5 rules to write by - if you do nothing else, do these…
I’ve distilled a four-year degree in writing and more than a decade of professional experience into just five key rules to write by.
I wrote these rules with marketing in mind, but when I say marketing, I mean more than selling a product or service. Marketing can also mean that you’re trying to capture your audience’s attention, influence or ‘sell’ an idea. For example, you might use a personal statement to convince a college admissions committee or use persuasive writing to garner interest in your non-profit’s mission. In one way or another, we’re all marketing.
Here are the top five need-to-know tips for writing that will get you what you want.
If you do nothing else, make sure to do these things to write well.
VOICE IS EVERYTHING
An old piece of writing advice that’s as relevant as ever: Whatever it is you’re writing, your best friend should be able to tell that you wrote it. In other words, your writing should sound the same way you speak.
The same applies to brands. Your brand voice should be recognizable without your name or logo. Your brand should be talking in all your written content.
But finding the right brand voice isn’t easy. That’s where professional writers come in handy. A copywriter will determine your brand voice largely based on your target audience because, ultimately, you want to be speaking the same language as those you hope to engage.
For example, some brands have a casual tone that allows for slang and sometimes even profanity. For many (if not most) brands, this would be inappropriate; but these companies’ brand voices resonate because they’re speaking the same language as their target audience.
Just as important as choosing a brand voice is being consistent with that voice. Think of your brand as a person — they’re not going to speak differently from one day to the next. (Most people don’t do that, right?!)
2. LESS IS MORE
I’ve got three words for you: Less is more. People’s attention spans are shorter than ever. On average, people only read about 20% of words on a page. So, if you write 500 words, your reader will only read about 100 of them. (To be honest, I rarely read past the subtitle of online articles…)
Yikes.
TLDR; When in doubt, cut. Writing today has to be concise and clear, and you need to make your point as fast as possible. Adding more words will NOT make you more convincing — it will just bore your audience. A high word count does not equal high worth.
If you’ve worked with me, you know that I can be brutal with cutting. That’s because you can almost always get your point across in fewer words. So cut the fluff and make the most of that 20%!
3. MAKE IT PERSONAL
Do you know what sells? Stories do! Want proof? Think about every movie, show or book character you despised until you learned about their backstory.
People like stories — especially about other people. Let your reader in. Tell them a story like they’re your friend.
Stories are real. Even if it’s complete fiction, a good story feels real. And that’s what good writing is: Authentic. Relatable. Personal.
Stories are what connect us as human beings. Your words will have much more impact when you tell a story that packs a punch.
4. SHOW, DON’T TELL
This is an oft-repeated rule of good writing. “Show, don’t tell” means a good writer gives examples and evidence that lead a reader to an idea rather than telling them what they should think.
Let people come to their own conclusions: don’t tell them that you’re worth investing in — show them that you are.
5. DON’T OVERSELL
I’m guilty of this one. We’ve all done it. We try too hard to sell ourselves (or our product/service) that we end up overdoing it, cheapening our true value in the long run.
You don’t need to try so hard. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to impress or prove something. Your words have value because they communicate yourvalue. Your words are meant to communicate that value — not to try to be something or someone more or different than you are.
There’s an old saying I like to remind myself of: “No one is you. That’s your superpower.”
If you keep these five golden rules in mind next time you write for yourself or your business, you’re guaranteed to have a greater impact.