Pivot tables? Easy. Business development analysis? Done. But writing a blog post? There’s the dreaded challenge. Stringing sentences together to create something compelling, whether a long-form article or a Tweet from the business account, can be daunting. But mastering the art of written communication can help you convert potential customers and increase traffic and visibility.
That’s why we’re offering up a few tricks that will up your writing game and make your copy more powerful, no matter where you use it. Go forth and become the wordsmith you’ve always dreamt of becoming!
Visualize Your Ideal Audience
One of the most important factors of writing is understanding who your audience is, or who you’d like them to be. Familiarize yourself with their demographics, their goals, their concerns, and write as though you’re having a conversation with them. Even if you never meet the person on the other side of the screen, they’ll feel like you understand them, and that the product or service you’re selling is catered towards their interests and needs.
The Soul Of Wit
For better or for worse, social media has ushered in a world where wit and brevity are king, and learning how to keep things snappy is key to holding the throne. Practicing and mastering how to convey important ideas in a few sentences is a skill that also translates well to blogs, website copy and emails. People will appreciate the concise copy, and adding humor gives a personal element that most people are drawn to. Big brands like Wendy’s and Netflix keep their Twitter accounts quippy, humanizing their brands and reminding us of the people behind the burgers and movies.
Remember The Basics Of Writing
Different types of writing have different formats — so become comfortable with them, and pay them heed. For example, blog posts should have an interesting hook. Emails should start with a greeting and end with a call to action. For content longer than a social media post, there should be a beginning, middle and end.
Remember to keep the tone in mind, too; are you emailing a boss or work friend? Are exclamation marks appropriate? Is your blog post too stiff or too personal? Take the time to review what you’ve written and imagine what you would feel if someone else were reading it next to you, ensuring it’s accurately portraying you and your new business to the wider world.
Read. Read. Read.
Stephen King once said that if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write. He may have been talking about novelists, but the same holds true for everyday people as well — so treat reading with the same professionalism as writing, because both are integral to your job. Become familiar with sentence structure, word choice, flow and how different companies use informative, engaging, and educational content to convert potential clients and customers.
Partner Up
Even the most successful writers have an extra (patient) set of eyes to review their work. Find a peer to edit and critique your writing, helping you see both the strengths and weaknesses you might be overlooking, as well as catch any minor grammatical or spelling mistakes. If you feel there’s more room for improvement, join a night class or a writing group.
Lead image via Getty