Want to improve your business writing? Check out these 11 tips to make your writing clear and deliver your messages to your audiences. Some of these will apply to articles you write or content on your website. Others will help you write better emails.
Writing Tip #1: Scrutinize your openings.
Go back and look at your opening after you complete a new draft of an article for your website, speech or anything else. Do you need those first few sentences? Sometimes what we initially open with is the equivalent to clearing our throats before we speak. It is an important part of the writing process to warm us up and allow us to get into the story. But, often, a piece is stronger without those first few lines. Try it for a more powerful opening.
Writing Tip #2: Identify your filler words of habit.
We all do it. Just like we clear our throats in our initial openings, we also insert filler words when we write. Take 15 minutes to re-read your recent work. Identifying which unnecessary words you tend to use can help you make your current drafts stronger and limit it in the future. Common culprits include just, very, also, so, that, then, really and like.
Writing Tip #3: Stick to active voice.
Our verb choice can make a big difference in clearing clutter from our writing. Most of the time, active voice will be the best and simplest choice. In other words, instead of explaining that homecooked meals are prepared by your personal chef business, say that you prepare homecooked meals as a personal chef.
Writing Tip #4: Look for double words.
Another bad habit is using two words together that mean the same thing. Take a pass through your piece specifically for this because they can be hard to spot. Common examples include end result, advanced planning, surrounded on all sides, and drop down.
Writing Tip #5: Add sprints into your article writing routine.
Get done with a meeting 10 minutes early? Is your doctor’s office running behind and you’ll be in the waiting room for a while? Take advantage of brief blocks of time to do a writing sprint. Either type on your phone or write in a notebook. The goal is to write fast and furious and get as many words down as you can. It will not be your best work, and that is okay. You’ll fix that later when editing. But you’ll have gotten in a couple hundred more words than you would have if you spent that same time checking out social media or emails on your phone.
Writing Tip #6: Make your business description memorable.
The key to making your business description memorable is to make sure it has emotion and personality. You want your target audience to personally connect with what you’re saying. Ideally, they see themselves, or someone they know, in your story. Add in anything you can think of to ramp up the emotional connection, while making sure it still sounds authentic to you and appropriate to the business.
Writing Tip #7: Vary your descriptions.
Without realizing it, we often repeat the same word or phrase, particularly if we’re describing a product, service, or project. A good test is to read your story backwards to catch these repeated words. Use a thesaurus to come up with another way to say it.
Writing Tip #8: Use simple sentences.
When we put too many ideas into one sentence, we risk confusing the reader. It makes our writing complicated to read and forces the reader to figure out what we’re saying. Instead, separate distinct thoughts into their own sentences. You can combine different thoughts if they build on each other, but you want to avoid combining unrelated ideas. If you find yourself using several commas, hyphens or semicolons in a sentence, it’s a good indication that you have too much going on.
Writing Tip #9: Remove extra words.
Make each word count. Again, reading what you’re writing backwards can sometimes make it easier to spot clutter in your writing. It’s also a great trick is to try to write as if you’re posting the content to social media. Can you find a way to fit it into those character counts? Even if your final piece is longer, this exercise will help you identify unnecessary details or words.
Writing Tip #10: Use the Find function in your document program.
To help identify words that show up often in your writing, use the Find function in your document program. Swap out any that you can to make your writing more interesting and engaging for the reader. For cases where you can’t substitute a word – such as naming the service you provide – try to rephrase sentences so that you limit how many times you use the word in a given piece.
Writing Tip #11: Cut the jargon.
We often incorporate industry jargon without even realizing it. Our target customers are probably also familiar with the lingo, so what is the problem? A little bit of it is fine, especially if you are a business-to-business operation. But, you can make your writing more powerful if you limit its use. By using simple, common words, you make your writing accessible to everyone. If your writing can be understood by your kids, grandma or a friend, then you know you are keeping the piece clear. If it’s easy for them to follow, then your customers will have no problem either.
Take Action
Pick a few of these that you want to try out in your upcoming communications at work. Keep trying new things – remember there is no finish line in becoming a stronger writer.
