It’s inevitable: that point during a website discovery session (usually when we’re just starting to discuss content) when someone makes the oh-so-bold statement, “people just don’t read anymore.” It’s true. I’ll be the first to admit it. In this day of information overload, people don’t read for information; they skim, they scan, they browse. Does that mean we don’t need good writers anymore? No, it means exactly the opposite.
Gone are the days of long word counts when a writer could just sit back and spew. These days, you must make every word count. Whether it’s a blog post or website, self-mailer or brochure, good writing means smarter writing. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Get to the point. Know the key message points for every page, every paragraph, every sentence you write – before you start writing.
- Remember, it’s all about them. Don’t focus on product or service features, focus on benefits: how does this make the reader’s life or business better?
- Make your messages stand out. Use bullets, subheads and call out boxes/sidebars whenever possible.
- Tell them what to do next. No marketing piece is complete without a least one strong call-to-action.
- Keep it short. Enough said.
Do you have some writing tips of your own? Share them here. I promise to read every word.
