You’ve made yourself a coffee. And a tea. You’ve opened Instagram for the third time. But there’s no avoiding it any longer, the page awaits and you need to get this one off your to-do list: it’s time to write.
Whether it’s an article, report or email, some writing tasks leave us squirming in our seats and looking for the nearest exit. Happily, there is another way – and with a few tweaks to your approach you can be writing with zen-like ease.
Here are 4 simple ways to speed up your writing today (without typing any faster).
Why not share these tips with your team to help everyone work at their best?
Write for Dave, the vegan guy in accounts
You know your customers inside out. But when it comes to everyday tasks like writing a news article for your company intranet, it can be easy to let your customer focus slip.
Take a moment to remind yourself. Who are you writing for? What are their values and goals? Why should they care about what you’re saying?
No matter who your audience is, people are people. We all have wants, dreams, problems and dislikes. We all find stuff boring.
If you’re writing an email to one person it can help to picture them. If you’re writing an article for a bunch of people, the same rule applies. Take Dave from accounts: he’s recently become vegan, watches The Bachelor and has a dog called Madge. Write the article for Dave – you’ll have more focus and confidence which will help the words flow.
Spend time planning, save time writing
This one sounds boring, but trust me it’s worth it. Open a new page and plan out your article before you type single a word of the real thing.
Here’s how:
- Jot down a working headline (don’t spend time on it – we’ll get to that soon)
- Quickly list your key points or sub-headings
- Under each key point throw down any facts, statements or quotes you can think of to support your point
- Write a clear call to action – that’s what you want people to do such as “RSVP by 11 May” or “watch the video now”.
Don’t spend much time playing with words yet – focus on getting the skeleton down on paper. Then double check, are you happy with what you’ve got? Is it enough to sway Dave?
Write averagely, edit ruthlessly
The trick now is to write, write, write. Get those words down for each point and don’t try to make it perfect – you’ll get distracted. Aim for good enough until your first draft is complete.
Now boil the kettle again: it’s time to edit.
Here’s when you can slow down and focus on the details. Read your piece through and take time to smooth out your sentences. Delete excess words. Look for places where you can style up your piece – for example by using bullet points or an image instead of a long paragraph. Check out my blog on writing better emails for some helpful tips.
Give your headline and call to action extra love
Your headline (or subject line if it’s an email), opening statement and call to action all have a big impact on whether readers pay attention and take action, so it makes sense to invest time and effort in these areas.
You want each of these to be clear, punchy and irresistible to your readers. And remember even if you’re writing in a business-to-business setting, people have emotions. Your headline in particular should reflect this, ideally with some powerful, emotive or gripping language – without being too spammy.
Here’s an example of a stale subject line:
“Introducing our new corporate brand image”
vs
“The big reveal of our vibrant new brand”
Pro tip! You can test the strength of your headline with a free online tool by CoSchedule
I’m keen to know – did you find this advice useful? Comment below and let me know what other topics I should cover.
Need expert help with copywriting? Contact me today and let’s talk about your next writing project. As an opening month special, if you book me before 29 February 2020 I’ll give you 25% off your invoice for the project.*
*25% off the invoice total for your project before GST is applied. Applies to one project only.
“I highly recommend working with Gemma. She is an absolute professional in every way, and her insights are invaluable. She quickly understands the strategic context to develop messaging and communications that are on-message and engaging”.
Rachelle HardieNeil, Executive Vice President, New Zealand College of Chiropractic