2 Keys to better writing - How to write with more ease, joy, and impact

Exploring writing blocks by focusing on mindset issues and technical/ writing skills. Including tips how to overcome these blocks.

The issue with writing is not so much that people can’t write but that many of them don’t know how to write well.

There are those who write content and copy and are disappointed about the results. They write their own sales pages (that don’t convert) or content that doesn’t deliver much value and hence doesn’t create a serious community of potential buyers.

But they still write because they believe that their writing is fine and that success will come if they write frequently and consistently.

And then there are those who hate writing. The mere thought of putting words to paper (or rather document) makes them feel nauseous and stressed.

These people want to outsource their writing, they believe that they are poor writers and would poke hot needles into their eyeballs rather than writing their own content.

It’s those two key areas this article is going to focus on:

A negative attitude or mindset
Lack of technical/writing skills

Master your mindset and technical skills and you can write with impact and ease

When you think of the coaching or consulting that you provide, think about what you had to learn to get to your current level of knowledge and how much you had to practice gaining the experience that you have today.

But also think about the excitement you felt and the energy that you poured into getting exceptionally good at what you love doing. Think about your desire and the eagerness to learn and grow in your area of expertise.

And yet, most people think that the writing skills that they picked up at school are sufficient to market and grow their business.

They also often remember assignments covered in red scribbles that pointed out mistakes, snarky remarks, feelings of inadequacy and the frustration of having to write about topics that were boring at the best of times.

Unfortunately, writing is a skill that most people associate with negative emotions and criticism when they should value it as the skill that is essential to evolve and grow their business.

If there’s anything that should be on top of the list for creating a successful business – then that’s developing content and copywriting skills.

That means overwriting old and negative emotions with joy and confidence.

Here are a few tips on how you can start feeling better about your writing:

Setting realistic writing expectations that are slightly challenging but not overwhelming
Adopting a writing habit that doesn’t put any pressure on you and that you do simply for enjoyment. Journaling is a good practice that is not driven by rules and structures and trains you to translate your thoughts into writing
Reading a lot and reflecting on what you like and dislike about the texts that you read and how you could improve your writing by those things that you appreciate
Create a writing ritual that you are looking forward to and that is self-rewarding (creating some quiet space with your favourite snack and drink. That will become something that you’re looking forward to)

Try it out – you’ll see that it makes a difference!

One of the most frustrating and scary things (that can cause doubt and overwhelm) is forcing yourself to do something that you don’t know HOW to do right.

Skiing down a steep mountain without knowing how to ski is just terrifying. Having to write without possessing any technical writing know-how, can be equally terrifying.

But what kind of skills and techniques do you need to take the fear out of writing?

My top 3 must-have skills for writing with ease, joy and impact:

Copy & content writing
Proofreading & editing
Storytelling

And here’s why I believe that these are the skills that take you from pain to pleasure and from crickets to impact:

Copy & content writing - tools & techniques for faster & better writing

Content and copywriting are crafts that can be learned and that every coach, consultant, or small biz owner should learn.

Being able to articulate the value and transformation of the service you provide, your differentiation, your values, beliefs, and everything that carries your brand is vital to creating a distinct and memorable brand presence. And it helps your audience understand why they can’t afford NOT working with you.

Even if your main channel of communication is video – you still need to write scripts and master copywriting techniques and structures to create videos that people want to watch and find valuable.

Copywriting techniques are based on psychology and buying behaviours. There’s a lot of knowledge behind writing a headline that grabs attention and makes people read further.

There’s a lot of research that has gone into the structure and wording of a high-conversion sales page, into the optimal use of keywords, or CTAs (Call To Action).

Copywriting is the craft of persuasion and content writing the craft of knowledge sharing, entertainment, and relationship building.

When you create content, you want your audience to read to the end. You want them to be able to follow your train of thoughts and walk away changed through the information they consumed.

Good content follows certain structures and there’s technical knowledge that helps you make your writing a better read.

Things like…

Power words
Punctuation
One thought per paragraph
Optimal sentence length
Broken lists
Teasers at the end of a section

And so much more. Here’s an example of the impact that punctuation can have on your writing:

And lastly, it’s well worth mentioning that reaching the state of creative flow makes writing so much easier and faster.

I have a series of 3 articles that goes into a lot of details about creative flow, productivity, and disruptions.

The one below is focused on creative flow and explains the different phases and how you can optimise yourself for creative flow:

Essentially, once you are in creative flow – keep writing until you’re done. Don’t start editing while you’re writing, because that kills your flow.

Now, once you have dumped everything from your subconscious mind into your first draft, it’s time to get your writing ready to publish.

That’s where the second essential writing skill starts making a difference…

Proofreading & editing – a process that improves quality & impact

Have you ever posted something and later noticed typos or sentences that didn’t quite make sense? Or have you been annoyed because someone didn’t get the facts right in their post?

These are very preventable issues.

Fact-checking, spelling, or shortening endless paragraphs are all part of a thorough proofreading and editing process.

I believe that no post, however short, should ever be posted without proofreading and editing. Mistakes and inconsistencies have a negative effect on your brand. It lets you appear careless at best and clueless at your worst.

Poor quality writing will not gain your expert status. Quite the contrary, consistently publishing content with errors and mistakes harms your reputation.

Here are just a few symptoms that show in poorly written content:

Rambling on far too long instead of writing clearly and concisely
No visible structure with ideas popping up in a confusing sequence
No clear purpose or learning that can be taken away
Poor choice of words (including jargon that your audience doesn’t understand)
Spelling, punctuation, or incorrectly used metaphors
Writing that is overstuffed with keywords

This and more are preventable issues. All you need is a solid proofreading and editing process.

And if you haven’t got a process, then drop me a line and I can send you one.

Proofreading and editing are tools that lift the quality of your writing – and that is something that your audience will appreciate.

Nothing is more annoying than investing valuable time in something that doesn’t at least match the value of the time that you’ve spent reading.

And while we’re talking about value…

Another way of adding value and making your writing exciting and memorable is storytelling.

Storytelling – one of the most powerful marketing tools ever

Here are a few facts that tell you why I recommend mastering the craft of storytelling:

Our brains are programmed for storytelling – we can’t help being sucked into a good story
Stories possess an inherent persuasive quality
You can captivate your audience with a story, and you will have access to all the attention you could ever need.
The more engrossed your audience is in your story, the more likely they are to adopt your perspective -> greater influence
With a relatable story and characters in your story, you can “transport” your audience into your story
The brains of storytellers and story listeners can synchronise

Now, you don’t need to write a novel to draw your audience into your world. You can write micro-stories that work amazingly well.

You have probably seen “About Me” pages that don’t connect because they are written like a resume. While these types of pages might do well to find you a job, they are doing an exceptionally poor job creating an authentic connection with your audience.

It is much better to focus your story on how you can help your clients differently or better than the competition.

And – your story doesn’t need to be the same as your client’s because many experts haven’t struggled with the same problems their clients are struggling with.

An Alzheimer’s expert is not suffering from Alzheimer’s but needs to be a subject matter expert.

A baby sleep expert doesn’t need to have struggled with getting her babies to sleep if she has a scientific background that allows her to prevent sleep problems altogether.

But you definitely need a story that explains your WHY and your purpose in a captivating manner.

Storytelling is essential to building relationships and trust.

And if you’d like to learn more about business storytelling, then you can take a look at my storytelling mini-course if you click on this image:

If you think about it – storytelling is one thing we never get tired of spending money on. We go to the movies, read books, go to the theatre or buy magazines.

We simply can’t help ourselves. We are predispositioned to love stories.

Using our desire for stories in your marketing but also in delivering your services is a very smart move. We remember better through stories and you stay in your audience’s mind for longer while your audience always remembers how you made them feel through your stories.

And before I close…

Here are a few scenarios in which you can use stories effectively:

Sales conversations to let your prospects see the value and the long-term outcomes of your solutions
Testimonials or client stories to create credibility
Your website or investor meetings where you can tell your founder stories to demonstrate your differentiation, gain investors, or inspire your audience
Social media where you share your purpose stories to get people on board and aligned with your greater mission

The options are endless but so powerful.

So, here you are…

I have shared with you the two keys to better writing.

It is worth exploring both areas and defining which areas you need to develop to create more impact through your writing.

Whether it’s your mindset and/or writing skills – you have the potential to master both if you trust your ability to learn and figure things out.

And you can speed up the process if you work with an expert or enrol in a course.

I’ve done both and can testify that it makes a great difference.

Just send me a message if you want to learn more about what would be your next best step.

Categories: businessfoundations, businesskills, Content Creation, Contentwriting, Copywriting, Copywritingskills, Marketing