Writing with impact: whether you’re crafting an email to your team or copy for consumers, it’s never been more challenging to capture people’s attention and make sure your message sticks.
These top-level tips will help you communicate more effectively – whatever you’re writing.
- Be empathetic
The first place to start is always with your audience, rather than what you want to say. Put yourself in their shoes. How do they feel? What do they want or need to know? And what will resonate with them? - Be prepared
Good writing starts with lots of planning. So do your thinking and research first. Then plan what you want to say, where and how, before you start writing. If you do this, you’ll find the words flow much more easily and your writing will be more streamlined and have more power. - Be clear
Particularly in times of crisis, change or uncertainty, people want clarity. Everyone’s processing lots of information every day and it’s even harder to absorb details when you’re stressed. So get to the point quickly – start with what’s most important to your audience and be specific. To make sure your writing is easy to digest, keep it brief and use everyday words and short sentences. - Be natural
When you’ve got something difficult to say or are trying hard to impress, it’s easy to slip into a more formal or jargon-filled way of communicating. But this can make your message hard to understand and creates a distance between you and your audience. Whatever your tone of voice is, make sure your communications feel conversational, like a real person, and natural to you or your brand. - Be honest
People appreciate honesty and openness. It helps to build trust in you and your brand, even if you have bad news to communicate. Where possible, try to communicate a benefit for your audience, or at least frame things positively. Even if it’s just to say, ‘Remember we’re here for you’ rather than ‘Don’t forget we’re here for you’.
Want help writing with impact? Just ask Fresh. Whether you need support with internal communications or external copy, our copywriters will help you ensure your messaging has the effect you’re looking for.