NOLA Communications - Writing services for small and mid-sized businesses

BETTER BIZ WRITING TIPS - ISSUE 11 - MARCH 2009 - Write effectively, write short

If there's one critical tip for improving you writing and making it more effective, it's this: write short.

Everyday, editors receive dozens of press releases, consumers are bombarded with emails and decision makers are overwhelmed with sales pitches. For whomever you are trying to reach, time is important and in today's world, you've got little more than a few seconds to make an impression or get your point across. Fail to capture your reader's attention with the headline and the first few sentences, chances are your correspondence will be quickly tossed aside.

With today's technology and the increasing availability of information over the web and on-the-go, its easy for your written communications to get buried in the avalanche of words. Printed pages are slowly on their way out and even as our desktops and laptops have become our primary portals, we're heading into a world where smart phones and handheld devices will likely be our main means of communication. In some new social media applications such as Twitter, your message is limited to a mere 140 characters.

Whatever the format, as the flow of information grows larger, your messages and written communications will have to grow shorter and stronger. With fewer words involved, writing short may seem simple but it can take some skill and time to get messages across in as few words as possible.

Writing short often comes down to prioritizing the goals of your particular piece of written material. Start by establishing a clear vision of the points that you want to communicate. Give the reader just enough information to spark interest or to take the next step but don't give all of the details. Hitting the main points of your message quickly and early on improves the odds that your message is actually reaching the reader.

If you can't summarize your message in one or two sentences, you might need to revisit you're the mission of your copy. You can also write shorter by scanning your copy and "trimming the fat" by eliminating unnecessary words. Trimming the fat not only makes your press release, web content or sales copy shorter, it also makes the remaining words more powerful.

You can also make long content appear or read shorter by breaking it up into smaller paragraphs or segments with subheadings. This is especially useful in the web and in certain print materials where readers tend to scan subheadings and segments rather than fully read a document.

Today, the most effective business communications are clear, simple and straight-to-the-point. Keep your message at the forefront, eliminate unnecessary words, make it short and you'll find that you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your copy.

EIGHT TIPS TO MAKE YOUR WRITING SHORT AND EFFECTIVE

1. Have a clear message. As hard as it may seem to cram it all in there, create a one-sentence statement that clarifies your primary message. If you can't summarize the main messages in one or two sentences, you need to rethink you mission.

2. Use an outline to identify the critical parts and details. If need be, create a list of secondary messages and supporting details that reinforce your primary message. Use the process of elimination to cut out the least relevant details.

3. Trim the fat. After you've written the body of your text, go through and cut unnecessary words. Then go through again and cut unnecessary words a second time.

4. Let the reader know where to go for more information. There's no reason to give the reader every single piece of information. Use your content to convey the most important elements then lead them to other sources of information.

5. Use the active voice. Using the active voice not only more directly conveys a message, it can usually do it in fewer words too. Passive example: "NOLA Communications was hired by John Doe Incorporated." Active example: "John Doe Incorporated hired NOLA Communications."

6. Don't let flair and style conceal substance. When it comes to most business writing such as press releases, sales letters, direct mail and web content, it's best just to skip the poetic prose and go for short and effective sentences.

7. K.I.S.S. Always remember the old adage of "Keep it Simple Stupid" by avoiding unnecessary complexity and keeping it simple.

8. Write in the "inverted pyramid" style. Often used in newspaper articles, the inverted pyramid style of writing puts summarizing sentences with the most important facts first then incorporates more details throughout the rest of the article.