Today’s guest is Linda Coss, a professional copywriter – you know, the people who come up with clever things to say on a regular basis. To those who don’t write well (or hate doing it) this seems like an anomaly…that’s why I am excited about this post; she breaks it down into something doable and maybe even a fun challenge to get your creative writing juices flowing.
As a professional marketing copywriter, I spend much of my workday writing. I write websites, brochures, newsletters, direct mail, articles, you name it – all of the things that businesses need to get the word out about their products and services.
I love writing. Chances are, however, you don’t. But with today’s social media explosion, if you’ve got a blog, Facebook page, etc, you probably find yourself spending a chunk of your day writing, too. As you may have noticed, it’s easy to get lazy and stop paying attention to the mechanics of good writing. I’ve got good news for you: improving your writing doesn’t have to be difficult! Here are five easy things you can do to produce blogs and other posts that your “friends” and “followers” will actually enjoy reading:
- Know your audience. Think about who you are writing for. What are their interests? What problems do they face? What tone and language should you use when speaking to them?
- Stay on topic. Start by making an outline of the main points that you want to convey, and then stick to it. Avoid going off on tangents! Then, after you write your first draft, take a hard look to see if you can trim it down.
- Use strong words. This is another way to make your writing more interesting. For example, write “the party was amazing” versus “the party was nice,” or “he dashed across the room” versus “he walked across the room.”
- Give examples. Examples can make ideas easier to understand, personalize your writing and make it more accessible. Use visuals to further illustrate your points.
- Eliminate repeated words. It can be extremely annoying when a writer keeps using the same words or phrases many times in the same sentence or paragraph. Don’t annoy people with this annoying habit that can leave readers feeling quite annoyed. (See what I mean?)
Did that help? I challenge you to start paying attention to these elements the next time you start typing (or do it old school and pick up a pen). If you are still struggling, get in touch with Linda!
About the author:
Linda Coss is a freelance marketing copywriter who helps businesses become more profitable by writing persuasive, targeted and effective messages for their sales and marketing materials. Visit her website at www.PlumtreeMarketingInc.com.
