When it comes to actions to support your business, here are three content-writing resolutions by which you should live all year. And, to be honest, these resolutions will not only change your business, they will change your life! Seriously.
BE CLEAR
Be clear, not clever. It’s the copywriting adage we hear over and over again. When I was a young PR person and was tasked with writing my first ever press release, I left no noun unmodified, no sentence unadorned. I wasn’t schooled, formally, in how to write a press release. Public Relations wasn’t a major when I was in college. So I learned on the job. Someone had to tell me to make my writing less flowery. So, let’s all take a cue from 22-year-old me in an office atop Times Square: write as you speak. Please. Say what you mean and mean what you say, to paraphrase Dr. Suess.
BE CONSISTENT
It’s the reason I fell in love with my husband. And it’s the reason people will fall in love with your presence, advice and insights. Show up when you say you’re going to show up. Don’t d*ck around with people’s trust. Give your audience a reason to rely on you. You have something exceptional to share. Commit to sharing regularly. Operate with integrity. You get what you give.
PREACH!
Bear the truth. The power of being willing to reveal your truth has been made apparent to me with all the delicacy of a sledgehammer as of late. When you tell the truth (about your challenges, about your heartbreak, about your deepest set dreams and desires) you give other people permission to do the same. And what happens when we open up and are willing to share about what’s really happening for us is we realize we’re not alone. Holy sh*t, you mean I’m not the only one who had a really rough year and is really flippin’ happy to see that number tick forward? See ya 2014; don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Tell the truth about where you’ve been, what you’ve seen, what you’ve overcome and how confused you were the whole time. The facade is just annoying to those of us who are willing to be real. And, you’ll feel so much freer getting all that stuff off your chest. The darkness can only fade if you let it see the light of day.
Let me know in the comments below whether you see the merit to taking on any or all of these resolutions. I’m going to attempt to make good on all of them. Which ones feel most compelling to you? Let me know. I want to hear from you.
If you want to learn more about how to spin the truth so that your honesty can serve your business, please sign up to get information on my course on writing copy.
