Key Messages
The Benefits Of Writing Well: Tips To Help You Sharpen Your Words
No matter how advanced we become with technology, the written word still has its power–and that power is becoming even more important in today’s world.
Everything from social media to your company website relies on well-written content, and if what you’ve written isn’t up to par, no one will stick around to read it.
That’s why everybody should be investing time and effort into honing their writing skills.
With the right techniques and tips, you can build up your writing craft so that you always have something engaging and interesting to share.
You never know–you might very well become the next great digital wordsmith of our time!
By following the hints and guidelines laid out here, you’ll learn why a “first draft” doesn’t have to be a cause for despair; why having less text is sometimes better than having more; and why when it comes to webpages like your “About Us,” it’s all about understanding what your customers want from you, not just talking about yourself.
Writing Well Is An Essential Skill We All Need To Cultivate
It’s no secret that having the ability to effectively communicate with words is essential, particularly in the digital age.
From emails to blog comments, or website content to social media posts, it’s more important than ever to know how to effectively craft a message that resonates with your audience.
If you’ve got a message you want to get out into the world, then you need to make sure that it is written well.
It all starts with understanding your goal and knowing who your target audience is.
Gathering data in advance will give you the frameworks you need to craft compelling copy that resonates with everyone who reads it.
This means going further than just facts and figures, digging deeper for stories and anecdotes along the way.
Once everything comes together, what you’re ultimately left with is an article that’s informative, interesting and truly attention-grabbing – a must for any company hoping for success online.
The Writing Process Begins With Defining Goals And Continues Through Editing
Writing isn’t easy, and anyone who tells you that it is probably hasn’t ever tried it.
Your first draft likely won’t be a masterpiece – in fact, it will almost certainly be ugly.
But don’t be intimidated by this; the writing process doesn’t start with a work of art – it starts with an “ugly first draft” (or TUFD).
This is simply the lump of dirty marble which your masterpiece can then slowly reveal itself upon further editing.
Therefore, after you write down your ideas as best you can, take some time to edit your text.
This should include both broad developmental editing and more specific line editing – make sure there are no words which are misunderstood or distort the general idea of your text, and hone in by deleting words that don’t fit or are too cliched.
Paying attention to word choice is critical for any piece of writing you produce!
While starting to write may be incredibly hard at first, take comfort knowing that this initial unpleasant step is necessary for the creation of something truly wonderful if given enough effort.
How To Start A Text With A Bang: Capture The Reader’s Attention Right Away
If you want to keep your reader’s attention, you have to grab it quickly and get to the point.
That’s why it’s so important to start each sentence with the most striking words and ideas.
This is what will really hook the reader and make them want to continue reading.
For example, let’s look at a text published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The first sentence was “According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, released in 2006 by the U.S.
Department of Education, 30 million adults struggle with basic reading tasks.” While that gives some information, it doesn’t quite hook the audience as much as something like this could: “Thirty million adults struggle with reading, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy report, released in 2006 by the U.S.
Department of Education.”
When writing texts or articles, we should avoid giving too much background before getting to our main point – known as a running start.
Background information can be useful but it works best if used sparingly.
It often happens when someone is trying to fill an introductory paragraph with content but readers don’t appreciate this type of approach; they want quick access to interesting facts without having to weed through a lot of irrelevant details first.
If you’re writing about using YouTube for marketing a business, for example, don’t waste time introducing how social media has grown in importance over recent years; jump straight into pointing out that only a fraction of companies are taking advantage of YouTube for advertising purposes!
For Success On Facebook, Knowing Your Audience And Timing Your Posts Is Key
It’s not enough to just create a Facebook page and post updates whenever it is convenient for you.
If you want your post to actually be seen, then you must consider when your fans are most likely to view them.
Timing is key when it comes to effective messaging on social media.
While people tend to spend the most time on Facebook during the weekend or in the early evenings, when the “normal” working day has ended, they may also be more engaged around other times as well.
This was evident with Prep Obsessed, an online preppy accessory boutique that reported an overwhelmingly successful experience in just nine months after investing $40 a day on ads and analyzing their followers.
They collected more than 55,000 fans and cost of acquisition less than 10 cents per person!
Make Your Company’s ‘About Us’ Page Human: Tips For Crafting An Engaging And Authentic Description
An “About Us” page is not just about your company, it’s also about how you connect with visitors.
That’s why the best “About Us” pages don’t just focus on boasting facts and figures, but creating a personal connection with each visitor.
For example, Toys “R” Us has an “About Us” page that contains a lot of text and uninspiring visuals.
Compare that to Coca-Cola’s page, which incorporates vibrant images, references to its history and up-to-date reports about its community involvement.
This makes their page appear fresh and relevant.
It’s also important to show the human side of your business on an “About Us” page.
By using videos, photos or pull quotes, you can give visitors an insight into what working for or with your company is really like.
Having this information available will make them more likely to become returning customers!
Wrap Up
Ann Handley’s book Everybody Writes is all about the importance of writing well.
She reminds us that our words affect our readers and customers, so we need to write in such a way that captivates their attention.
But don’t stress—anyone can become a better writer with practice, just by following her easy-to-follow rules.
The key takeaway from this book is to start today!
Don’t wait until you think you’ve got things perfect before putting yourself out there – every post to Facebook or Twitter or email sent should be a chance to practice your craft.
And when it comes to essays, forget what you learned in high school; Writing five paragraph essays isn’t necessarily going to capture anyone’s attention.
Overall, Everyone Writes has the potential to transform your writing and how it impacts the world around you.
