Writing can be a daunting task. Where do you begin?
At NKD, we’ve recently been focusing on telling the world about the work we do. We have a whole range of experiences and expertise that we can’t wait to shout about – but how do we do it?
Communication is key. You can have a great message, but unless you communicate it well, there’s no chance anyone will listen. Written communication can be particularly tricky to get right, but there are ways of making your writing more engaging.
Here are our top 5 tips for helping your writing to hit the mark:
- Tell a story
Stories are powerful tools of communication, and are used across cultures. They bring messages to life because they conjure up meaningful imagery, characters, histories, values and beliefs. Communicating through stories helps us to share in a common knowledge and make our messages relatable – that’s what hooks your audience and keeps them reading.
- Keep it simple
One consistently finds that an excess of terminology and intricacy has the capacity to estrange and disaffect audiences.
See? Nothing puts people off like long-winded, overly complicated writing. Get to the point, and say it how it is – your readers will appreciate it.
- Get social
Engaging people means communicating with them on a human level. We humans are social beings, and what really helps people to connect is seeing that sociable, personal side of someone. Let your personality show in your writing, because your authentic self is more likely to hit the mark than you trying to be someone you’re not.
- Stretch your audience
Everyone loves a challenge – or at least, they love the feeling of fulfilment when they overcome one. Stretching your audience means getting the level of information you’re giving them just right: not too much, not too little, but just enough to get them thinking and engaging with your message. Don’t patronise, make them want to know more.
- Make it real
To make your messages really stick, it’s helpful to communicate them in ‘real-life’ terms. This can be in the language you use, but also in the content you choose to carry your message. Real also means relevant, so using real-life, current ideas and events in your writing can make it more meaningful for your readers.