Are you an expert in your field? Do you get asked to write about what you know by your marketing department? How do you go about that task?
I ask because I find so many times that people write what they think they should write, not what they know.
Marketing departments ask me to help shape knowledge into words that make sense to customers. The expert has put together the first cut, and it's complex, convoluted and sprinkled with jargon.
So I get on the phone to the expert to get a better understanding of what they're saying. After all, if I can't understand it, I can't explain it to an audience.
Nearly every time, the expert explains the story to me lucidly, and answers my questions clearly. They could have used those words to write their piece. Writing doesn't have to be that far apart from speaking. Don't be afraid to write as you would talk, just with a little more polish.
Showing posts with label brochure writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brochure writing. Show all posts
Tips on brochure writing
Have just been helping a new client with their brochure copy. They had already written the text, but recognised that it wasn't quite there. Two things stood out to me as needing attention:
- it was very wordy
- it was about the client, not about their customers
It's very easy to write too much. If you've ever had to write an essay of at least x number of words, you know how easy it is to pad your story with repetition and deviation. When you're writing to sell, you need to go the other way. Pare your words down to the minimum and keep your sentences short. It's the fastest way to get your message across.
It's equally common to start a brochure from the wrong point of view. You're writing about what you do, so you start with a description of your business and what you offer. But if you want to attract custom, you need to turn that on your head, and write from the buyer's perspective. What do they need or want, and how do you meet that need? Then you can start talking about the unique aspects of your proposition that make you a better supplier than anyone else. Anything about corporate vision, company mission, organisational strategy - save it for your web site.
- it was very wordy
- it was about the client, not about their customers
It's very easy to write too much. If you've ever had to write an essay of at least x number of words, you know how easy it is to pad your story with repetition and deviation. When you're writing to sell, you need to go the other way. Pare your words down to the minimum and keep your sentences short. It's the fastest way to get your message across.
It's equally common to start a brochure from the wrong point of view. You're writing about what you do, so you start with a description of your business and what you offer. But if you want to attract custom, you need to turn that on your head, and write from the buyer's perspective. What do they need or want, and how do you meet that need? Then you can start talking about the unique aspects of your proposition that make you a better supplier than anyone else. Anything about corporate vision, company mission, organisational strategy - save it for your web site.
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