Write To The Right Level
I read a troubling post on LinkedIn recently. The writer implored – okay, he “told” – his followers to “dumb down” their copy writing because the average American reads at an 8th-grade reading level. (Some studies say the reading level is at 12 to 14 years of age, equivalent to 7th or 8th grade.)
The audience for your writing? This is not it. Photo from Unsplash.com, by Matese Fields.
On the same day, I read a newspaper article that included the phrase “paroxysms of pique.”
You might guess the “dumb down” post sent me into a paroxysm of pique.
I admit, upon reading that phrase I searched for “paroxysms” and “pique” though I was pretty sure I knew the meaning of the latter. I don’t mind doing that; I’m not insulted by a writer with a larger vocabulary than mine. In fact, I think the chosen phrase works better than a cliché like “fit of rage.”
And I certainly don’t want the reporter to write something like, “he was pissed off” which is how an 8th grader might write it.
Write Level
I counsel my clients to write directly to their audience – not to dumb down their messaging or to “write up” to readers.
Phillip Fraser, one of my high-school English teachers, coached students like me to avoid “fine writing.” To Mr. Fraser, “fine writing” was overly polished, where the writer clearly spent too much time searching for words that might impress the reader, instead of words that would best inform the reader. Writing down to an audience is no more helpful than fine writing.
You can write with both creativity and clarity. That’s true for fiction, non-fiction, and the crafty world of business writing. Here are the 5 rules of how to do it.
1. Write For Your Audience
If you have time and space for just one rule in your writing life, make it this one. Start by knowing who your audience is. This can be easy for niche B2B businesses, like if you serve small-business accounting firms, or if you manufacture pipes and valves for oil refineries.
But even writers with broader topic assignments can know who they’re addressing. With this piece, I’m writing for my LinkedIn audience. That’s a varied group including marketing leaders, motorcycle-industry peers in sales and design, industrial-safety professionals, martial arts coaches and trainers, designers and advertising leaders, and others. An assortment of professionals, they all visit LinkedIn with a similar mindset, one of learning and business development. And I can write to that.
2. Be Helpful
Your writing should help people. Photo from Unsplash.com, by Jonas Jacobsson
I began this piece with a bit of snark, perturbed by “dumb down” thinking. But a post simply whining about another post? That’s not good enough. My writing should be helpful, so I’m turning whine into fruit.
I’m posting this midday following a long weekend, and readers are looking for helpful information. If I wanted to rant, I’d post on a Saturday or Sunday and people could read it with their coffee and a different state of mind. If you want readers to pay attention next time, give them helpful info this time. Note: “helpful” means the info should help them, not you.
3. Be Human
The first rule is to write “for” your audience; this one can be rewritten as write “to” your audience. Write to people.
Don’t communicate to search engines. If you know your audience and then compose posts that help them, you’re likely to address keywords and search queries. Forcing SEO phrases into your writing can make you sound less human. Read your finished piece aloud to yourself and hear how it sounds.
Don’t write in acronyms or industry jargon. It’s tempting to think that all your readers know what you mean by that cluster of initials or that popular office phrase. But they don’t. Lazy writers take shortcuts in copy. Don’t be lazy.
4. Be Interesting
Consider this a continuation of the “be human” rule. Human language is interesting. More than that, your own thoughts, opinions and ideas are interesting. And unique – and that alone is interesting.
Also interesting? Breaking the “rules” of writing, like I did with that two-word question sentence. Indeed, writing has rules, but you can bend them if it makes your writing more interesting. Here’s what’s not interesting: Repeating words in a sentence or paragraph. In place of interesting, I should use compelling, fascinating, appealing, beguiling, thought-provoking or other appropriate adjective. Don’t be afraid to visit thesaurus.com to grab a more interesting engaging word or two.
5. Be Correct
Nothing will kill business writing faster than a falsehood or inaccuracy. We simply have too many options available to verify information; errors today are unacceptable. Take your time with your writing and check facts. Yes, you can quickly correct errors published online. But these same errors might also be costly, whether published on your website or in print.
This same rule serves double duty, reminding you to check spelling and grammar. In the previous rule I said you can bend grammar rules; I didn’t say break them. You should know how to use commas, apostrophes, semi-colons, colons, dashes, and ellipses.
Am I Doing It Right?
How do you know if you’re writing right? In the absence of a coach like Philip Fraser (Mr. Fraser died in 2012, after teaching English at Wayzata, Minn. High School for 31 years), you write and then listen. Then write and listen some more. Whether through response or silence, you will learn about your writing.
If that doesn’t work, ask.