The writing frame that’s almost always positive
Positive language makes your writing clearer, friendlier, shorter and more actionable. Most of the time. Find out when a negative frame can work for you.
Plain language writing tips
Plain language is all about reaching more of your customers or clients by creating content your user understands quickly, easily, and completely.
How to give feedback on content
Outsourcing writing is like getting a suit tailored. If you wanted something to wear straight away, you’d pay $50 for a Kmart special, all shiny and baggy around the elbows.
How pair writing solves business problems
The idea of two people finding time to sit down together can feel like a big ask for busy organisations. Here’s why it’s worth it.
Three words and phrases that should (usually) be banished forever
Whatever you’re writing – a brochure, a website, a wedding speech – you want it to connect with people. For your writing to connect, people must be paying attention.
No judgement: a better way to lift your writing
“If you use these words in your marketing, your marketing is bad and you should feel bad.” The author — a branding and marketing consultant — reeled off his list of trigger words. Then helpfully provided his contact details, should you need someone to rescue you from a pit of self-loathing.
Editing your own work: what is ‘good enough?’
How do we set standards for the quality of our writing? And how do we apply them so they work for us, not against us?
Long content: don’t get caught by the volume trap
With the recent rise of content marketing, there’s a lot of pressure to produce. “Your business will succeed if you churn out content,” the advice goes. The more the better. One article I read recently states that longer articles are more likely to go viral. The research just doesn’t support this advice.
Why clear writing works better for all readers
Conventional wisdom is that clear writing only matters when you’re writing for the general public, or people with less formal education. Health awareness campaigns for teenagers. Supermarket catalogues. Warning signs at the edges of cliffs.
How to sharpen your content: write like an Egyptian
When you write for business, you write for short attention spans. You can’t expect a client to trudge through pages of preamble before they arrive, exhausted and mud-spattered at the thing you want to tell them.