20 Terms Every Content Writer Needs to Know

20 Terms Every Content Writer Needs to Know Crafting content for businesses and their marketing agencies can be a decent earner for aspiring writers. But if you want to be taken seriously, you need to get the lingo right. Dan Brotzel of UK agency Sticky Content walks us through some of the essential terminology So, youve got your first content commission – a series of blog posts perhaps, or some new web copy. What usually comes next is a briefing form. The brief may be a detailed document of several pages, or it may be a couple of pages in an email. It may have been written just for you, or – more likely – for lots of other people working on the project as well, from marketers to web developers. ​​​​​​​ Your first job is to go through the brief, understand whats required, and come back with any questions. Heres a handy guide to some of the phrases you may come across Amends. Content work always goes through several rounds of amends on its way to approval. Your agreement may cite a certain number of rounds of amends that you will carry out; if not, its worth asking about this up front. While you shouldnt worry that there will be things to tweak, you should make sure that the amount of amends isnt getting unreasonable or turning into a rebrief. Brand voice. This is the verbal personality that your copy should convey. Guidance may come in a tone of voice document or in a brief description, e.g. friendly, straightforward, positive. If in doubt, ask for examples of voice they like. Call to action (CTA). All content should lead to a next step you want your reader to take, such as Call us now or Get a quote. Knowing the CTA will help you focus your writing. Compliance. In heavily regulated industries such as finance, a Compliance team will review the copy for potential issues such as making claims (the cheapest cover ever!) that cant be backed up. Its worth asking up front what sorts of things they normally look for. Conversion. The action that you want people reading a piece of content to take, such as downloading a report or making a purchase. Copydeck. Simply the document that contains your copy. This may take the form of a templated doc that you are asked to write content into. Distribution. How your content will reach people, for example via email, social channels or search results. Engagement. A slippery word that really just means people acting on your content in some way, e.g. Evergreen content. Content thats designed to have a very long shelf-life so needs to be written in a way that wont quickly date. Hygiene content. Essential content that keeps a website working, such as FAQs, Help content and About us content. This is distinct from Hub content (regular editorial-style content such as posts and articles) and Hero content (big campaign material). Key phrases. Words you may be asked to work into your copy, to help it appear in relevant search results pages. Landing page. The page that people arrive at after clicking on a search result, especially a paid-for one. There is a whole best practice for writing and designing these to drive conversions. Listicle. An article written in list form, usually beginning with a number. Localization. Translation. Sometimes you will be asked to write copy thats easy to localize, meaning it should steer clear of idioms and very specific cultural references that could get lost in translation. Newsjacking. The practice of creating some content triggered Optimization. Basically, improving things through an ongoing process of testing and learning. A page thats been optimized for search, for example, is one that has been written and designed to have the best chance of driving search traffic. Personas. Many bigger companies will have developed character sketches that stand in for key segments of their target audience. Often theyll have a nickname such as Sally, the savvy shopper or Dave, the silver surfer. These profiles can be very useful to help you pitch your copy correctly. Pay Per Click. The paid-for ads that appear among your search results when you look for something via a search engine. Pay per click is abbreviated PPC. The search engine gets a small fee whenever anyone clicks on an ad. Stakeholders. People with a governance interest in your content, such as Compliance, Product, and Brand. All review the content, and some may have an input into its creation. Stakeholder reviews inevitably lead to amends. Traction. A fancy word for response. As in: We want to see how much traction this first ebook gets, then well decide whether to do another one. Wash-up. A meeting where the work is reviewed after its gone live. You may not be asked to attend this, but you may hear feedback from it thats useful for your next commission. When interrogating a brief (as marketers like to say) you can inspire confidence

Part Time Summer Jobs for Teachers

Part Time Summer Jobs for Teachers As the weather warms up, it can be tough to tell who’s looking forward to summer the most: the students or the teachers. but two or three months off can be a daunting proposition when bills still need to be paid, or you’re seeking to keep busy during the summer months. What options are there for teachers looking to work over the summer, and how can you access those opportunities? There are plenty of openings for teachers to pick up extra money and experience over the summer. If your school district offers summer school classes, that’s a perennial option, but there are also lots of opportunities just beyond the school parking lot.Now, more than ever, teachers are in demand for a number of seasonal careers, because they bring not only specialized knowledge to all sorts of educational settings (or non-educational, if you truly want and need a break), but also lots of great people skills that translate across disciplines. Let’s explore some of the best options for teachers who want to keep working through the summer.1.  Professional development  2.  The great outdoors  3.  Thinking outside the box  Professional developmentYou can take the teacher out of the classroom, but can you ever really take the classroom out of the teacher? There are many opportunities to keep the pedagogy flowing over summer break.TutoringMany kids need help with their schoolwork year-round, whether they’re in summer school or just working to catch up before the next school year. Tutoring is great because it has flexible hours (typically arranged directly with the student and his or her parents), and often allows teachers to work close to home, if not in the home. These days, tutoring has moved from living rooms and libraries to the internet, so teachers can tutor students and earn extra money from anywhere (you can even work with students from that well-earned beach vacation spot). Tutoring also allows you to keep those classroom skills in figh ting shape, especially in areas where kids frequently need extra help (english, math, science, and computers). Some great resources for getting started in tutoring include:Tutor.comThe institute of reading developmentWebwise tutorsFlexjobsTest prep tutoringIn addition to subject-specific tutoring, there are lots of opportunities to work with students prepping for the sat and act. Companies like Kaplan test prep and Princeton review are constantly hiring tutors, class instructors, and exam proctors who can help students study, practice, and strategize for their upcoming exams. the companies typically offer training in specific exam prep, though personal experience comes in handy, especially if you’re not so far removed from being that sat student yourself. They generally need stable, experienced professionals with flexible schedules to meet student needs.Teaching in the communitySummer programs often need experienced teachers to step in and work with students over the summer, in non-traditional schools and programs. These may include community and youth centers, healthcare facilities, or adult learning centers. Teachers who can work with special needs students are especially in demand, even when school’s not in session.Going back to collegeNo, not for keggers and sleeping through 8 a.m. classes (i know, i miss it too!). Many colleges and universities offer summer programs for pre-college students, and need academic and administrative staff on site. These are located all over the country, so be sure to check higher-ed schools near you for teaching and staffing opportunities. Or if you’re willing to travel and live on or near campus, you can use it as a working vacation with new scenery. some examples of these kinds of programs:Johns hopkins center for talented youth summer programsSummer studyWorking with English language learnersTeaching English as a second language (ESL) is another great opportunity for teachers looking for seasonal or par t-time work. It may involve one-on-one tutoring for adults trying to improve their English language skills, or teaching courses. your local community center, community colleges, or government may offer classes over the summer, so check with them to see what openings are available.Working with adults may be outside of your usual teaching comfort zone, but many teachers find it to be a rewarding experience outside of school hours. As with tutoring, there are also opportunities to work online with students, outside of a traditional classroom setting. Or if you’re feeling extra adventurous this summer, you could teach English abroad. Opportunities abound, stateside or otherwise!Related:  21 Part-Time Jobs That Pay More Than $20 Per HourTeaching online college courses Like tutoring, teaching college-level classes has gone high-tech. remote teaching jobs are all the rage, and it’s something you can do close to home. Schools like University of Phoenix, Southern New Hampshir e University, and others recruit well-qualified online instructors from all over the country. These classes typically allow for a flexible schedule, and allow you to teach from anywhere, as long as you have a strong WiFi signal.The great outdoorsIf you’re looking forward to summer because you get to spend it outside of those classroom walls and soaking up nature, there are ways to parlay your teaching skills into outdoorsy-type jobs as well.Summer campDespite what pop culture may have led us to believe, kids do learn more than basic popsicle stick crafts at camp. Many camps (either sleep-away camps or day camps), especially ones that specialize in specific subjects (like stem/technology), often seek teachers to teach classes, but also to act as camp counselors who work with kids on social, physical, and educational activities.LifeguardingAs a teacher, you already know what it’s like to be responsible for people, and to keep an eagle eye on the goings-on around you. Why not take that vigilance and sense of duty to the beach or local public pool? If you’re a strong swimmer and are certified in first aid (or willing to take the necessary classes), this could be a way to spend the summer outdoors while earning extra money.Thinking outside the boxMaybe you don’t want to do anything related to teaching for the summer, to give yourself a true break and recharge for the upcoming school year (august comes so fast, doesn’t it?). If you’re looking for paying opportunities outside of the teaching arena, there are always options for someone with great people skills and organizational skills.Local sports and cultureIf your town has museums, historical centers, or outdoor arts venues, there may be seasonal employment opportunities in the box office, giving tours, or working at events. You might roll your eyes at seasonal tourists, but they could actually be your ticket to a fast-paced summer job if you live in an area that draws lots of visitors over the summer. Besides, jobs like these often come with free access to games, plays, concerts, or other events, which is a great perk any time of year. If you have a major or minor league baseball team near you, check the team’s website for any seasonal game-day jobs. after all, what’s more â€Å"summer† than hanging out at the ballpark?Related:  Show Me the Money: 8 Good-Paying Part-Time JobsAnimal instinctsIf you have a dog, you already know that you’ll be spending a good deal of your time outside- so why not turn it into a business for the summer? Or if you don’t have a dog of your own and enjoy canine company, what could be better than hanging out with a dog buddy and then dropping him off at home? And getting paid for it? Dog walking and pet sitting businesses can be very profitable, especially if you live in or near an urban area. And unlike students, pets are unlikely to give baloney excuses about humans eating their homewor k. Social media can help you spread your (temporary) pet whisperer brand far and wide, until school starts back up again.Freelance writing and editingWe all have that great american novel inside us somewhere, right? What about articles, blog entries as well? Summer could be a great time to kick off your freelance writing or editing career, if you have awesome language skills (English teachers, looking at you. Math teachers who always secretly wanted to write, also looking at you!) and the desire to start your own business, writing and editing could be a great way to spend the summer. If you’re unsure of where to start, sites like the freelancers’ union and the write life have a roadmap for you. Once you’re up and running, you can wade into resources like mediabistro’s freelance marketplace and look for paying gigs in writing and editing.As the clock ticks closer to that final bell of the year, are you ready to make it a great summer with exciting new oppo rtunities? good luck, and i’ll expect a full essay on what you did over your summer vacation, due on my desk by September 1.More jobs available  Ã‚  Apply here