Hi! I'm a drawing of Catherine. She does most of the writing here, including this blurb. (Does this count as writing in the third person?) Catherine believes that websites don't really run on technology, they run on emotions. If you agree, then she wants to help you rock it out and be awesome online.
photo credit: Waldo Jaquith
Content writing does not have to be put off until you have sixteen doctorates and three Nobel prizes. Whatever level of edumacation you’re at with your subject, you can still write about it NOW.
Level Zero: Newbie
Your audience: other complete beginners
How you write it: You’re brand-new to the subject and starting to feel it out; this is where you document your experience of learning the basics. What resources help? What confused you totally? What did you wake up at 2:37am with a sudden brainwave about? You’re not an expert at this stage, you’re three tiny steps ahead of the complete novice.
Include lots of reviews, explanations, and dissections of jargon. Interview more experienced people and ask all the obvious questions, because when you’re starting out the obvious questions often have really non-obvious answers. You can provide lots of value if you’re mature enough to admit how little you know; there are bajillions of people who aren’t brave enough to ask the dumb-ass questions you ask, and those people will read your content and love it.
Level One: Competent
Your audience: complete beginners and other basically proficient readers
How you write it: You know the basics now. Not only can you talk confidently about all the fundamentals, you’re starting to get into the more advanced topics, and forming your own opinions about common wisdom. You have a few options here:
1. Write your content like a higher-level version of the Level Zero (your journey into the more abstract and obscure topics). The tone stops being “Argh, what does that mean?” and becomes, “I know what I’m doing, now it’s time to learn more skills.”
2. Write an authoritative resource for complete beginners, from the view of a more experienced practitioner. You’re helping people learn stuff you didn’t know a year or two ago, and if you’re lucky (or good) you’ll remember the pain and confusion and write something that’s better for newbies than was available for you.
Level Two: Authority
Your audience: advanced beginners, the basically proficient, other authorities and experts
How you write it: You’re getting damn knowledgeable in your subject and people ask your advice. Even the experts talk about your new and groundbreaking thoughts. When you’re this confident and learnéd you have lots of options on how you can write:
1. Be a generalist: You know a bit about everything. You’re provide great content for filling in the gaps in other people’s knowledge.
2. Be a specialist: You know everything about one thing. When people want a definitive answer on a question in your area, they come to you.
3. Be multi-disciplinary: You know a heck of a lot about two (or more) different fields, and the way you bring them together makes you damn near unique.
4. For beginners: Why yes you can still be writing the entry-level stuff, if you want. You can aim for high-level beginners or go right back to the basics, if you are very very careful about not assuming too much knowledge.
5. For the competent: You can write for those who want to be more competent and have already mastered the fundamentals.
6. Authority-to-authority: You’re talking to your peers at a high level; readers with less expertise will be immediately confused and leave. You have whitepapers, interviews with experts and incredibly solid resources and tools. You’re a standard in the industry.
Level Three: Expert
Your audience: advanced beginners, the basically proficient, authorities and other experts
How you write it: Wow, the air’s thin up here. Stuff is named after you. You can write any way you like, really.
Extra tips
Of course, you can combine a bit of all of these. If you’re an authority you can write a complete newbie’s post when you start on a related subject that you’ve never studied.
Be honest about where you are! Whatever level you’re at, you’re not alone; it’s far far better to admit your gaps, even when you’re the expert.
Your five-minute mission, should you choose to accept it…
Name the topics you write about and make a guesstimate of what level you’re at for each. If some are lower than you want, start planning how you’re going to increase your knowledge. Otherwise, get writing at the level you decide!
What level are you at for your subject? (It’s a hard question, I’m not sure how to answer it.) Tell us in the comments!