AFJ Digital

The longer I have been a writer, the more I have realized that it’s hard to find someone who can communicate well. Good writing takes serious skill and effort to make it look easy, just like any other talent. If that wasn’t the case, you wouldn’t be reading this right now.

Writing is even harder when you’re doing it for a particular audience or niche topic. Plus, everyone’s writing style is different, so what may work for one audience may not work for another. All of this adds on to the challenge of writing not only well, but effectively: it needs to stick with people enough that they want more from you.

So, what helps? For starters, you need to know your audience.

Know Who Your Audience is, and Write What Speaks to Them

Before I write anything, I think about who my audience is and what they want. Otherwise, moving forward is pointless and a waste of time. That involves having a persona in my head of who they are:

• What is their profession? What industry are they in?
• What are their business pain points?
• What problem do they want to solve?
• How can my product or service support their goals?

These questions will help you shape what you want to write and how you want to write it so that it speaks directly to what a customer needs. And when you’re stuck, returning to these questions can help.

Stay Focused On The Content Topic

It’s so easy to go off on a tangent that sidetracks your writing. In fact, I nearly did it at one point with this very blog.

Don’t lose sight of your goal and remember what you’re trying to convey by using outlines. They are an immensely helpful tool to organize your writing and limit the amount of writer’s block you develop. Plus, you’re less likely to forget a point you want to make if you have everything laid out. Outlines can always be tweaked and I tend to move sentences and sections around if it keeps the writing flowing. 

When you write, it should be with intention, and you can’t do that if you go off topic.

Include Data and Quotes

If you’re writing a research-heavy topic, you must include relevant and accurate data and, if needed, quotes. It’s the only way to validate your message and ensure credibility.

When doing this, make sure to use reputable sources and try to update data when you can. It’s amazing how often and quickly industry trends can change, and you don’t want to fall behind. There are many times where it’s better to update the entire writing sample entirely, but it never hurts to update older materials if you still have them out there, especially links.

Make it Relatable

If you’ve been reading my blogs long enough, you’ve probably noticed that it seems like I write like I talk. That’s deliberate (although I like to think it makes it easier) because most adults read at an 8th grade reading level. Even if your audience is highly educated, it doesn’t make sense to write at an incredibly high level unless the writing warrants it like technical writing.

Aim to communicate at their level and utilize industry-specific language. Of course, you don’t want to go too heavy on the industry lingo, but you want to communicate that you understand where they’re coming from and know what you’re talking about.

Treat AI Like an Assistant

AI is a great writing tool, but right now many people are making the mistake of using it to write most of their work, and sometimes all of it. While many people are using AI to beat the algorithm on LinkedIn, what business leaders really want are your original thoughts.

A better way to use AI is to treat it like an assistant to help you come up with writing topics, points to make in your writing, and tweak your words. You don’t have to completely avoid using it. Instead, you’re using AI the way it was meant to be used: to make your life easier.

Remember, businesses can work with anyone or use any product. There’s a reason why they want to choose your company, and it’s your goal is to convince them why they’re making the best call.

Seek Help From Your Team

The best resource you can use to write for your business is your colleagues, especially the c-suite, sales, and client relations. They talk to current and potential customers every day and know exactly what they need. You can look for ideas on what to write based on industry trends, but it won’t be as targeted as efforts within your organization.

I’ve gotten my best blog topics from company leaders, which is why I have never understood the disconnect between marketing and other teams, notably sales. I’d argue that it’s essential for marketing and sales to work in sync. Sales needs marketing to speak to customer’s specific pain points and marketing needs insight from sales on how to engage the business’ audience. Open and constant communication between these groups is key to growing any business.

When In Doubt, Get Support

Sometimes, you need extra help and that’s why people hire me. They could do it themselves, but if they’re stretched thin and need additional support, a freelancer like me is a great solution. It could be as little as writing blog posts, ghostwriting LinkedIn posts for the CEO, or managing social media for an organization. If you don’t have the capacity to do the day-to-day marketing tasks, I can even serve as a part-time marketing manager where I strategize, write, and manage website, email marketing, social media, and blog content.

Writing is hard work. I don’t have to do this for a living, but I choose to because I love the challenge. I want people to enjoy what they read and make it so interesting that they forget it’s marketing. But most importantly, I want whatever I write to help people.

If that checks all your boxes for what you want in a content marketer and a writer, contact me today to see how I can help.