I’m often asked, “What’s the secret of good writing?” Correct spelling and punctuation aside, here are my five Top Tips to make your marketing material more readable:
1. Make it personal – The best writing talks to us as individuals. I find the easiest way to get in the right frame of mind is to picture one of the people I’m talking to. If you’re drafting a letter to all of your customers, pick just one of them and keep them in mind as you write. You’ll automatically find yourself talking to him or her in a warm and friendly tone of voice.
2. Avoid jargon – Although there is something to be said for showing you know what you’re talking about, any readers who are not as familiar as you with the subject will simply miss the point.
3. Never use a long word when a short one will do just as well.
4. Put your work through the “So what?” test – Ask yourself why your reader will be remotely interested in what you’ve just written. And if they won’t be, cut it out.
5. Keep sentences short and simple.
It really is as easy as that!
