It's impossible to be in business without producing some
written communication. Whether it's a press release, a
brochure, an article, or a product sheet, sooner or later,
you'll have to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!).
And when you do, use these tips to maximize your message!
1. Know your audience and keep them in mind as you write.
You must always know who your intended audience is for a
communication piece. Who's the target market? Why is this so
darn important? Well, because if you don't define your
market, how can you write to your prospective clients about
the things that matter to them? And if you don't write about
what matters to them, you won't touch them in ways that make
them want to take action - buy your product, or hire you,
for example?
2. Know the difference between features versus benefits.
Put yourself in the mind of your prospective client and view
your product or service from their point of view. Most
business owners can tell you about the "features" they
offer, but not always about how those features "benefit" the
customer. And since the customer is - by definition - the
person purchasing your goods or services, doesn't it make
sense to focus on the benefits to them?
Good example: A tire company ran a commercial with an infant
floating inside a tire on a pool of water. The baby looked
warm and dry and safe. The official "feature" was the good
traction the tires provide in wet conditions, but the
"benefit" being sold was you providing safety for your
family. See the difference?
3. Do some competitive research, and use that research to
enhance your marketing materials.
The Internet offers you great opportunities to see how
others in your field are marketing themselves. You might
find approaches that you can adapt to your own business.
4. There are few things worse than a blank piece of paper!
I saw a "Spongebob Squarepants" episode recently in which
Spongebob had to write an 800 word essay. He had about eight
hours to do it, and by the end of 7 hours, all he had to
show was a series of false starts, crossed out words, and a
title.
This is certainly my experience as well. Don't go for
"perfect" the first time through. Just write and write and
write until all your thoughts are out on paper. Don't worry
about style or grammar, just get the words out. Afterwards,
you can go back and revise, edit, and polish.
5. Write like you talk.
I read recently that although people sometimes think a
"formal" writing style sounds "professional," it isn't the
most effective way to communicate. And while it may be an
oversimplification to suggest you write exactly like you
talk, here are the basics: a) Go for a conversational style.
You're building a relationship with prospective customers,
so it's okay to let your personality shine through. b) Talk
directly to the recipient of your letter or email; you want
to tell them why they're hiring "you."
6. Break some rules – starting with these two!
Do not use contractions. In most business communications,
it's okay to use contractions. Using contractions
contributes to conversational style.
Don't end a sentence with a preposition. As someone who's
jumped through many hoops trying to follow this rule, I say
"yippee" to this one. If our goal is clear communication,
then abolishing this rule is something we can all agree on.
(Isn't that better than "Abolishing this rule is something
on which we can all agree."?)
7. Avoid passive voice.
Use active voice instead. What's the difference? In active
voice, the subject of the sentence acts directly upon the
object – "Cat bites dog." In passive voice, the subject of
the verb does not act – "The dog was bitten by the cat."
Another hint: Passive voice includes some form of the verb
"be" – am, is, are, was, for example.
8. Give yourself enough time.
It's hard to write well. It's even harder to write well –
fast. Whenever possible, plan to allow enough time to write,
leave the copy for a couple of days, and then return with
fresh eyes.
9. Be kind to your reader.
Write the shortest sentences possible. Break long ideas into
shorter paragraphs. If you're writing a long report, use
subtitles to break up your text, and help the reader follow
your path.
10. Talk directly to your reader.
This is especially important in creating a relationship with
a reader, a potential customer or client, for example. Read
these two sentence openers: "A customer will achieve great
results…" versus "You will achieve great results…
The other side of this coin is to refrain from using the
third person when you're describing yourself, your products,
or your services. Using the third person creates a distance
between you and your reader and is really only appropriate
for bios and press releases. Make everything first person
and personal – "I offer this to you" or "We offer that to
our customers."
©2005, Karen Kanakanui, WordsAreUs, is a copywriter who
helps business owners discover their own brilliance by
crafting communications that help you put your best foot
forward. Make your business communications stronger! Join
our ezine now at http://www.wordsareus.com