5 simple tips to instantly improve your writing

Everyone can write.

That sentence causes a lot of controversy among professional writers. Many would say that not everybody can write; there are those who have a knack for it, and those who don’t.

But having edited the work of hundreds of writers of all levels of experience over the years, I don’t believe that to be true. Writing is a skill and, like any other skill, it can be learned and refined.

Below are five tips that you can apply to instantly improve your marketing copy and web content writing to better connect with your audience.

1. Keep it simple

You write content to be read. So write for the reader.

Readers don’t want to have to wade through chunks of copy filled with words they don’t recognise. They want to find the answer to the question or solution to their problem quickly and easily.

Which is why the most important rule for writing content marketing is to ensure you have a clear message that your audience can understand. You want what you’re writing about to be the focus, not how you’re writing it.

Ironically, keeping it simple can be tough to do, but there are a few tried-and-true tactics you can use to ensure that your content or copy is easy to read:

Use plain language: Unless it’s completely necessary, avoid jargon, unnecessary (and unexplained) acronyms, technical or unusual words, and obscure phrases.
Be brief: Stick to short sentences and paragraphs – don’t use two words where one will do and break your text up into easily digestible pieces (five lines is usually best).
Follow a plan: Set a clear goal for your writing and create an outline that will keep you on track and ensure you communicate what you need to without unnecessary diversions.

2. Stay active

Use the active voice in your writing wherever possible, following the subject, verb, object construction. In other words: put your reader – or the thing you’re writing about – at the front of your sentence.

Using this sentence structure does a lot for your writing. It helps to insert the reader into your marketing story and turns your call-to-action into a command, all while making your content easier to read for non-native speakers.

What’s more, the active voice requires fewer words, so it will help you to keep things simple too.

There are some instances where the passive voice might be beneficial (like varying the cadence of your sentences) or impossible to avoid, but try your best to only use it sparingly.

3. Be different

Variety, according to a well-worn saying, is the spice of life. Using different words, types and lengths of sentences and paragraphs, text treatments, and structural elements will help to keep your readers engaged.

Use headings and subheadings

Break your copy up using headings and subheadings.

In a world where most users simply scan webpages without reading them, headings and subheadings help to guide the eye to important information. They also make the page more easily navigable – and Google loves them!

When creating headings and subheadings, be clear and concise. Point to exactly what the reader can expect to find in the copy they’re about to read.

Add different text elements

Text elements like call-outs, pull quotes, bullets and even text treatments (think bold and italic) are great ways to draw attention to different parts and piece of your content.

Highlight important notes or summaries using a call-out. Or feature words from an industry leader using a pull quote. Action items can easily be listed using numbered or bulleted lists. While bold and italic text help to stress key words or phrases. Avoid underlining, though, as this usually indicates a hyperlink on the web.

That said, too many text element in one piece of content can be distracting for the reader. So don’t get carried away.

Vary how you write and the words you use

The words you choose and structure you use have an impact on your writing.

While some words are out – like jargon and tech specs – synonyms are definitely in. Perform a search on your text and whip out your thesaurus to find replacements words you’ve used frequently.

Note: Be sure to take note of the meaning and connotation of the word you’re finding synonyms for – words may have the same meaning, but convey a different feeling to a reader.

As author Gary Provost pointed out, rhythm is really important for holding a reader’s attention. Long sentences sound smoother. Shorter ones are snappier. But it’s best to use a combination of the two to create cadence in your copy.

Paragraphing is important, too. Group like thoughts together, but try to avoid passages that spill over more than five lines. If you’re looking to draw attention to a point without using any other visual cues, a single-sentence paragraph will certainly do.

4. Be positive

Favouring positive expressions over negative ones has heaps of advantages for both your writing and your brand.

Word choice has a huge impact on the tone of your content. Negative words can lead to a condescending, adversarial or even hostile tone, and nobody wants to read something that makes them feel as though they’re under attack. Plus, negative expressions are often wordier, so leaving them out can tighten your copy.

Scan your writing for the following words and replace them with a positive alternative where beneficial:

‘no’ and ‘not’
Words with negative prefixes (un-, in-, mis- and non-)
Negative adverbs (e.g. scarcely, hardly)

5. Know your reader

Definitely the most tricky of the five tips, knowing your reader will ensure you understand who you’re writing for. Which will help you to identify what information to include in your content, how to arrange that information and choose the right words, plus how to make a connection with the people reading them.

Many content marketing experts will tell you that you need delve into piles of data and create buyer personas to understand your reader. But this isn’t necessary.

If you’re just starting out or are writing content to build a portfolio, think about who you want to help with your content. Keep it simple but specific. Think about the interests your reader has or problems they want to solve. And take it from there.

Takeaways

Anyone can write. And write well.

To maximise the efficacy of your content, be sure to understand who you’re writing for and adjust your style to suit that audience.

Who you’re writing for and what you’re writing about aside, your content should always be clear and concise, and laid out in a way that’s easy to scan. What’s more, you want to introduce variation with the words you use, the structural elements and how you set up your paragraphs.

You can always use tools like Grammarly or even Microsoft Word’s built-in checker to catch any mistakes, but the best way to ensure long-term improvements to practise!