Dellagation's review of the little things that make your written communications soar.
One of the oldest rules of writing dictates that
fewer words are better for relating the fact only based information
which comprises your standard piece. The number and power of your
words depends mainly upon these factors:
Purpose: What is your intent? Are you
delivering statistics and analytical information? Are you writing
about an individual's accomplishments? Introducing a new product or
service?
Form: The format is dictated by the purpose.
Generally, the more color and characterization you need to use to
disseminate your information, the longer the format. The best current
example is blog posts designed to evoke action or emotion.
Tone: What's your voice? Conversational?
(sales letters, blog posts), Descriptive? (travel writing, menus),
Persuasive (speeches, sermons) Informational (sales presentations,
educational material).
| Word
Weaver Tip: Read your written material
out loud. Not only will this help with hearing the "voice"
of the material, it will help catch errors that might escape the eye.
Don't be deceived by appearance. |
In writing, especially in statistical based material,
less (wording) is definitely more. No matter what the subject matter,
it is important to be concise.
Be vigilant
of 'padding' words such as 'very' and
the overused 'that'. Use 'active' verbs (jump or hop instead or
'move around')and put the reins on descriptors.
Use short
paragraphs. Nothing makes a printed
content more visually undesirable than several long paragraphs. The
reader wants quick access to what he/she is looking for and is
likely skimming the page to find it. This is also the reason video
messages are prevailing as the preferred method of B2C
communication. (But that's another article).
Use numbering or bullet points to
make the particulars stand out in statistical and instructional data
forms such as white papers, manuals and textbooks.
The Psychological Aspect
Okay, go ahead and yawn but I must mention simple
grammar and correct spelling. It's becoming a lost art and the
pocket-protector geek in me is mourning.:-( Simply surf the web - you
will see how prevalent bad spelling truly is. Texts and 'tweets'
hasn't helped the situation the grammatical situation.
Did you know copious misspelled words are
psychologically distracting? It detracts from your professional
image. You begin reading through a message or a letter and every
other word seems to be written out phonetically.
Do you find it 'ear-it-tay-ting'? Does
it 'in-kur-ige' skimming through or skipping out on
'finshing' the reading? Grammatical errors are usually
typographical. Typos are usually the result of either quick
keyboarding or it's simple a case of the 'fat-finger'
Word Weaver Tip: A simple way to improve your
eye for spelling errors is to do word oriented games like seek and
find, crosswords or sudoku. People can cheat at Scrabble - wouldn't
trust that one.;-)
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Keeping in mind a few of these basic rules of writing
will give your material more impact and deliver your information in a
clear, discernible voice - your voice. Delivering material to your
audience in your voice, helps create a distinction your audience will
relate directly back to you. This is the voice of your brand.Articles help with ranking in search engines by getting your name out THERE where it can reach
your audience. It's an excellent way of helping your audience get to
know you.
Dellagation
helps online service providers develop and disseminate that brand
through article market and other methods. You are invited to bring
your voice and Dellagation weaves words into moving tapestry of your
goals and vision.
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| About the author |
Idella "Della" Woods is the owner of Dellagation, a copy writing and online business management (OBM) practice dedicated to the power and presence of the written image. Weaving word tapestries for marketing purposes is the mission. Check out the blog http://dellagation.blogspot.com |
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