Messaging, content, PR, branding, marketing: all of these different elements have one thing in common—they require writing. Whether you’re writing copy for an educational pamphlet, a blog post or a commercial script, it is important to use your words effectively.
Improving one’s writing skills is like putting another tool in your marketing arsenal, as your content can become more compelling and engaging. So how does one improve his or her writing? Here are three tips to help you become a better writer.
- Read
This one is simple. Reading exposes you to new words and phrases and can inspire you to take on a more ambitious style. Reading all different types of work (news, nonfiction, fiction and poetry) allows you to become a better, well-rounded writer, just like taking several different classes in school makes you a better student. Just because you’re a science major doesn’t mean there’s no value in studying history.
- Read your writing aloud
Don’t be afraid of embarrassment. If reading what you put on the page doesn’t “sound” good when you read it aloud, you probably want to revisit your copy. Writing is like a conversation on paper, so if it doesn’t sound good when spoken, it’s probably not going to be any better when written.
- Use verbs and nouns as your entrée and adjectives and adverbs as your side dishes
If you want to make a meat-and-potatoes analogy, verbs and nouns are the meat and adjectives and adverbs are the potatoes. That’s not to say that adjectives and adverbs should be avoided at all costs, but a heavy dose of descriptors might lead your prose into the “fluffy” or “rosy” categories.
Writing can be difficult for some people, and it’s easy to get set in your ways, but with a little practice, and employing tips like these, you can become a regular Proust in no time.
