Some Free Business Writing Advice From The Experts
In a couple of months, Mandel Marketing founder Phillip Scott Mandel is coming out with a business writing advice and communication book, An MFA For Your MBA. The book is full of unique writing advice for creative writers, copywriters, and business professionals–which got us thinking: what other kind of writing advice is floating out there in the universe these days?
So we did what we always do, which was ask the experts. This is what we found, when we asked, “What is one of the best (or most unique) pieces of writing advice you ever got, and why?” Here is what 6 thought leaders have to say.
- Revisit Writing with Fresh Eyes
- Implement an Editorial Calendar
- Use Full Stops Instead of Commas
- Simplify for Sixth-Grade Comprehension
- Begin with the End in Mind
- Draft Now, Edit Later
Revisit Your Business Writing with Fresh Eyes
Before submitting your written work, always come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes. It’s amazing how many mistakes and improvements you can spot when you revisit your writing after taking a break, especially if you have been working on it non-stop. This is something I always do with my own writing, and I advise other writers to do the same.
Amanda Napitu, Founder, Improving Your English
Implement an Editorial Calendar
One common problem for writers is, not surprisingly, writer’s block. For me, the worst writer’s block is staring at a blank page, trying to figure out what I’m going to write about next. This quickly turns into procrastination, then frustration.
One of the things that helped me stay committed to writing something every day was an editorial calendar. You may think it’s only something useful for journalists, but it’s a clever trick to fix productivity for all writers.
It doesn’t have to be something too complicated. I created a simple Google Sheets document with a few columns: date, title of the article/piece of content/writing, and comments from the planning phase to help me when I start writing. I also use color codes to easily visualize what’s going on: yellow means it’s work in progress, green means it’s done, red means I skipped the day. Seeing a lot of green helps boost morale and seems to help with writing motivation.
This was the easy part. Don’t forget to add at least 10-15 calendar tasks for the upcoming days/weeks. I keep a separate sheet with ideas. Weekly, or once every two weeks, I pull ideas and add them to the calendar. This way, I don’t have to scratch my head every day to figure out what to write about.
Ionut-Alexandru Popa, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, BinaryFork
Use Full Stops Instead of Commas
Where you would use a comma, change it to a full stop. I got this from my co-founder and long-time friend, John Harrison. I found my writing became sharper, more to the point, and easier to read. It’s not applicable 100% of the time, but more often than not, it’s my go-to these days.
Tim Hanson, CCO, Penfriend
Simplify for Sixth-Grade Comprehension
If a sixth-grader can’t read your content, make it simpler. It’s one of the most unique and effective pieces of writing advice I’ve ever received. Writing engaging content doesn’t have to include words or phrases that require the average person to Google their meanings.
After writing your first draft, go through it and replace uncommon and hard-to-pronounce words with simple ones. It’ll help your readers connect better with your content and get value out of it.
Mohaiminul Sharif, Founder, ItBizBlog
Begin with the End in Mind
Begin at the end. Writing is about sending the reader on a journey. Knowing your landing spot helps you connect your end goal to the rest of the content. It ensures the reader has a reliable roadmap that guides them through your topic. Otherwise, your writing risks getting off-topic or being otherwise unable to achieve your goals.
You might not know everything you want to include in your writing, and that’s okay. But when you have a clear beginning and end, you’re in a better position to fill the in-between with impact.
Alli Hill, Founder and Director, Fleurish Freelance
Draft Now, Edit Later
One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve received is to “write first, edit later.” This advice emphasizes the importance of getting your ideas down on paper without worrying about perfection during the initial drafting process. By allowing yourself the freedom to write without inhibition, you can tap into your creativity and generate more authentic and compelling content.
Madison T, Ecommerce Manager, My Supplement Store
Need Help With Writing?
Mandel Marketing has written millions, if not trillions, of words for our clients. We excel at concise, professional, and fun content marketing that works for any category of business, in any tone and voice. Writing advice abounds, but good writing, for some reason, does not. Give us a call today for help with your own content writing, and pick up a copy of An MFA For Your MBA for some great business writing advice!