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Make Your Prospects Read, Understand and Respond to Your Marketing Message by Wanda Loskot

And I am not talking about spelling and grammar only. While the mechanics are important, it is much more important HOW you say what you want to communicate. It is fairly easy to find someone who could correct your grammar and spell check is just a mouse click away, but a good content is not easy to create.

In writing (just like in speaking) what really counts is focusing on communication with the others rather than on trying to impress people with your wit, knowledge or experience.

And just like in speaking, the more effective you are in writing, the more people trust you, like you, contact you - and heck, yes - the more they buy from you.

I'm sure that these seven steps will help you write more effectively:

1. Know your objective
Before you write your first word, make sure that you know what your subject is and know the subject well enough to write about it. But above all, know what you want to accomplish. Why is it important? Because when you know where you are going it is easier to get there. You can find the supporting material by doing some research - on the other hand just knowing your topic well without a clear idea what you want to accomplish will lead you nowhere.

The more specific you are, the better. Consider the example of searching the web. If you only have a vague idea of what you want, you will end up with 258,978 (or more!) references. When you refine your search, you can more easily get to where you want to go.

So, what result do you want to produce?

• Do you want to educate your readers? 
• Gain their trust? 
• Dazzle them?
• Make them think? 
• Do you want them to call you?
• Or to order your special report? 
• Vote for you?
• Do you want them to read everything on your website and come back for more?
• Or maybe you just want them to remember you forever and tell everyone about you?
• All of the above?

Write down your objective in one paragraph - it might be difficult at first, so start with a few words, and build upon it. You will be amazed how easy it is to write when you really know what you want to accomplish. If you have trouble getting started, try writing "I'm having trouble getting started, what I mean to say is......" and watch it flow. Just let it come out, like brainstorming. 
 

2. Organize your message logically
Create an outline (you saw it coming - didn't you?) - from the first point in your introduction to the last one in the conclusion. Arrange your major points in a logical order. And then start to work on your opening and on your conclusion. 

I know it sounds strange but you should know your conclusion before you write the rest - like in everything else, the only way to write clearly is to know where you are going. 

Spend a lot of time on the headline and introduction because if you don't grab the reader's attention right from the beginning, the reader won't read the rest no 
matter how good it may be! 
 
 

3. Use plain language
Use simple words. Plain talk. Write the way you and your readers talk. Short words of one, two, or three syllables. Forget about your power vocabulary - to communicate effectively, simple is better. And don't even think about using your jargon (you know what is jargon of course - it is the "insider's" talk that most of your readers don't understand) 

     |  Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address 
     |  contains 275 words. And 196 of those words, 
     |  have only one syllable! 

Write in short, easy-to-read sentences. Avoid clichés - however use familiar word combinations. Such phrases are usually well understood and remembered longer than the sophisticated language. 

And forget about the strict grammar rules! Not about ALL the rules -- good grammar is important because it allows us to express ourselves clearly. But forget about your high school English teacher and don't be afraid to violate the rules if it helps you make your point. It is OK to start a sentence with "but'. And don't be afraid of non-sentences. Like this one (without a verb!). Break the rules whenever you feel that it will make the message sound more real - and I promise, you will sound real. 
 
 

4. Concentrate on your reader
Even if you write about you yourself, your company and your product, concentrate on your reader. Because your reader is more important than your topic, trust me! Think about helping your readers get involved with whatever you write about, help them understand it, help them remember it. 

To measure how well you pay attention to your readers, keep an eye on the use of pronouns "me" and "you". By saying "you" (and yours) at least three times as often as saying I (and me, we, mine, our) you take the focus away from yourself and put it on the reader. 

And whenever you see too many "me" and "mine" rewrite until your balance is right. 

For example:

instead of "I think that this is really important", 
say -  "You will find that this is very important".

Keep in mind that your readers have in their minds this one major question "What's in it for me?" so keep enticing them to read all the way to the end by constantly providing something new and important to discover. You might explain some confusing data, give a new perspective, or introduce new facts and new ideas

You need to be aware that even after they start to read your message, they can still dump it in the wastepaper basket if it's paper  - or with a click of that deadly mouse if it is on their computer screen (for example, will you read to the end of this article if you don't find it interesting?).

The more you concentrate on your reader the more likely she or he will finish reading whatever your write. 
 

6. Understand the advantage of writing

When you speak, it's easy to get off the subject, or to get tongue-tied. When you speak, it's easy to say something that can be regreted. When you speak, it is often difficult to clarify - or even catch - confusing statements. (Often if you try to straighten out a mistake, it gets even worse.) 

Understand the beauty of writing and take full advantage of it. You can write and rewrite until you express exactly what you say the way you want to say it. You never run out of words because you can use a thesaurus and find the most effective expressions! You can say much more in writing in less time than in the a face-to-face conversation because people usually read faster than you or I can talk.

Please remember all that and take advantage of it - don't just spill your words on the paper (or on the computer screen). Take your time to craft the message. Keep reviewing it and rewriting until you say what you want to say in the most effective and compelling way... Remember that everything worth reading was rewritten many many times. 

      | Ernest Hemingway rewrote the ending
      | to his novel "A Farewell to Arms" 
      | more than 50 times!
 
 

7. Understand disadvantages of writing 
In writing we don't have the opportunity to use our voice tone or body language to emphasize what we say. Our message has to be clear enough to stand alone (OK, on the internet we have those :-) but they cannot be a substitute for the multitude of our facial expression...) Keeping that in mind don't be afraid to use expressive personal statements.Don't be afraid to be different...

Probably the greatest disadvantage of writing is that people will quit reading much quicker than they will quit listening. In real life most people will listen to you talk even if they are bored - just to be polite - but that just won't happen in print.

Then there is this question: Will you ever know what they  think? Just think - when you speak (to just one person or to a whole crowd) you receive a multitude of immediate, spontaneous reactions that let you know whether or not your message is well received. In writing to find out anything about the audience response you need to employ special "direct response marketing" skills. In fact, unless you learn those skills you may never know how people react to your message.

8. Include call for action
Always ask readers to do something to respond. It may be to call you to request more information, recommend you to others, sign in your guest book, respond to you in writing, sign a petition - or even order your product on the spot (good luck with that!) Whatever. But ask them to do something. 

Why? Because you can measure the response to find out how effective your message is. You read this article only because I asked you to request it, right? That's how I know whether or not my newsletter was enticing enough... 

If you ask your readers to do something and they don't do it - it usually means that your writing is not effective.Of course it is also important to be realistic and ask 
readers for something that they can do! 

Writing is a challenging task. It is time consuming and not easy. But it is also extremely also essential for your business and personal growth - not only on the Internet. A poorly written piece equals missed opportunities, wasted time, lost income... 

And a clear, result-oriented message? Just imagine what it could mean if your reader would respond twice as much to your appeals, requests, and calls for action!