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Make the best of your writing skills

Before I started writing blog posts on Design Wellness, the last time I remember writing anything of actual worth was in my university library. Hunched over my keyboard, sat on a squeaky desk chair at 3 am – I was frantically typing away like my life and degree depended on it. Apart from being highly caffeinated (6 cans of Red Bull in one sitting can do that), I remember the frustration and stress that went along with the process of trying to write swathes of pages about topics that I understood but had trouble evoking to the reader.

I soon learned that alongside preparation (and not eating and sleeping in a library), there were some key points that I could use in order to get the best out of my writing skills so that my target audience could enjoy and more importantly, understand what I wanted to say.

1. Tell a story that readers will empathise
with and enjoy

Writing a short introductory story which relates to the topic at hand will make your readers become more invested in what you have to say; evoking stories can entertain your readership whilst conveying a clear message for them to digest and understand.

2. If your mind is blank or your eyes are straining, take a short break

It’s a marathon, not a sprint! Taking your time to write the content will eventually give you more and more ideas and inspiration to write about. Like many people in this day and age, I am near enough short-sighted due to the amount of time I sit in front of a computer. I find it easier if my eyes ache and my mind has gone blank to put the kettle on and take short, quick breaks away from the screen. Your inner-wordsmith will be itching to get back to the keyboard in no time.

3. Make your content informative, but
inject your personality

As much as people need to know and understand the professional credentials and services that you offer, a typical client also wants to see the real you; a person who they can connect with that will understand their problems. You need to give them a good reason to trust in you. The more genuine you are when writing your content, the more likely the right type of person will come along to ask for your help and advice.

4. Look to other blog posts for inspiration

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – looking at other similar blog posts for some ideas is not a bad place to start if you’re having issues thinking of where to begin. However, make sure you don’t blindly copy and plagiarise anyone else’s content, that won’t go well as far as Google and your own reputation is concerned. It’s always better to write with your own personal flair!

5. This very post started off as a
terrible first draft

I am a firm believer that writing something is always better than writing absolutely nothing. Sure, your first draft might appear to be absolute twaddle, but with some correction and a little TLC, you might have been onto something in the first place.

6. If in doubt, ask for help!

You guessed it – I sent this entire post to my other work colleagues to read over before I even thought about posting it to the masses. Constructive criticism can be rather humbling at times, but it always helps to have a second opinion – you’ll be surprised how a little feedback can go a long way to improving your expression.

James Bosnjak

About James Bosnjak

If you're looking for technical advice, a snippet of code to speed up your website or a long-winded explanation to who Manchester's best band is - no further than our Technical Director James. You'll find him being the mastermind behind the development of our websites!

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