By Molly Thurston Parker
Web sites, blogs, e-newsletters, and other electronic media offer accessible and inexpensive (often free!) ways to connect with your clients and community. Whether you are writing a business bio for your LinkedIn page or content for your e-newsletter, a thoughtfully crafted message can have a tremendous impact. Conversely, a poorly-composed or error-riddled piece gives your reader the impression that you are careless, disorganized, or uninformed.
The great news: composing an effective message is simple. With the help of a few tips, you can produce written material that compliments your business and resonates with your audience.
1. Slow down. Really. The most significant way to improve your communications and present well is to slow down. Many of us are afflicted with a constant sense of urgency—sometimes real, sometimes simply out of habit. If you are stressed or distracted, it will show up in your writing. Convey a calm and collected image by cultivating calm for yourself. Type slowly. Breathe. Re-read slowly. Your readers will appreciate it—and respond.
2. Address your readers’ needs and interests. Start by asking yourself what you really want to convey and how this information benefits the reader. What do you want your readers to know? Why do they need to know it? How does it help them? Start right off with this relevant information.
3. Be concise and scannable. Readers tend to scan electronic text quickly. The easier you make it for them to capture the beneficial information, the more engaged and responsive they will be. Try using bulleted lists or short paragraphs that begin with the main concept. Provide links to content that goes into greater detail or provides more information (you can place this information further down on the page or on a separate Web page).
4. Be true to your signature style. If you have a formal, “corporate” image, use formal language and follow traditional rules of grammar and style. If you have a relaxed image, choose a conversational tone and break some “traditional” rules. For example, you might use sentence fragments (“And so do I!”) or end a sentence with a preposition (“What are you afraid of?”). A casual voice feels approachable and invites intimacy.
However, beware of forced “breeziness.” Writers may try to compensate for the necessary brevity of their text by using overly lighthearted language. This often comes across as an attempt to ingratiate oneself with the reader. To avoid eye-roll-inducing language, simply read your text aloud and ask yourself (or better yet, a listener) if you would actually talk like that.
5. Use consistent formatting. Double check that each line in a bulleted list is formatted consistently. If you refer to one client by her last name, refer to all clients by last name. This is a simple matter of style that contributes greatly to a polished finished product.
6. Give yourself permission to write a really rough first draft. You don’t have to be brilliant and eloquent the first time around. Once you have your thoughts on paper (or screen), come back later to revise and improve your content.
7. Let your writing “rest” before you post. Electronic publishing (blogging, tweeting, etc.) makes it dangerously easy to publish a piece immediately after you compose it. Please don’t! Instead, take a break and then return to the piece with fresh eyes. Even a short break can make a big difference—you might realize that what you thought was straightforward actually sounds vague, or notice that you forgot to insert that link you promised.
8. Have another person proofread your writing. Whenever possible, have someone else proofread your text. An “outsider” is more likely to identify jargon or terminology that might confuse your readers. In addition to catching typos and other errors that you, the author, don’t see, your proofreader might identify unintended double-meanings or ways in which your words could be misconstrued.
If you take your time, own your style, and put your readers’ needs first, you will be well on your way to creating great client and community relationships through communications. Happy writing!
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Molly Thurston Parker is a freelance editor specializing in small business communications. She believes that when we put our words out into the world, we are issuing an invitation for connection and relationship. When our communications reflect the integrity of our endeavors, our audience is engaged and inspired to connect personally and professionally. Molly provides editorial services for a wide range of business communications, such as print and electronic newsletters, Web content, blogs, presentation materials, marketing collateral, journal articles, and more. Learn more at mollyedits.com.