Tips to Kick Writing Anxiety
You have just been handed a writing assignment from a managing partner who would like you to go in-depth about normalization adjustments and how they would affect the valuation of a business. ?Absolutely,??you remark, but all the while your palms begin to sweat, your heart starts to race, and you wonder if you were brought into the firm as an accountant or as a writer. Before you reach for that bottle of antacid usually reserved for deadline crunch, stop, breathe and take a moment to read through our tips on how to turn writing articles?for your email newsletter into an anxiety-free experience.
The good news is that the groundwork has been laid:
- You know your topic
- You know your audience
- You know the tone you want to set
After the heart palpitations begin to subside, and you have put some yoga techniques into practical application, you might be further comforted to know that part of the work has already been done for you. You already know what you are writing about, and you even know who you are writing to. Think about the topic from the perspective of your email newsletter audience (namely your clients, prospects and referral sources), and recall when you have verbally illuminated others on the subject in a way that made your technical expertise clear to them.
Brush up and do a little research
Even the most knowledgeable professionals can benefit from researching their topics. Research can also provide inspiration, possibly shedding some new light on a tired topic or an alternate perspective. Although you may know your subject inside and out, having reputable sources on hand can help you transform an article into a more comprehensive piece (i.e., whitepaper, media interview, industry magazine editorial, etc.) should the need arise at a later date.
Keep your sources handy
Any reference material you regularly pull from should be close at hand. Be sure that quotes, case studies or other sources are clearly referenced in your article and conveniently accessible for future writing assignments. If your source is an expert, be sure to set up an interview well in advance of your article due date. Make sure you have your sources? permission to contact them again if you need to verify any facts from your interview during the final revision stage.
Draft an outline
Every good writing instructor (and anyone who writes professional content on a regular basis) will answer that question with a resounding, ?Yes.? Resist the temptation to skip this vital step. Outlines help keep you on track, focused and ultimately make the writing process more efficient and smooth.
Think about the length
When considering length, you need to again consider your audience. Simple, informative pieces can be just a few paragraphs, but more comprehensive pieces may need to be about 1,250 words. Your average article could be about 500 to 750 words. A basic rule of thumb ? your article should be as long as it needs to be to convey your point while maintaining your audience?s attention. Conciseness counts.
Consider your audience
Always know who you are talking to. Some email newsletter articles become a starting point for repurposing your content through the media. Consider the detail you will need to provide and the tone you need to set based on the audience you are trying to target. If your audience is:
- A layman?? be conversational and provide insight
- A seasoned business person ? provide further expertise while remaining relational
- An expert ? enlighten and share in-depth information with your peers
Hit the mark
Writing tailored content to a specific subset is often the most powerful form of communicating to a readership. Targeted communications become successful when you are speaking the language of your recipients. Consider who you are reaching, what their questions and pain points are, and how you have successfully solved these dilemmas in the past. The tone of the writing style for your email newsletter should be similar to your conversation style when explaining complex issues to your clients. You don?t want to pander or placate, but you do want to inform in a way that hits the target and drives your point home.
Is it time to start writing yet?
Indeed. You are ready to tackle your topic. Begin with a rough draft using a conversational tone (as if you were explaining complicated accounting to your mom). Now is not the time for fine-tuning. Just follow your outline and get the basic structure into place. Keep the writing flow going so that your thoughts are captured along the way. Some basic tips for structuring your rough draft:?
- Introduction: An introductory paragraph communicates the principal topic and theme of your piece and prods the reader to move forward and find out more. Be sure to grab your readers? attention by explaining why the topic is important to them and explain how your article will reveal insights into this vital issue.
- Description: Follow your introduction by describing the nuts and bolts of your topic. Include quotes, graphs, statistics or other informational call-outs to keep the content interesting and engaging along the way.
- Prognostication: Your expertise allows you to ?see into the future? and gives you the opportunity to describe how the issues at hand will affect your readers and/or their business. Provide a paragraph or two explaining how changes in recent laws or regulations will impact their present or future state of affairs. Perhaps even warn against the consequences of non-compliance and what penalties they would face. Take the position of a trusted advisor warning a respected colleague about issues directly related to the overall wellbeing of their business.
- Demonstration: Provide clear examples of the problem at hand and the related solution. Break up the solutions in easily-scanned bullets or numbered lists. As we have done in this article, call out the heading of each of your sections, bullets or numbered lists with bold text that highlights your points. This makes your solutions clear, demonstrates importance and improves readability. No need for lengthy explanations; simply provide concise examples that noticeably demonstrate an answer to a problem.
- Conclusion: Once you are confident that your topic has been sufficiently communicated to your target audience, it is time to wrap it up. Give a brief recap of some of the finer points that you have touched on along the way, and call upon your prognostication to remind your reader that action needs to be taken. Something along the lines of, ?If this situation is affecting you, we are available to provide solutions,? usually does the job of letting your reader know that they can contact you if their circumstances fit your scenario. It is essential to remember to include this type of call to action in your closing so that your writing efforts have the capability of generating new business.
Review your article
Now that you have the foundation of your rough draft laid, take some time to go back and read through it, making tweaks and changes along the way as you see fit. If time permits, step away from your article for a day or two between the rough draft and final review stages. A renewed viewpoint may help you to be more objective about what needs to stay and what needs to go. It is also a good idea to read your piece aloud to be sure there is an understandable flow and a dialogue with the reader has been established.
Spelling and grammar count
Take a look at your piece from the perspectives of your toughest professor. There is nothing more embarrassing than spelling, grammatical or technical mistakes in an article written by a professional. Mistakes diminish your credibility. Take a close look at any potentially outdated information, conflicting material, run-on sentences, irrelevant information, grammar and spelling mistakes. Ask someone else to proofread your work.
Do the final rewrite, but don?t overdo the final rewrite. Fine tune your piece, but be sure not to overanalyze your revisions. If you are satisfied with the final outcome, and feel that you have solidly communicated your point, chances are that your readers will follow your confidence and come to the same conclusion.
Extra, extra ? read all about it!
Don?t forget your attention-grabbing headline. Always be sure to include a verb in any headline you choose. Verbs help call your reader to action. Brainstorm on headlines that communicate a sense that your article is a must-read piece.
If you follow these tips, you will produce a piece that rivals publications by your peers, educates your clients, impresses your prospects and gets your referral sources buzzing about you. Remember to keep the tone conversational, stick to your outline, get the rough draft down while your brain is churning, step away and revise a day or two later, check for grammatical and technical errors, avoid over-thinking your revisions, call your readers to action in your closing, and include an attention-getting headline. With these techniques in place, you are well on your way to becoming a valued source of expertise and a go-to resource in your community. Happy writing!
Posted in: CPA Firm Marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing
