Business content is often dry, technical, and boring.
But, yours doesn’t have to be.
Here are three tips for writing better business stories that will bring in more leads.
1. Start midway through the story
Everybody knows that a good story has a beginning, middle, and end.
But, following that formula often leads to predictable stories that quickly lose audiences.
So, switch things up!
Movies do it all the time.
Memento
Iron Man
And, every classic Bond film.
Starting your story in the middle builds intrigue because the reader is thrust into the action without knowing what’s going on.
There is one key step you need to do when using this technique…
Go back and show the events that led up to your opening before getting too far into your story.
If you want an example of this tip, check my newsletter next week. (Teaser!)
2. Be vulnerable
This one can be tough. But, it’s so worth it.
People are sick of “Instagram-Perfect” posts that show an unrealistic portrayal of the posting person’s life.
It’s not authentic.
People are drawn to authenticity and empathy.
That takes being vulnerable.
Write about times when you failed and what you learned from those failures.
Write about what you stress about, lose sleep over, and how that drives you to make a positive impact on the world.
Write about times that life dropped you to your knees, but couldn’t keep you down.
Write about how you’re a human…
…with all the mess and complexities that make life worth living.
If you want to learn more about vulnerability, check out Brene Brown’s two TED Talks about Vulnerability and Shame.
They’re a-mazing.
3. Get out of your own head
Okay, this one requires you to practice being vulnerable, but only a little.
When writing about topics related to your business, or any topic you’re an expert in, it’s easy to forget that your audience doesn’t understand things as well as you do.
I am guilty of making this mistake.
It’s easy to do.
So, enlist the help of somebody you trust who is not in the same industry as you.
And, become editing buddies. (Content colleagues? Document Dudes? Pick a name that suits you.)
Before you post a blog post or newsletter, have them read it to find times when you use too much jargon or start to lose their attention.
That will make your content so much better.
Jargon – or Jargon-Monoxide as I like to call it – puts people to sleep and kills deals.
Having a “proofreading canary” will save you from confusing your readers.
And, that’s it!
Those are three tips for creating better content for your business.
(I’m going to send this off to my “proofreading canary” now. Wish me luck!)
