Iโm not a native English speaker and hereโs my confession:
- Iโm a trained translator with a degree in my pocket.
I speak English fairly well, but I never thought I would ever create content on my own.ย
When I got to the English-speaking world of content marketing, I was lost, frustrated, and paralyzed with insecurity. I strongly doubted if I could ever enter a league of those smart guys who create killer content.
To be honest, I wasnโt even sure if I could write anything high-quality at all.
If you’ve ever been in my shoes, this article is for you.
Iโm going to share the tips and tricks that have worked (and still work) for me.
To begin with, there are only two points you need to consider when writing content.
The first:
- Most likely, you will never be able to speak, think, or write like a native speaker.
Being fluent isnโt all about vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and all of the other โtechnicalโ aspects. The trickiest and most complicated part is theย cultural background. It may take years of living in the country before you really “fit in”.
The second:
- You canโt know everything, but you can be an expert in your niche.
Digital marketing is global.
And it accepts people from all cultures and nations. Many of those who create TOP content arenโt native speakers.
Just try to be as good as them.
If you’ve decided to accept the challenge, here are some tips to help you out.
8 Tips To Help You Create Top Quality Content
1. Idea over spelling
When I first tried guest posting, I focused on grammar, wording, and spelling.
I checked and weighed every single word as if I was writing a novel.
But my posts got rejected quite often. I blamed it all on my ignorance and poor English.
Strange, but the idea of simply bad or irrelevant content never passed through my mind.
But hereโs the fact:
- In most cases, itโs the content itself that makes editors reject posts, not grammar.
Accept it, and concentrate on looking for good ideas rather than pretending to look native. I promise your writing will be more fun.
And remember, an idea has no nationality.
- “But where do I take those ideas from?”
Thatโs a good question.
Hereโs my starter pack of sources:
1) Your or your team’s cases
If thereโs anything worth trying that you or your team has made or tried, go ahead and write about it.
Case studies are popular and usually get a lot of likes and shares. Whatโs more, describing your own experience can be less complicated than writing about someone else’s.
2) Steal an idea from other blogs/forums/etc.
I love reading stories about how writers find ideas for their books. In many cases,ย their inspiration came from rumors, news, or various talking points.
In a similar way, you may find content ideas in forums, blogs, discussions, or on Q&A resources like Quora.
If people are always talking about something that really worries them, why not use it to create your content?
3) Resource articles
This type of article doesnโt require polished writing skills, but it needs lots of research and background work.
The good news is that a resource article is a great way to get lots of traffic and shares.
There was recently a wonderful post that described clever ways to create resource articles.ย I highly recommend taking a look at it.
2. Read a lot of QUALITY content
Itโs always a good idea to learn from the gurus.
One of the most stunning abilities of the human mind is to absorb information and adapt to it. Thatโs why quality reading may improve your writing as well.
But itโs important to filter what you read.
After I first faced digital marketing, I started digesting every single article I could find. It didnโt play to my advantage.
Instead, my mind turned into a massive trash bin.
Since then, I have radically changed my attitude to reading.
Hereโs a step by step guide I have developed for quality reading:
1) Make a “TOP-5” list of quality blogs, magazines, newsletters
Mark my words, you wonโt be able to read more than 5 regularly without getting lost.
To find the best content quickly, use Google:
- “TOP bloggers in /your niche/”
- “Best /your niche/ blogs”
- “Best blogs about /your niche/”
- etc.
2) Subscribe to newsletters to get updates directly to your email
This is optional and I know a lot of people who donโt like it.
However, in my case, it helped me develop a habit of regular reading and helped me to greatly organize my work environment.
3) Use tools to organize your content
There are various automated tools that allow youย to keep all of your content in one place.
Whatโs more, you can filter, sort, bookmark, and customize what you read.
I ignored automated tools for a long time. Then I started drowning in information.
I like Feedly, Flipboard, and Instapaper apps, but you are free to find your favorite one.
4) Learn phrases and expressions
Itโs all about writing, isnโt it?
Try to taste the language of experienced content marketers.
Iโm sure youโll notice that they use lots of phrases and expressions that make their writing creative and entertaining.
Why not use them in your articles?
- You can use apps like My Words to store and memorize words.
3.ย Native speaker โ proofreader
If you have a native English speaker in your team, consider yourself lucky.
If you can hire a professional native English proofreader, consider yourself twice as lucky.
Anyway, many of us donโt have access to such luxuries but we still have a lot of international friends.
If you decide to ask your friend or colleague to review your post, keep in mind two important things:
1) Not all native speakers are qualified to proofread texts
I often proofread texts in my native language for my workmates. They make lots of confusing mistakes.
We are all native speakers, but we also all have aย different language expertise.
Thatโs why you should keep in mind that sending a copy to your overseas friend doesnโt guarantee he or she will correct all of your mistakes.
2) However, a native speaker CAN detect cultural and language inconsistencies
The good news is that any native speaker will immediately point out bad wording.ย I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase:
- “We donโt speak like this”.
They’ll also point out cultural mistakes. In many cases, these mistakes are far more critical than poor spelling.
So, take your friend’s helping hand, but do so wisely.
4. If you write guest posts, write for quality blogs
When you are a beginner, itโs hard to get published in a respected blog. However, nothing is impossible.
Most quality blogs and magazines have great editorial teams.
Write something worth publishing and pitch your idea in a clever way. Editors will help you improve bad wording and correct spelling mistakesย without changing the main idea.
How to find quality blogs? Refer to point #2.
5. Use automated spelling tools
Donโt underestimate the power of automated tools like I used to.
Sometimes a simple built-in spellchecker isnโt enough.ย Automated tools can detect grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, find overused words and cliches, and alert you if your sentences are too complex and hard to read (like this one).
Of course, you cannot fully rely on these tools. They are not human proofreaders, and youโll have to double-check your writing yourself.
But they still can help you avoid many of the typical and most painful mistakes.
Here are my TOP-3 grammar apps:
- Grammarly – Detects typos, grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors; finds cliches and overused phrases; scans texts for bad wording. They also offer a human proofreader service for premium users.
- Hemingwayย –ย This app highlights long, complex sentences and common errors.
6. Communicate with natives
The best way to catch professional slang is to talk to natives.
Try to contribute to discussions on Inbound.
Google and find popular forums related to your niche and talk to its members.
Try to answer questions on Quora.
In a couple of weeks, youโll notice how your vocabulary has enhanced.
(You’ll also find new connections and ideas.)
7. Practice writing
Writing is like sport.
You need to workout regularly to stay fit. Challenge yourself to write at least a couple of pages every day.
This practice is called free writing.
It was described by Julia Cameron and Mark Levy. They encourage people to start every day with writing at least 3 pages. The topic doesnโt matter.
According to them, this helps free the subconscious.
If you donโt like handwriting, you can use web-based tools like 750 Words or Written? Kitten.
750 Wordsย also provides analytics and charts for every piece you write.
When developed, this habit will help you write more, quicker, and better.
8. Detect typical errors
We learn a foreign language by means of our native language.
Each language has its specifics and affects the second language in its own way.
Thatโs why our mother tongue will strongly influence our English.
You can detect the most typical mistakes from people who speak your language and avoid them.
Google (in your own language): ย
- “The most common mistakes in English”,ย orย “The most typical mistakes in English”.ย
Read and learn.
For example, the Russian language has no articles (like โaโ, โtheโ, etc.)
So, Russians often omit them when speaking or writing English. I know this and pay special attention to using articles when writing my posts.
You can find the same tips relevant to your own language.
So now it’s your turn to tell me how you overcome the language hurdle:
- Are there any tips you use for writing content? How do they work for you?
Let me know in the comments!
If you find this useful; you shouldn’t miss:
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Sasha,
I enjoyed reading your blog post, there are great tips listed on here good for any writer. I look forward to sharing this information on my blog.
Which productivity tool do you like best between the 3 your suggested? Feedly, Flipboard, or the Instapaper apps?
Actually whenever I see the post regarding how to write good quality content, I always skip the post. I think this is for pro content writers or experts, but your catchy heading attract me. I learn many things from this post especially write daily 3 pages of content. I will definitely add this to my schedule.
Thanks
Regards
Shubham Grover
Hi Sasha
Last night I wondered if I can ever write as impressive as native English speaking writers do.
After reading this post I regained my confidence and want to thank you for this.
All you shared here is pretty cool and I love that “idea has no nationality”. Many thanks for sharing.
Currently, I’m using Grammarly on my blog and learning vocabulary to improve my writing as well as speaking skill. Because, I’m missing phrases and expressions in my writing.
And, today I learnt some important tips that I was missing. Thank You
Awesome Post ,I Think My English Will Be Good From Today ๐
I’m not a native speaker of English either but I’ve been creating online content for almost two decades now. Here’s the thing – many native speakers make mistakes too. Lots of them. Yes, they may sound more natural but they’re still mistakes and anyone with a good education will spot them.
Use a professional editor or proofreader, at least for the first few years. It can help and it’s not that expensive.
Hello Alva’s,
It has never been easy writing a topnotch content if you are not native English speaker.
English is our main language but I grew up in a zone that English is found as a day drama.
Online writing brought me more closer to learning English.
I must confess , using tools like grammarly and other browser add-on has helped me.
Have a nice day!!
Thanks ALVASSILIEVA! In reality, all media starts with an idea that is expressed in words. So even if the narrative is delivered in a podcast or video, the material must be well organized and logical. They still must rely on the basic architectural structures used by writers.
Thanks for Sharing Your Experience, your Article helps to do Effective and Quality Blogging.
Hi,
Its help for all bloggers that unable to speaks & write english.
Thanks for this awesome post!!!
Thanks for this article content I will try to improve my writing skill by follow your steps.Thanks a lot for sharing it.
Thanks for sharing this article it help me. Finally i made a beautiful website with English context although i speak Swahili rather than English.
Hello Alvassilieva,
Your writing is so good that there is no way I can say it is written by a non-native English speaker. The content is vey practical. Thank you for making such a great effort. You have perfectly elaborated the solutions to each non-native English writing difficulties.
I use Ginger for basic mistakes and corrections. I write every day as I am a blogger and marketer. I try to improve my writing whenever I write. I am working on metaphors to make my writing more engaging.
Thanks for the profound article about writing good content for the user like me. I will try to follow your steps. Although I am already using some tools like Grammarly , ginger etc. I will try to improve my writing skill by your listed method. Thanks a lot for sharing it.
This is indeed a very good article, I have just started a blog and I am going to apply above method to it, thought i use to read many articles related to my niche so that I can learn the writing style and can know what is hot and what is not in the industry, You have really shared some of the good sites in your post specially 750words.com which will surely help people like me who are not a born in english country or culture.
Hey, ALVASSILIEVA
This post is so helpful…
Thanks for detailing……
I prefer to use pocket to organise my content or the content I prefer to read – one like Harsh’s content on SML
The above article is perfectly for all newbies as well as less experianced blogger who dont write a quality blog.Learning new words and practicing grammer again for 15 minutes everyday will help you improve english skill.
To be able to write a high quality blog, first write it in your mother tongue then convert it into english language.that is an easy process of writing an eye catching blog.
Thank you for the perfect tips.
In simple words,very helpful,understandable and useful.
Awesome blog post, I am not a native English speaker but I am creating content in this amazing language to challenge myself, learn and get better.
Reading this is pure inspiration for me because it’s almost the same for me. Could be hard from time to time but as you said, you can speak well and everything but the cultural background makes a huge difference and that’s not something you can learn online, you need to be there with a real experience.
Even so, doesn’t mean that isn’t possible. Everything is possible if you work hard and love what you are doing, for me, I enjoy writing English and I feel much better from when I started. In the future, I would love to live for a while in some English country to get this full experience and knowledge I can’t get staying here.
Very interesting post and super helpful for me, thanks a lot for sharing mate.