Compelling Creative Writing
Creative writing: It’s integral no matter your industry.
Your business can always benefit from a fine-tuning of your tone, better usage of industry lingo, or smoother storytelling to follow. In fact, according to Social Media Examiner, 58% of marketers said “original written content” is the most important type of content, outdoing visuals and videos.
Luckily for you, we’ve dedicated this week’s Tweet Chat to… Creative Writing for Industry Professionals! We’re welcoming Jen Malia @JenMaliaBooks, Deb Coman @DebComanWriting, Jaime Cohen @jaimbalaya, and Kim Scaravelli @KimScaravelli to the chat to guide us through their best tips for enhancing their writing.
It’s time you start writing to spark conversation, share your story, and inspire action. And it’s time to start now.
Missed the Tweet Chat? Here’s a recap:
Q1. Are creative writing skills important no matter your industry? Why or why not? How have you applied creative writing strategies to benefit your own business?
Kim Scaravelli: Everything in marketing and communications boils down to words. There's no sector in which this isn't true. Those that use their words the best win. Period.
Jaime Cohen: Regardless of industry, storytelling is crucial for connection. Creative writing brings stories to life. Virtually everything you’d want to learn about is available online. Sharing your story is what will make people seek out information specifically from you.
Q2. A message aimed at everyone often appeals to no one. Why is it so important to know your target audience? How can it be beneficial to imagine what their typical day looks like or their unique needs, goals, problems, etc. to help your message hit home with them?
Deb Coman: Set an intention to write to a specific audience in language they use so the right people pay attention and are interested enough to even read it. I envision my ideal client when I write to get in touch with what their day may look like and what they care about.
Jen Malia: You don’t want to write a social media post that sounds like a textbook. Or a textbook that sounds like a social media post. A business proposal that reads like a textbook likely won’t get funded either. Tell a STORY that works for your audience.
Q3. Fine tune your tone. How do you find your authentic voice and avoid the standard overly formal writing style that is commonly used in business? Do you think authenticity in messaging makes you and your business more relatable? Why or why not?
Kim Scaravelli: Search engines don't buy things. People do. And the more REAL those people are in your mind, the easier it becomes to talk to them.
When I know enough about an audience to be able to relate to them (as a person) the words and the tone begin to develop naturally.
Jaime Cohen: Writing the way you speak is the way to go. High-falutin language might sound fancy, but if your audience doesn’t understand you what good does that do? Not sure where to start? Find natural sounding content & break it down. Emulate that & add your own spin!
Jen Malia: Build trust with your audience by being vulnerable. Share a story that’s relatable. For me, I often talk about getting diagnosed with autism on the same day as my daughter. It was one of my most popular pieces for the New York Times.
Q4. People often skim for key info before dedicating time to read an entire piece. How do you make it easy for them to want to read on? How do you share info clearly & concisely? What are the best methods / formats depending on the specific result you want to achieve?
Kim Scaravelli: If you can hold attention for 30 seconds they're more apt to keep reading so in longer pieces I add cool quotes and stats at the beginning to pull them into the piece.
Jen Malia: As a children’s book author, I’ve had a lot of practice writing short sentences. But being concise isn’t just for kids. You’re competing with so many potential distractions. Ask questions and tell stories. Use keywords for SEO, but don’t forget to bring the fun.
Jaime Cohen: Virtually everything written online should be like the news or an abstract. Have a clear concise title that captures readers’ attention. Next is your thesis: what are we learning about? Then provide details. Finally add a CTA: what action should the reader take?
Q5. Writer’s block happens to the best of us! 🤔💭 What strategies do you use to break down writer’s block? How do you overcome a creative slump to get your creative juices flowing again?
Jaime Cohen: Voice recording can be a g-dsend. Whenever I get stuck, I turn on voice-to-text on a Google Doc & speak rather than type. Then I can easily go back and make edits. Editing is often easier than writing the copy to start.
Jen Malia: Writer’s block usually happens for three main reasons. 1) We aren’t prepared. 2) We don’t want to write it. 3) We’re afraid we won’t succeed. In my experience, it’s usually the third one. It all starts with opening the document. Seriously.
Suzanne Brown @mompowerment: A few things I use to avoid/overcome writer's block:
*Plan for your writing (grab articles, jot down a few bullets, etc.)
*Never leave your computer without finishing your thought
*Change locations in your home or go to a coffee shop
*Move your body -- go outside!
Q6. Email 📨 & social media 📲💻 are highly effective business marketing tools, but if people don’t read them it’s a wasted opportunity. How do you add a creative magic 🪄 touch to your business social media posts & emails to make them stand out?
Jaime Cohen: STOP THE SCROLL! Don’t waste your audience’s time with clickbait, but interrupt the pattern of monotony with something that will grab their attention. The hook of your email, post, etc. is important!
Jen Malia: With so many competing distractions, you need to hook the reader in the first sentence. Try an intriguing question. Or a shocking fact. Or a relatable anecdote. But don’t stop there. Keep them on the edge of their seats with more and more of this.
Deb Coman: Add your creative magic touch to emails and social media by adding your personality and values to your content.
Tell stories
Share your face
Share your WHY
Help them imagine what’s possible
Earn their trust
Q7. Practice makes progress! What are the best resources to turn to for bettering your business writing? What are the most effective ways to practice and improve your writing skills? What trends do you think are currently driving conversions and what trends are turning consumers off?
Jen Malia: The best writers are really good readers. Think about it. If you read a lot of great writing, you will improve your craft. Those sentences that moved you and inspired you become your models. Tell the stories that you want to read.
Deb Coman: Building trust is always going to drive better conversion. Focus on the intention to build trust, connection, and relationships, more than the sale. Truly, @KimScaravelli’s #MakingWordsWork book is an outstanding resource to improve your writing.
Kim Scaravelli: Read EVERYTHING out loud before you send it into the universe. Your ears often pick up on errors your eyes miss. And focus on TONE over all else. Folks will forgive a type-o but once you offend them, they're gone forever!
Q8. Everyone loves a good story. 📚🎬 How do you incorporate storytelling into your business marketing? What stories / themes should you be sharing? Do you tend to draw from personal experiences or do you generate inspiration from fictional sources?
Kim Scaravelli: I think storytelling is best when you're telling the story of someone else, rather than yourself. Like case studies, for example.
Pavel Stepanov @pavelStepanov77: You can share your company initiatives and how your business started instead of marketing right off the bat. Your mission-vision, goals, and the value you want to provide.
Jen Malia: Make storytelling the foundation of your business marketing. Connecting on a human level is the single best thing you can do to get your message out there. Think of relatable personal experiences. Or start with "what if..." and use your imagination.
We hope you take our experts’ advice to heart, and when you write, write to share. Write to share about yourself, to share conversation, to share values. This is how you foster connection, and this is how you’ll leave a true impact.
