While good grammar and spelling is undeniably important, merely demonstrating your ability to use quotation marks isn’t enough to make your content stand out, grab your reader’s attention, or generate the interest you’re after.
In my work as a PR consultant and writer, I strive to help my clients write effectively; not just correctly.
To increase the chances of attracting the interest you’re after, you must tell your story well, in language that is easy to understand and engaging.
Here are six essential elements of good writing that’ll help make your content clearer and more compelling to your readers.
Planning. Before you put pen to paper you should know your objectives, who your target audience is and where you want to publish your content.
Storytelling. We’re emotional creatures, and storytelling is an incredibly powerful way to develop deep connections, adds a human element to your content, awaken empathy, and drive interest.
Honing your storytelling skills will make whatever you’re writing about more engaging, make you and your brand more personal, and will help you connect with your audience.
Context. We know you can’t create effective content without understanding your audience, but the audience isn’t simply about who; it’s also about when and why.
Without this context, your message or call to action loses meaning, and then you’ll lose your readers and potential customers. So, always ensure that you help your readers understand the broader significance of your content and how it fits into the larger context of your community, industry, or the world.
Structure. The way you organise your story and the order you present your ideas will have an impact on whether a reader hits the back button halfway through the first paragraph or reads it all the way through to the end.
Flow. Good writing has a rhythm that carries the reader and maintains interest. Creating flow involves using logical connections between ideas, strong topic sentences to start paragraphs, a varied sentence structure and concise wording.
Accuracy. Excellent writing won’t matter if you get your facts wrong! Always check, check and check again!
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