Many people have misconceptions about writing. In the professional world, you’re often told to write in a formal language tone that can be difficult for most people to understand. But this isn’t always necessary!
In this blog post we will discuss tips for writing and editing documents in a language your audience can understand. First, you need to know who your target reader will be.
Think about what you’re trying to sell or promote and the age (or age range) of your target demographic. Are they 10th graders? College graduates? Professionals? If you have an idea of your audience’s education or age, it’s easier to edit it accordingly. Editing can be done on your own using Microsoft Word, or a professional online English paper correction service can assist you with perfecting your writing.
So, what are the best tips for writing in a language tone your audience can understand? If you’re looking for some quick tips, here are my top three:
- Stay away from jargon or industry specific words. Instead, use plain and simple terms that everyone will be able to relate with, like “admission,” not “entrance fee.”
- Make sure your sentences are relatable to your reader. Avoid writing sentences that are too long or complicated.
- Make sure your tone is what you want it to be, and match the mood of the piece! (This is why I later mention that it may be best to write your entire first draft all at once. In fact, I wrote the first draft of this article in one sitting!)
If you’re looking for some more detailed information about how best to write for business documents, I’ll go into more detail below.
1. Think First and Set Aside Time
Brainstorming about your target audience can help you write your content clearly. Most marketing material should be understood by a wide range of readers, so aim for a broad audience, rather than one that’s too narrow.
For example, if you were writing a marketing document aimed at college graduates, then your writing should be on the level of an 18-year-old in order to be understood by them as intended. You would need to use words and language that is specific to their education and or age, so keep that in mind.
Setting aside enough time to brainstorm properly is important. If you don’t have a lot of time to write, then it’s best not to start. Knowing how much you can write in one sitting is also important. If you are writing less than 1000 words per day then aim for 500 or 750 at the most but if you’re writing more than that, allow yourself more time.
A good rule of thumb is to use a planner or calendar for mapping out your day. This will help you know how much time to devote to thinking and writing your first draft of the marketing or business document.
On the other hand, if you are writing a document meant for professionals then your level of language should be on the level of an adult who has finished at least high school with some post-secondary education.
If it’s unclear about what audience to target or how educated they will be when reading the material, you can always ask a colleague or friend who they think your target market would consist of.
2. Write Short and Sweet
Get right to the point. Don’t write complicated descriptions or sentences because you think it’ll give your reader more information. Sadly, marketing has become mostly about using catchy phrases and attractive images to get people interested (and sometimes short video clips). However, you can use this to your advantage when writing your content.
Write like you really mean it. You’re probably writing to an intelligent and educated audience, so use correct grammar and language from the start. If there are sentences or phrases that might confuse your reader, keep them in parentheses until you’ve finished writing everything else. When editing later, see if those explanations make sense.
If you’re writing a longer business or marketing document, some writers use the Outlining method for writing, where they write all of their thoughts on index cards and then reorganize them. They might put each idea in different columns or stacks until it’s placed into its own paragraph. Other people say that this is too time-consuming and prefer to just jump right in with their thoughts. This can also work, but try to hash out your writing in one setting if you aren’t planning it. This way you can easily recall what you’ve said and not repeat yourself.
3. Polish your Writing
The most important step when writing anything is to always review it a second or third time. Reviewing it at another time or in another environment or room can help you catch errors or make you recognize awkward phrases. Read it while listening to music or the TV, read it out loud (you might want someone else there for this), and even get a friend or family member who is knowledgeable about how to write well-polished content to review your writing.
When you think you’re ready to go to press, consider asking a professional paper editor to assist you. You can task them with focusing on a specific section if you want to review the content before it goes live, or they can go at it with all they’ve got.
After all these steps, your writing should be just about perfect! If it isn’t, consider reading it out loud or to a friend. You can also try reading it backwards, sentence-by-sentence. These bonus tips can help you finalize your writing. If you’re still doubting your work, then a professional online paper editor service like editmypaper.ca can help you quickly achieve your goals.