Do you ever finish writing something, like a blog post or your ezine or even a short promotional email, and as you’re reading it over you think, “Ugh. This is boring!”?
Chances are, what you’ve written is perfectly decent. But it just doesn’t have that snap, crackle and pop. And while you’ve got some good information to share, you’re wondering if anyone will get past the first paragraph, much less read the whole thing.
Oh, you are SO not alone!
Any entrepreneur who is marketing online needs to be cranking out a lot of high value content. And it’s silly to think that everything you write or create will be a sparkling gem of creative brilliance. Plus, sometimes, the creative juice turns sour, and we can’t seem to pump out anything fresh and tasty.
But even our so-so contributions can be kicked up a few notches if we take a few moments and ask ourselves a 5 questions about what we’re writing and why.
Here are 5 Questions that may help you take your writing from boring to brilliant.
Question # 1: Do You Know What You Really Want to Say?
If your writing isn’t making your heart sing, it could be that you’re not completely clear on what it is you want to communicate. Or you’re talking around and over and in between what you really want to say. You’re either not clear or you’re holding back something out of fear or timidity.
Before you start to write, get as clear as you can about what you are trying to communicate and why. If you’re currently staring at a piece of writing that needs some zip, ask yourself, have you really said what you want to say? Is there something you’re holding back? Is your message clear?
Just by getting clear on what you really want to communicate you’ll be able to make some tweaks that will dramatically strengthen the power of your message.
Question #2: Are You Writing To One Person… or Many?
You’ve probably heard this before, but it bears repeating: when you write, write to one person. Have one specific person in your heart and mind, and write to that one person. This is why it’s critical to create a vivid ideal client profile so you can direct all your writing to that ideal client.
(By the way, I show you how to create your ideal client profile in the free 5-Step Formula, “Transform Your Website Into a Client Attraction Machine”... which is available to you right over there in the right-hand column of this website. Just saying.)
If you’re writing just to get some piece of information out there, your message will be flabby and flaccid. But if you write to communicate and connect with that “one person” you have in mind, not only will your words come more easily, those words will be much more alive and full of zip.
Question #3: Does Your Message Have a Heartbeat?
I can’t begin to tell you how many blog posts I’ve read that are so dry and dusty I feel parched after reading them. There is nothing inherently wrong with these posts. They offer some worthwhile information. But there is no energy, no personality and no passion! It’s as if the blogger found some worthwhile facts, put them into cohesive sentences and wallpapered them up on her blog.
If you don’t feel something about what you are writing, if you aren’t at least interested or excited about what you are sharing, your writing is going to read like a phonebook. I’m not saying you have to be filled with evangelical-like fire, but you have to at least care about your message, about what you are trying to share with your reader.
If you don’t care, why should anyone else?
Question #4: Who Cares?
The other day a client of mine told me she was watching a short video presentation, and the whole time she was watching, she kept saying to herself, “Who cares?” Obviously, the information being shared wasn’t ringing her chimes or addressing anything she found relevant. It was just a lot of blah-blah-blah.
The last thing you want people to think when reading your writing is “Who cares?” And the best way to avoid that kind of heartbreak is to reread your writing and be the one to ask that question first! Read whatever you have written and ask yourself, who cares? The answer should be your ideal client or reader.
You want the message of your writing to be relevant, useful and inspiring to the person for whom you are writing. This is why you need to always have him or her in mind as you write. If you ask the question, “who cares?” and you can’t confidently say, “my ideal client,” then you may need to seriously rework it. Or even throw it out and start again with something your ideal client will care about.
It’s not that every piece you write needs to provide earth-shattering revelations or never-shared-before tips. It just needs offer something worth your reader’s time and attention. It could be something funny or a personal story. It could be a simple offer of thanks, acknowledgement or appreciation. Anything that your reader can relate to and connect with.
Question # 5: So What?
Now, this question may appear to duplicate the “Who cares?” question, but it doesn’t. Because the answer to “So what?” is different. While the “Who cares?” question can help you identify whether you’re writing something your particular ideal client will find relevant, the “So what?” question will help you get to the guts of your message, the reason why it’s worth sharing.
Here’s what I mean.
Let’s say you’ve written an email about an upcoming teleseminar you’re offering. You’ve shared what it is, when it is and why you’re excited about being able to offer it. You’ve mentioned a few key points you’ll be covering in the teleseminar and even teased your reader with a possible special tip you’ll share on the call.
Cool.
Now, read what you’ve written and keep asking yourself, so what? When you read about your key points, ask yourself, so what? Why should your reader care about any of this? What’s in it for her or him? Why is this teleseminar and/or the key points you share of any consequence to them?
Whatever your answers are, those need to be IN your email! That is the stuff that’s going to interest your reader and make your writing so much juicier and captivating! Dig in to the So What? It will radically pump up the power of your writing.
And here’s one more Bonus Question: Can You Cut It In Half?
This doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a try. Take whatever you’ve written and edit it down to half the size. Yep, half. Make your point and share your message with half the amount of words you’ve got there on that page. Make it a game, a little editorial challenge. “Hey, I wonder if I can say the same thing with 50% less verbiage?”
See what happens to your writing. You’ll have to get to the point more quickly, which will help you see if you even have a point or if that point is worth sharing. It can be brutal, I know. But buck up and take it on! It will improve your writing, turbo-charge your message and kick up your confidence.
And hey, let me know how it goes for you! Did these questions help you kick up the power of your message? If so, how? Let me know by leaving a comment below.