Good Marketing Requires Good Writing
By Beth Gallob
“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.? William Strunk Jr.
From emails, letters, and presentations to your marketing collateral and Web site, how you communicate to your customers is key. Good writing should be part of your commitment to quality.
Anyone Can Write
Not! Writing well is a craft, one that too many don’t recognize or appreciate. Big words, long sentences, and overly formal language do not a good writer make. This article includes some general information about good writing as well as some tips for specific mediums.
In General
Good writing is simple, clear, and accurate, communicating the message to the reader directly, efficiently, and effectively. Clear writing is the result of clear thinking. To help with the thinking part, always define the audience and objectives of your writing.
Once you know the purpose, think about overall organization. Present your information in logical order. It could be most important to least important, or it could be in the order in which your reader will need to use the information. Whatever order you choose, it should form a coherent progression for your reader.
Next, consider your language, your choice of words. Use plain words instead of fancy ones, and active instead of passive voice. Write as if you were talking directly to your reader. Be specific rather than general, concrete rather than abstract.
Now put your words together into sentences and paragraphs. Short, simple sentences are easier to follow than long, complex ones. Paragraphs are the basic unit of composition and should contain a single idea.
Determine how much information is enough and how much is too much. It’s a natural temptation to tell your readers everything you know about a topic rather than what they need to know to fulfill the purpose of the communication.
BEFORE and After
Here’s a memo that needs some help:
We are in receipt of your shipment in the amount of 250 Concise Writing Computer Chips. In view of the fact that the shipment arrived one year late, we have no other choice but to return it.
During the course of the past year, our employees, with the possible exception of our sales manager, have learned to eliminate wordy language from the writing they do on a daily basis. Until such time as we decide the question as to whether or not computer assistance is needed, I can't help but think we will rely on more conventional methods.
You can improve the memo like this:
"We received your shipment of 250 Concise Writing Computer Chips. Because the shipment arrived one year late, we must return it.
During the past year, our employees, except our sales manager, learned to eliminate wordy language from their daily writing. Until we decide whether computer assistance is needed, I think we will rely on more conventional methods."
Tips for Letters
· Start with compelling statement or question
· Tell story with headings
· Identify with customer pain
· Highlight benefits, not features
· Use bulleted lists, not lengthy narratives
· End with call to action
Tips for Emails
· Start with compelling subject line
· Use interesting quote, statistic, or question
· Keep it short and sweet
· Link to more information
· Drive reader to your Web site
Tips for Slides
· Use more slides, less information on each
· Don’t overwhelm with multiple fonts, colors, images
· Be consistent. Use templates.
· Don’t use complete sentences
· Don’t display all you say
And one last tip. Get yourself a couple of good reference books, including a dictionary and thesaurus. The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White remains a classic. Stevie Ann Rinehart of Got Copy! publishes a great email newsletter about copywriting (http://members.cox.ner/gotcopy/newsletters3.html), as does MarketingProfs.com.
© 2002, Gallob Communication
Beth Gallob is the principal of Gallob Communications, providing marketing communication and consulting to technology companies. From marketing plans, marketing materials, and advertising copy to Web site content, articles, and technical white papers, she helps companies tell their story. Contact Beth at or visit www.gallobcomm.com.
Download Article in MS Word Format
Download Article in PDF Format
|