ol’ black.
So, what if you believe you have a great content but unsure how to make it go viral?
You can bang on your luck with asking questions (also known as call-to-actions in some cases). Among bloggers and marketers, this is definitely one technique that has a high chance of success.
Now, tell me what have you learned from the above?

#4. When words and sentences are not enough to captivate the readers

So, what’s next? Say hello to images, videos and slides.
Majority of my blog posts are over 1,500 words and it is a known fact that many readers think that is too much to handle. Yes, even my fiancé says so too!
As human eyes are always attracted to images compared to words, I decided to make the change. The first step was to create a simple slide and upload it to SlideShare. And the results?

SlideShare was the starting point and digital media came to live. I was busy uploading videos to Youtube, high resolution images to Flickr and podcasts to SoundCloud.
The effects were great as I had a lower bounce rate, longer duration of stay period on a single page and even a few positive feedback emails from my readers.

#5. Quoting and linking to authority sites

When it comes to content enrichment, providing quality links back to your source is indeed a great move. It doesn’t only provide possibilities of getting a ‘mention’ on social media but of course, backlinks from the authority sites.

In the readers’ point of views, you are not only providing quality write ups but doing it one step more; sharing the source of the information.  Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if you call it as blogging etiquette or source linking. It is always important to provide the relevant credit to the original source of the information.
When it comes to quoting others, you have to ensure that you are not overdoing it. For instance, do not overpopulate your blog post with tons of backlinks. Instead, provide ad-hoc credits and source links only when needed to ensure that your writing is more ‘readable’.

#6. Ending your post with a bang

For me, the ending paragraph or summary plays a huge role in any articles. A good summary concludes what the whole article is all about (especially useful for skimmers) and ensuring that it not the end of your visitor’s reading ‘journey’.

Simply by providing a comment form would easily encourage readers to leave their feedback and even share their ideas. This technique comes in handy especially when you could use the feedbacks to either improve your current blog post or use those ideas for future ones.

Either way, a ‘noisy’ blog usually attracts more readers than none at all. Therefore, always take the opportunity to encourage your readers to share their ideas and making sure you reply to every one of them.

Another way to convince your readers to leave a comment is by providing a good call to action. For example, asking a simple question such as “Do you have any other tips to share” or “What do you think of this post” could easily increase the comment rate.

It is possible to show someone the basics of WordPress in just a few minutes. Most blogging platforms are just as easy as learn. Due to this, anyone who can use the internet can technically write a blog post; however, as we all know, all content is not created equal. 

There is a myth that I encounter frequently that you are either a good writer or a bad writer. I do not believe this to be true.
With content marketing shaping up as one of the most important marketing skills to have on your resume, getting a handle on writing could really benefit your career. Writing is intimidating to a lot of people, particularly those who don’t write for a living or blog on a regular basis. The good news is that writing doesn’t have to be agonizing, and almost anybody can hone their writing skills with a little discipline and a willingness to learn. In today’s post, I’m going to share 16 ways you can start improving your writing skills right now.

1. Write Like It’s Your Job

If you want to get better at something, you have to practice – and writing is no exception. Unfortunately, there are few shortcuts that can transform you into an amazing writer overnight, and even the most talented writers had to learn their craft over a period of many years.
If you want to improve your writing skills, writing on a regular basis will not only diminish your fear of the blank page (or blinking cursor), it will also help you develop a unique style. So, even if nobody reads it, keep writing. Practice makes perfect.

2. Read Like It’s Your Job

The best writers are also keen readers, and reading on a regular basis is an easy way to start developing your writing skills. I don’t just mean blog posts, either – diversify your reading material. Expand your horizons to more challenging material than you typically read, and pay attention to sentence structure, word choice, and how the material flows.
The more you read, the more likely you are to develop an eye for what makes a piece so effective, and which mistakes to avoid.

3. Find a Writing Partner

If you work at a reasonably sized company, the chances are pretty good that there is at least one other person who also secretly harbors a desire to become a better writer. Although writing is typically considered a solitary activity, the best writers know when it’s time to get much-needed feedback on their work.
Talk to your coworkers (or friends) and ask someone if they’d be willing to cast an eye over your work – they may spot mistakes that you overlooked. Finding a writing partner is also a great way to hold yourself accountable and keep going.

4. Join a Workshop or Take a Night Class

Most people balk at the idea of standing in front of a room full of strangers and baring their soul to the world, but joining a writing workshop can be immensely beneficial – and a lot of fun (if you manage to find a good one).

You don’t need to have an unfinished novel hidden away in your desk drawer to join a workshop. These days, content marketing meet-ups and professional development groups are becoming wildly popular. Join one of the many content marketing groups on LinkedIn to meet like-minded writers, or search for writing workshops near you on sites like Meetup. Pick a topic, write something, listen to the feedback of the group, and then revise it. Rinse, repeat.

5. Dissect Writing That You Admire

Most people read the same blogs or sites on a regular basis because the material appeals to them – but fewer people understand why their favorite blogs are so appealing.
Find a handful of recent blog posts you really like, then print them out. Next, just like your high school English teacher did, take a red pen and highlight things you liked: certain sentences, turns of phrase, even entire paragraphs. Examine why you like these elements, and see if there are any common threads in your favored reading material. See how writers take one subject and transition into another. Apply these techniques to your own work.

6. Imitate Writers You Admire

Before we go any further, a disclaimer – imitation is not the same as plagiarism. Don’t rip off anyone’s work. Ever.

Just as you probably have a list of blogs you read often, you’ll likely also read the same writers on a regular basis. Identify what it is you enjoy about their work, and see if you can use it to improve your writing skills. Does a writer you like use humor to spice up dry topics? Try it. Do they use pop culture references to make their work entertaining and useful? Try that, too.

When I first started writing, I imitated some of my favorite nonfiction writers and essayists, such as Joan Didion, Truman Capote and Bill Bryson. I also attempted (and failed) to imitate writers such as Dave Eggers and Dan Kennedy, but soon realized that I wasn't funny enough and gave it up. Over time, I eventually developed my own style, but reading the works of these writers and seeing how they constructed their essays and books was immensely helpful to me as a writer (see tip #3).

7. Remember That Outlines Are Your Friend

The blinking cursor of a blank page is a considerable foe, even for the most experienced writers. Before putting pen to proverbial paper, sketch out an outline of what you plan to write. This will be your battle plan, and it will help you win the war. Very few – and I do mean very few – writers sit down to write anything without a solid plan in mind.

An outline doesn’t have to be complex. A simple framework of which sections should appear in a particular order, along with a few sentences about what each section contains, may be enough. If the topic you’re tackling is a little more complex, your outline might have to be, too – but having an outline before you write is like having a roadmap in the glove box of your car before a road trip. If you start to feel lost, refer back to your outline and get back to kicking ass and taking names.

Let’s take a look at a real example – one of my own outlines:

This outline eventually became my recent post about brand voice. I deviated from my initial outline slightly, but the overarching structure was always there to keep me on target.

8. Edit Your Work Ruthlessly

So, you’re writing every day (or regularly, at least), and you’re feeling more confident about your work. Awesome! Now you’re going to become your own harshest critic.
Editing is a tough skill to learn for beginner writers, because they place immense value on the time and effort they put into writing in the first place. However, a lot of writing is actually rewriting, and this is where the cold, hard eye of an editor will serve you well.

Develop the discipline it takes to eliminate extraneous words (more on this shortly). Resist the temptation to wax lyrically and get to the point. Not sure if a paragraph works? It probably isn’t. Be tough on yourself, and know when to delete or rework something. Your work will be much stronger as a result.

9. Accept That First Drafts Are Almost Always Crap

The best writers make it look so easy. After reading a great post, it’s tempting to imagine your favorite bloggers effortlessly turning in incredible posts with minimal effort before spending the rest of their day reading obscure books in a quaint corner café somewhere. Take comfort in the knowledge that this isn’t how writing works.


First drafts are almost always crap, and that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t create a masterpiece on your first attempt – chances are, you probably won’t, and that’s okay, too. Just get your ideas down on paper first, then go back and start cleaning up. Writing is an iterative process, and even the best writers have to spend a lot of time reworking material they were probably too embarrassed to show anybody.

10. Find a Good (Patient) Editor

Whether you’re trying to make the case for a content strategy to your manager or want to start guest blogging on your favorite sites, finding and working with a good editor is one of the best things you can do to improve your writing skills. I’ve worked with dozens of editors over the years, and in my experience, the best are those who show you why something doesn’t work, rather than just telling you that it doesn’t.
Allowing someone else to read your work can be brutally difficult for some writers, especially when they’re just starting out, but it’s crucial that you develop good habits from the outset and learn to accept constructive criticism about your work. Remember – writers are desperately needy creatures who need to be constantly reassured that they’re the creative geniuses they believe themselves to be, but you’ll need to develop a thick skin if you’re serious about your work, and a good editor is invaluable when it comes to toughening up.

11. Eliminate Unnecessary Words

Another common mistake among beginner writers (and some more experienced writers who should know better) is writing overly complex sentences in an attempt to “sound” more authoritative.
In many cases, shorter sentences can have a greater impact. You may have heard of a six-word story that was supposedly written by Ernest Hemingway, which reads, “For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.” Whether Hemingway wrote this or not is irrelevant – the power of these six words shows that brevity can be a powerful tool when used correctly, and not every sentence needs to be overwrought to get your point across.

12. Don’t Be Afraid to Say What You Think

Most content on the web is bland and dreadfully boring. This is because far too many bloggers focus on regurgitating the same news as everybody else without bothering to add their own opinions. Obviously you don’t want to fall afoul of libel laws, but that doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) say what you think.
Once you’ve started to discover your own “voice,” don’t be shy about sharing your opinions. This makes for more interesting reading. Don’t be contrarian for its own sake, and don’t set out to purposefully piss anyone off, but make sure there’s enough of you in your writing to make it a worthwhile read for your audience.

13. Don’t Take Weeks to Finish a Post

You should definitely take the time to write as well as you can, proofread and edit your work thoroughly, and ensure that your piece flows logically from one point to the next. However, this doesn’t mean you should take weeks to write something.

No blog post (or any piece of writing, for that matter) will ever be perfect – you have to know when it’s time to let it go. This is especially important in content marketing, because you’ll rarely (if ever) have the luxury of crafting agonizingly beautiful blog posts full of poignant sentences and evocative imagery. As you become more confident, the “writing” part of writing will become easier and faster, but never lose sight of the fact that deadlines, or editorial calendars, are just as much your masters as any boss or manager.

As for me, I’m going to take my own advice and call this post done. I hope you find these tips useful, no matter how long you’ve been writing. If you have questions or want to share your own advice, leave a comment!