It’s easy to get in the habit of just putting words on paper without fully understanding how to make them as effective as possible. With these three simple tips, you can make your writing more compelling, more widely read and also more powerful (meaning people will be moved to action).
1. Write from the perspective of your audience. If you are a business owner, write with the perspective of your customers in mind. What do they want to hear? What will make them take action? If you’re an author, it’s pretty obvious you need to take into account your audience and what will make them pick up your book. Take that same approach whether you are a business owner, communications director, social media specialist, student or real estate agent. It’s too easy to be tied directly to your own marketing message without taking into account what will make your audience interested.
2. Tell a story. This is a fundamental aspect of all communication. Don’t just communicate facts, statistics and other important information. Craft it into a story. Since the beginning of time, people have been drawn to story, and I imagine this will continue to be so until the end of time.
3. Provide an action. Too often people will write a business report, an article, a description for a new product or content for a website but will fail to communicate an action. Make sure your writing leaves the reader with something to do. Sure, not every reader will take the suggested action. However, if you don’t provide an opportunity for them to take action, no one will.
Writing is hard work, but if you keep these three tips in mind and are willing to work at them and perfect them, your writing will move from pedestrian to powerful.