The quality of your marketing content makes a big difference in how well prospects relate to it, whether it’s a thousand-page novel or a sales pitch in the body of an email. Sure, not everyone is Shakespeare, but you’ll improve your content and your ability to connect with customers and prospects in the business world and beyond by following these key fundamentals.
1. Plan what to write, then write what you plan.
Good content takes preparation. Doing so means that by the time you sit down to write, it’s simply a matter of execution and letting the words flow naturally, one after the other.
Know what you want to say and how you want to say it. You should have a sense of the length and format of what you plan to write. Will it be one page or five? A single paragraph or a dozen? Will it have an intro and conclusion? A call to action? Will it have bulleted or numbered lists? Sidebars? Footnotes? Captions?
Write it out with placeholder text, such as “the rest of the sentence goes here.” “The next paragraph goes here.” And so on. Also, it’s a good idea to write out the key messages you hope to convey and keep them handy. You can then cross them off as you go, making sure none are left out.
Better yet, take all this a step further and write a detailed outline. That way, it’s only a matter of smoothing out the copy and you’re good to go.
2. Know your audience and write for them.
Remember who your audience is and keep them in mind as you write. It’s essential to understand who makes up that audience. Is it millennial consumers? Academic historians? Swimming pool manufacturers seeking new innovations in plaster? Your content will need to address the needs and concerns of that audience while focusing on topics suited to its particular interests.
Having the right content is half the battle, but you’ll still need to win over your audience by “speaking” with a captivating voice in a tone it wants to hear -- like a formal one for banking audiences, a playful one for pop music audiences or a conversational one for those considering a product you sell. Just be sure it’s the right one. Hitting the wrong tone is like unintended feedback from a church microphone and loses you readers from the very start.
3. Write in a voice that moves people.
Readers like writing that moves at a good pace. Active writing does that; passive writing doesn’t.
When possible, write in active voice. This means that you should write sentences where the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. That will ensure your writing moves people and doesn’t leave them stiff. You are reading this sentence to learn something, aren’t you? Even though “This sentence is being read by you to learn something, isn’t it?” means the same thing and is equally accurate, it sounds very awkward.
When you construct sentences in passive voice, you’re apt to use more words and risk sounding noncommittal. On a similar note, try to avoid perfect and progressive verb tenses. An endless stream of “ing” verbs makes for a tiresome read. “The company develops, sells and supports custom solutions” sounds like a fine symphony compared to “the company is developing, selling and supporting custom solutions.” Likewise, “I write words that you read” has a nicer ring to it than “I have been writing words that you have been reading.”
4. Write with purpose.
Following the advice in the above section will enliven your writing. Now, be sure that it’s direct and on point. Here’s the ultimate goal: Brevity and word economy.
Even when you try to write concisely it’s easy to segue into lumbering prose. One way to stay out of this trap is to ditch jargon words and phrases. Avoid auxiliary verbs and phrases, too. I’m glad your firm “is able” to do everything a company needs. But as Nike says: “Just do it!” Don’t tell me about your ability to do it. Also, jettison the shoulds and shalls, the mights and mays and the cans and coulds unless they’re absolutely required. Avoid qualifying adjectives and phrases that add little and break your reader's trust -- you’re now a writer, not a lawyer, remember?
Finally, but most importantly, step back from the weeds of your writing for a bird's-eye view of its greater landscape. Only then can you make certain that you’re telling the story you want to tell -- and that you’re doing so in the clearest way possible.
