Being a
content writer can be the
most fun job in the world. You are creative
for a living and get paid to
experiment and
play with words. There is one problem, though …
In the same way that
everyone has their own
personality and way of talking, writers have their own way of writing, and they want their
personalities to
shine through.
This is why most content writers have a
bag of tricks or
go-to tools they reach for whenever they want to add some
personality or
a little something to a piece.
Stop everything and scroll on as media update's Alrika Möller lists four ways content writers add some sparkle to their pieces.
1. Emojis
Emojis are like modern-day
hieroglyphics that form a language all on their own.
Every emoji has a meaning and a
hidden meaning, and we can have endless fun and conversations
without typing a single letter.
When it comes to
content writing, many writers
love using the added meaning and maybe the visual element to drive a point through — or just make it
fun.
Whether it is hearts to show
romance or a crying laughing emoji to ensure the reader knows you are
joking, we have all seen, and most of us have used an emoji in writing.
Thanks to
social media and
smartphones, the emoji is now an important part of human
communication, and writers are taking
full advantage of that.
The
important thing to keep in mind is that a lot of emojis have
different meanings, and readers can
easily misinterpret what you're saying based on the
fruit you decided to post.
2. Bold, underline and italics
This one is
definitely growing in
popularity, and we
wish we could take credit for that, but sadly it is not exactly a
new concept.
Content writers have been doing it for a while.
The idea with this one is that writers often have a
specific way to read the piece in their head when they write it.
It is natural. Sometimes though, this causes the need for
bold,
italics and
underlining in order for the piece to sound
right.
Bolding some words can make people
emphasise them in their minds, which will help with the tone of the article.
By
italicising some words, it will add some
attitude or
interest and really give the reader an idea of what the writer
had in mind while writing it.
Underlining usually comes into play when links are used in the piece or when a source, brand or company name is extra important.
The key here is not to overuse any of these features as it can be a bit much. It can also make the piece look wonky if every second word looks different.
3. Block quotes
For those of you that don't know …
This is a block quote!
Block quotes are
usually one of those things we use during
interviews or
Q&A pieces, but some
content writers enjoy using them as
emphasising tools.
It's a great way to
highlight a specific quote from your
interviewee. Sometimes they say something that encapsulates the
entire topic, or they have a thought
so profound that no paragraph can do it justice.
Queue the block quote. In a
normal article or writing piece, block quotes can
isolate a single sentence in order to make sure the point comes through. If you don't read or remember the
whole, at least you will look at the
block quote.
This trick is sneaky but powerful.
4. Gifs
Okay, so the gif is
all the rage right now — and how can it not be? They are basically
tiny videos that have the ability to convey
emotions and
reactions better than some people.
Everyone loves a gif, and some people have
entire text conversations by only using gifs. There is a gif for
every occasion and
every emotion.
Writers are
no exception when it comes to the
gif craze. We love them, and we love to use them. There is something so
satisfying about finding a gif that
perfectly fits with your piece or topic.
Using gifs is
not just a way to add some
pizazz, it can also be a great way to
break up your paragraphs so that readers don't get
overwhelmed by the amount of content.
The other side of the spectrum is
also true. If you use gifs, you can make a piece look a
little bit longer than it actually is.
Something to remember:
don't overuse gifs, and
always ask yourself, "Is this gif
appropriate for the masses?"
As you can see, we love gifs …
Have you ever used any of these tools when writing? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you are looking for more info on content and content creation, you came to the right place! Check out these Four types of content consumption [Infographic].
*Image courtesy of Canva