I know: you’ve got a long list of jobs when you run your own business, and writing blog posts, marketing emails and especially your website content can loom over you like the most difficult ones. You know what you want to say, but putting it in a way that sounds professional and engaging – it can feel impossible, infuriating and hugely frustrating. And how do you even know those words are even doing the job for you once you’ve put it all out there?

It might not seem like it sometimes – and believe me, I’ve felt it too! – but really you don’t need to be a professional writer to create content that connects with your audience. Over the years, I’ve developed five mantras that I try to keep in mind whatever I’m writing, and to use as a checklist for the finished article. So if you’ve ever felt that sense of infuriation before, during or after you write, this post is for you…

1. Always End with a Call to Action

This one’s first, because it’s where I always recommend starting any piece of writing. What do you want your reader to do after reading – click a link, contact you, reply to your post, or just feel like they’ve learned something? Whether it’s a blog post, email or social media post, write that last sentence or paragraph first, and include your call to action. Then keep that outcome for your reader in mind as you write all the rest.

2. Drop the Corporate

Many people fall into the trap of thinking their business writing tone needs to be really formal and impersonal to be taken seriously. But in reality, people connect far more with a friendly, natural approach. Imagine you’re chatting with a potential client over coffee – how would you explain things to them?

Swap out stiff, corporate-sounding phrases like “We are pleased to offer…” for something more chatty, like “We’re excited to share…”. A simple shift in tone can make a huge difference – and if it’s just you in the business, use “I” instead of “we”. It instantly makes the whole piece far more personable.

It’s also tempting to use industry jargon or fancy words to sound knowledgeable, but this is probably just going to confuse your audience and make their heads hurt. Readers are far less likely to make a connection with you if they don’t understand what you’re saying (or if they have to go and look it up somewhere else).

3. Cut the Fluff

Your readers are busy; they’re either squeezing what they can out of the working day, or making the most of their scroll time out-of-hours. They’re not going to wade through long, wordy sentences to get to the point – so if a word or sentence doesn’t add real value, or duplicates something you’ve already said, cut it.

Instead of: “Our company is dedicated to providing the highest quality products that meet the needs of our customers.” Try: “We create high-quality products that our customers love.”

It’s more direct, gets the message across faster, and won’t make your readers’ brain feel tired just from looking at it.

4. Remember the Breathing Spaces

Big blocks of text can be intimidating, especially on a screen – and people will often skip past long paragraphs to find more digestible sections, because they are difficult to skim-read. You can’t stop people from skim-reading, so why not make it a little easier for them, and keep them engaged for longer too?

Breaking up your writing into short sentences and paragraphs makes it much easier to read and absorb. It’s like creating breathing space for someone, if they were to read it out loud – and your readers need that little break as well. Stick to one idea per paragraph, and keep things visually appealing by limiting those big chunks of text.

5. Done is Better than Perfect

When you’re in the thick of your marketing plan, it’s easy to feel dragged down by the writing, and the pressure you put on yourself to get it just right. So this is the final mantra I’ll leave you with, and in many ways, it’s the most important one: Done is Always Better than Perfect. Keeping consistent communications going out is far more important than getting it exactly right every time. That’s an impossible standard that you, and your business, definitely don’t need to meet.

Ready to Make Writing Easier?

If writing for your business still feels like a struggle, you’re not alone! That’s exactly why I created my Writing Club – a supportive space where you can develop your writing skills with expert guidance and friendly encouragement.

Want to find out more? Drop me a message or find out more here: RLC Words Writing Club