5 killer writing tips you can't afford to ignore

Grabbing people’s attention, keeping them interested and then making them pick up the phone – it might sound like I’m about to offer dating advice, but you’re on your own with that one.  What I’m sharing are five simple, but powerful writing tips to ensure that whatever you write, whether it’s a press release, a newsletter or even a letter of complaint to your Internet company (yes, we’ve all been there!), your audience sits up and takes notice.

I’m going to follow my own advice and get straight to the point. Here goes…

1. Identify the object of your interest

First things first, think about who your target audience is and what messages are going to resonate with them. For example, if you are a personal trainer and you would like to attract clients at the start of their weight loss journey, your target audience is more likely to be embarking on a fitness regime than competing in regular triathlons. Describing how brutal your latest circuits class was will have them running for the hills. Whilst that may well help them achieve their weight loss goal, it’s not going to increase your client numbers. Discussing healthy eating plans and tips on how to kick start an exercise regime are far more likely to have them running in your direction. 

2. Attract their attention

First impressions count. You have one opportunity to grab your reader’s attention, so it’s worth spending time on conjuring up a killer headline. You know who your audience is and what messages they want to hear, so create an emotional hook that they won’t be able to resist. They are about to invest their precious time in reading your words, so explain how it is going to benefit them.

3. An engaging introduction

Having captured your audience’s attention, you now need to hold their interest. That’s the job of the all important introduction. If your introduction doesn’t pack a powerful punch, then your reader is likely to leave, without so much as a backward glance, or a note. Can I let you into a secret? Sometimes I can stumble over writing an introduction. To avoid writer’s block before I’ve even got started, if I'm struggling, I’ll write the body copy first and come back to the intro. It always seems to flow better when I have the finished article laid out in front of me.

4. It’s you, not me

Whilst I’m aware that I now seem to be launching into ‘break-up advice’ territory, I can reassure you that my focus is still very much on writing tips. It is important that your audience identifies with what you are saying, so use ‘you’ and ‘your’ as much as you can, and keep references to  ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘we’ to a minimum.

5. Keep their interest

Your final challenge is to hold your reader’s interest so their attention is not diverted by another article with a flashier headline. Making it easy to read will help. Keep to the point and avoid repetition and lengthy sentences. Break up longer text into sections with subheadings so your reader only has bite sized chunks to digest.

The most important thing is to enjoy writing the piece. It’s a bit like smiling when you’re talking on the phone. Your smile is reflected in your voice and you naturally sound happier. If you’re not enjoying writing, then your final draft is likely to be stilted and stale. If you have some fun writing it, then your energy and enthusiasm will come across in the text. Of course, if writing really isn’t your bag, then you can always employ the services of a freelance copywriter! Get in touch today and let's see how I can help you.