Communication and, specifically, writing is a form of communication that can come in handy in many areas of life. Marketing is no exception. The caveat is that you can only enjoy the full benefits it has to offer if you learn to write well. And, to do that, you first need to know the standard for “good writing.”
What does it mean to write well?
Especially in the context of marketing, writing well includes:
- Having an end goal in mind (whether it's to entertain, educate or convince readers to take an action like making a purchase)
- Writing clearly and understanding how word choice impacts your message and your audience's reading comprehension
- Providing factual, trustworthy information
- Avoiding grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors that would hurt your credibility and professional image
Could you use improvement in one or more of those areas? If so, you’re not alone. Learning how to write well is an ongoing process so we're all learners in a way.
7 lessons to remember when learning to write
Here are some of the fundamentals and top tips all writers need to keep in mind.
1. Learn to write by reading
Of course, actually writing is critical to improving your skills. And there are tons of writing classes and writing courses that can make you a better writer. But, still, you can't neglect reading. It's essential to accelerate your success. Why?
When you only write, it can be hard to know whether your approach is effective or not. On the other hand, reading the work of other writers and observing how it impacts your thoughts, actions, and even feelings can help you to:
- Replicate elements that work and have a positive effect
- Identify and avoid mistakes that can make your content ineffective
Not to mention that reading will give you fresh perspectives that can inspire you to give your own work more flair and substance.
2. Don’t skip the outline
Have you found that, as you write, you tend to veer more and more off-topic? That’s a common issue. Often, it’s the result of not having a solid outline, which should be your starting point for just about any piece of content.
As mentioned, one of the hallmarks of good writing is having an end goal in mind. So what subtopics do you need to cover to get to your end goal for a piece of content? Before you start writing:
- Determine what they are
- And, equally important, what order they should go in so that the content flows logically
If you need help creating an outline, the Blog Post Outline template from Jasper can get you pointed in the right direction. All you have to do is input your topic and tone of voice you plan to write in.
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Then, Jasper will generate a list of main points you need to cover in your content or copy. (Pro Tip: Rather than choosing a single output, run several generations and combine the best ideas into one well-rounded outline.)
With your outline done, you can then move on to writing your first draft.
3. Remember that writing is thinking
Especially if you’re new to writing, you may find yourself getting frustrated when your ideas don’t come out on the page exactly as you had hoped. But a messy first draft is not a bad thing.
Writing is thinking. It brings you clarity on your current points of view and can even help you correct or expand them to be more realistic and well-rounded. By extension, it helps you deliver that same clarity to your target audience and expand their viewpoints and knowledge as well.
Yes, the writing process can be ugly at times. But you’ll likely find that some of your best writing emerges out of a brain dump—a free-flowing brainstorming session where you jot down all of your thoughts on a topic without judgment or self-editing.
4. Understand the role of research
As you learn how to write well, you’ll also need to learn the proper role of research. Research can:
- Supplement your knowledge of a topic but shouldn't be an excuse not to put your stamp on it as you write. Avoid typing your topic into Google and simply rewriting the information you find. Add a new perspective, share your unique experiences, show off your brand personality and voice or otherwise make the content yours.
- Build your credibility in the eyes of your audience. Make sure you use authoritative sources and up-to-date information to inform your writing. Double-check that any information you reference is from a trusted source, still accurate, and, preferably, not more than 2 years old.
- Help you understand your audience better but is not a substitute for speaking directly with your readers to understand what they want and need from your marketing content and copy. Technically, speaking with your audience is still a form of research but the point still stands. You can't just analyze statistics, scour Google or browse forums and social media sites where your target audience hangs out. Having actual conversations is critical as well.
If you keep these 3 truths in mind, your writing will be more memorable, build your credibility, and be a better fit for the people you want to reach. All of this will translate into better marketing results including a steady stream of qualified leads.
5. Practicing consistently is essential
Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it does make professionalism. To write effectively and at a professional level, you have to show up consistently. If you do, there’s no way that you won’t improve over time. So how can you get into a routine of writing practice? Set the bar low with a ridiculously easy goal.
For example, commit to writing 100 words every day for the next week. You’ll probably find that you can write more than 100 words—maybe 250 a day or even 500. (You can do the same by setting a time-based goal such as writing for 10 minutes a day.) What’s the benefit of this low bar approach?
When you meet your goal, you’re building a habit. And when you exceed your goal, you feel an extra sense of accomplishment that can motivate you to keep practicing your writing skills. In either case, the result will be progressive growth.
6. Seek outside perspectives on your writing
Especially if you’re early in the stages of learning to write well, having an extra pair of eyes is incredibly helpful. Get feedback on your writing by having someone read it and provide an opinion on what you’ve written. It’s best if you can find either a more experienced writer or a member of your target audience since they can help you make your writing more compelling for the people who matter most.
7. Jasper can help you
In addition to improving your skills through reading, practice, and gathering feedback from others, there are also plenty of writing tools that can help you. Jasper—an AI writing assistant—is one of them. Jasper has studied millions of pieces of content from the internet, learning how people write. So you can learn a lot from the outputs he generates and also save yourself a ton of time.
For example, say that you wanted to write a book as many Jasper users have. That might seem like a daunting task and, ordinarily, it is. But, with Jasper, you can write and publish a book in just 7 days. How is that possible?
Remember the Blog Post Outline template we mentioned earlier? It doesn’t just work for blog posts. Using the same steps, you can also use it to brainstorm key topics to include in your book!
Then, to write up the content, you can use various other templates or, if you have Boss Mode, command Jasper to write for you. For example, by copying your book title from the Blog Post Outline template into the Blog Post Intro Paragraph template, you could generate a solid opening for your first chapter. (You could also paste in the title of each chapter to generate more relevant intros for each chapter.)
To expand on your intro, you could use templates like Sentence Expander or, if you have Boss Mode, command Jasper to continue writing where you leave off.
All you have to do is type “>” in the long-form editor followed by a command in plain English. Then, hit CTRL + Enter and Jasper will execute the command.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to continually:
- Edit his work to make sure that the writing style is appropriate, the text stays on topic, and the information is accurate
- Guide Jasper on what to write next
- Add in your own words of wisdom, experiences, and ideas to create quality content
But, overall, allowing him to write for you is definitely the fastest way to write great books, marketing emails, short stories and other types of creative writing, landing page copy, and much more. Especially since you can now use Jasper Everywhere—one of the top Chrome extensions for writers—anywhere you write online.
