The scariest moment, is just before you start.” – Stephen King
More than 25 percent of Americans are afraid of speaking in public, according to the 2014 Chapman University Survey on American Fears, making it America’s biggest phobia. While most clients we work with are less afraid of writing than they are of speaking, hesitancy remains. Understandably so, seeing how writing is the digital equivalent of speaking in public and, what’s more, our digital footprints last forever; even journalists are expressing more fear about screwing up these days.
Our words, both written and verbal, remain with us forever. This means that we should proceed with thoughtfulness, but we should go ahead and write. Why? When surveyed, over 75 percent of B2B buyers responded that they seek out whitepapers and case studies before making a purchasing decision, according to a recent DemandGen Report. While those long form content pieces should be left to the pros, each and every business owner, CEO and founder should feel empowered to write regularly. After all, your written word is your digital cash and your digital voice – you don’t want to be poor and mute! And, since LinkedIn now has a publishing platform, there’s no reason not to let your voice be heard. So let’s do this – let’s get over our fears and write.
Below are some tried and true tips to help get you started.
1. Dive in.
When writing, you have to just dive in. It’s like when you go to the pool and put your toe in to test the water. It’s always going to feel ice cold. However, if you suck it up and jump straight in – you’ll come to find that the water is just fine.In this way, writing is a big ‘ol swimming pool. If you’re hesitant and you just “dip your toe in,” it’s going to feel chilly, you’ll get self-conscience and you’ll decide to abandon. With writing, you can’t proceed too slowly – you have to dive (or cannonball) in to your first draft. Write an outline, scribble on paper, type or draw – whatever works best for you to just get started. Don’t worry about your spelling, grammar or typos – just make a big, messy splash on the page (it’s easier to jump when you know that your first pass doesn’t need to be perfect). Author Anne Handley calls this first copy, “the ugly first draft;” and ugly it is – it’s supposed to be! Stop fretting and just make a mess on the page.
2. Play nice with your readers.
After you’ve taken the plunge on the first draft (whew! the hardest part is over), the next step is to take that mess and clean it up. How do you do this?Let two principles guide you: One, “KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid,” two, be a pal. The first is a design rule stating that systems perform best with simple designs rather than complex ones. In your writing, put your thoughts in an order that is sequential and easy to follow. And, make it short; even the associated press has reduced story guidelines down to 300-500 words.The second principle is about putting your readers first. You wouldn’t yell, over explain, or patronize your friends, so you should never write that way, either. Think ahead and make edits to your writing that answer anticipated questions, or give explicit examples.
3. Kill your darlings.
After making edits to your draft to make it helpful, give it one last look. In this scan, you should, as novelist William Faulkner once wrote, “kill your darlings.” Get rid of every single word that is not helpful or descriptive, even if you love it. Remove fluff words, extra adjectives, jargon – if it’s not pushing your message forward in a big way – get rid of it!
4. Don’t leave ‘em hanging.
The last step after you’ve scanned your draft twice is to add a next steps section. Remember, your readers are your friends, so you don’t want to just hang up the phone abruptly. Instead, be helpful! Offer additional resources and references so that they can further their knowledge on a given subject; be a pal and help them out with next steps.
5. Know when to call in reinforcements.
Now you’re probably thinking, “this sounds like a lot of work.” And to you I say, “it is!” But what it isn’t is scary. It’s totally doable and, like all things, gets easier with practice. Don’t be afraid to put your voice and thoughts out there – it’ll raise your profile as a professional, and the profile of your brand. You have something to say; you’re helpful and smart – so just say it – do it.
For overall company content, you’ll need to call in reinforcements for an integrated, 360° approach to really move the needle. At AR|PR, we’re pros at crafting stories that bring brands to life, position executive thought leaders and generate leads. We also pride ourselves on being plugged in with the media, allowing us to win earned media coverage for our clients. So when you’re ready to #makenews, be sure to give us a ring.
So you want to know more, huh? Here are links to some of our go-to writing gurus:
Anne Handley – Amazing content writer and author of Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide for Creating Ridiculously Good Content
Mignon Fogarty – She can be intense, but she is the Grammar Girl (for all of your burning questions like, “than or then?”
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide To Writing Nonfiction – A classic. #ThatIsAll
Finally, don’t be a stranger! I’d love to know your favorite resources, your writing fears or blocks, as well as your tips/tricks! Let’s chat and connect on LinkedIn and Twitter.