Why your business and ideas deserve exceptional writing.
Talking-the-talk, brilliant ideas and beautiful logo and design aren’t enough when it comes to blogging, business or advancing at work.
Whether we want to or not, we all need to write. At work, we’re asked to write emails, reports, briefings, presentations, newsletters. And there’s no escaping it when it’s your own business – web content, ebooks, blog articles, social media.
Writing well may be difficult, but it’s worth the investment in time and effort, every time. Here are six reasons why quality written communication is essential to your success – in business and at work.
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1. You need to get a message across
What’s the point? Mostly, in business at least, you have a reason for writing – a purpose. A writing goal.
Of course, you want your reader to read right to the end. But you also want them to follow through with whatever you’re asking them to do – congratulate (or reward) you for your stellar work ethic; volunteer at your child’s school; sign up to your newsletter; accept your proposal; share your blog post.
To achieve this, your message needs to be crystal clear – and visible (not hidden in fluff).
If you don’t write clearly and concisely, you lack clarity. You’re likely to confuse and possibly even lose your reader. And you won’t get your message across.
Which wastes your time – and your reader’s.
2. You want your reader to do something
To achieve your writing goal, you need to engage and hold your reader’s attention. You need to get your message across and compel your reader to follow through on your call-to-action.
If your writing is lively, easy to read and speaks to your reader, your reader will likely enjoy reading it – and keep on reading. Keep these factors in mind when you start a writing journey, and you’ll soon find your writing voice.
3. Your image is at stake
As you communicate with your reader over the length of your piece of writing, you build a relationship of trust and loyalty.
Often, you want your name or your brand to stay ‘top of mind’. Every point of contact – whether written or otherwise – is an opportunity to work on this.
Many elements go into a well-written, credible piece of communication, but two of the most important are your messages and your language – the words you use.
Over-the-top claims, unbelievable information, pompous language or a flurry of careless errors can all detract from your message – and can damage your image. It’s super important to ensure what you write is credible in every way.
And if it’s someone else’s information you’re sharing, my feeling is that if you wouldn’t press publish as if it were your own, you shouldn’t share it. I click on every article before repinning on Pinterest. While I know perfection isn’t possible, I won’t share content that’s poorly written and at odds with my own professional standards.
Do you write too many words?
Cut the clutter with the ‘Write Less, Say More’ cheat sheet
4. You gain respect
When you write well, the respect you gain from your reader – be it your boss, a client, subscribers, students or junior staff – can lead to opportunities such as advancement, mentoring, collaboration, even promotion.
Writing well every time ensures you don’t jeopardise your professional standards.
5. You become more efficient
Of course, every writing task requires time and energy, but as your writing improves, the time it takes to complete each task lessens. Eventually – if it’s a simple email, for example – you may need to write something just once. Of course, it should always undergo a proofread!
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6. Your confidence grows
One road block to finding the right words is your own confidence. As your writing improves, your confidence grows and you’re no longer afraid of the writing process – or the end result. And the more your confidence grows, the easier it gets. The words come faster, they flow more easily and you’ll be more concise from the outset.
Questions? Thoughts? Leave a comment below.
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- Write less, say more: Make more impact by writing fewer words
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- The power of simplicity: How to keep even the most complex writing task simple
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