You may be wondering “why on earth do I need to learn how to become a brilliant writer? I’m an entrepreneur, not an author, I run a business, I don’t write!”
I get it.
But as an entrepreneur (not a writer), I’ve come to realise that learning to become a better writer has been imperative in building the FEA.
Here’s why…
I’m on a mission with the FEA, just like you’re on a mission in your business, for me I’m working hard to build an incredible platform to help inspire and empower women to build successful businesses and for the most part the communication happens online… via written words.
I remember at the beginning, I used to really struggle to put over in words what I really meant and felt inside. I had this big message I wanted to share with others, but I just didn’t know how to take that message out of my head and put it down on paper in a way that resonated and connected with my audience.
It was a huge problem.
And it is a huge problem for a lot of entrepreneurs, because we’re not writers!
But in order for us to build successful businesses, we have to be able to put our messages into words and those words need to be constructed in such a way that our audience totally connect with it.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing a blog post, a social media post, writing a script for a video or even writing out a speech to give, you need to actually be able to write well in order for your message to hit home with your audience.
And someone who can help you to do just that is the lovely Nikki Elledge Brown, founder of A Course About Copy. In this video she shared 4 little tricks for becoming a brilliant writer (& make sure you watch to the end, some rather funny things happened!!)…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here are some helpful links, so that you can learn more about writing, from the wonderful Nikki Elledge Brown…
:: A Course About Copy ::
:: NikkiElledgeBrown.com ::
:: 3 Ways To Attract Your Dream Clients ::
Here are the 4 tricks Nikki shared in more details in the video:
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY
If thoughts become things, and I believe they DO, you’ve GOT to watch what you say about yourself + your writing skills.
Flip the script. Instead of saying “I’m horrible at writing” or “ACK it takes me SO. long. to write!!”, say “I’m actually a pretty good writer,” or “I get better at writing every day.”
Make sure it’s something a) positive, that you want to reinforce, and b) that you actually believe.
OUTSMART WRITERS BLOCK
It’s really comfy hanging out in the land of “can’t do it. got writer’s block.” I know. I get it.
But the longer you wait, the more “anticipatory anxiety” you get – just rip the bandaid. Shut down distractions like social media and email + set a timer for 10 (or even five) minutes. When that time is up, take a break if you WANT, or just keep going.
You’ll be surprised how inspiration meets you right where you are.
NOTE: Even if it’s a “charming” first draft – it’s progress. Momentum is a powerful thing!
MOVE PAST PERFECTIONISM
Say it with me: Really really good IS good enough. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be shared.
There’s humanity in the imperfection – and as long as you’re clearly making an effort to go pro, people will appreciate that! It’s all about the JOURNEY + relatable credibility.
And think about it this way: If you really believe you’ve got something of value to offer your people, it’s actually selfish of you NOT to share it.
SEEK USEFUL FEEDBACK
We don’t communicate in a vacuum. It’s a two-way street! You’ve got to know if your message is “landing” and received as you intended. But in order to GET useful feedback, you have to know how to ask for it. Three tips for that:
1. Be specific. i.e. “Would you know how to sign up?” or “Does this sound cheesy?” vs. “Soo, what do you think?”
2. Add context. Let people know WHO you’re trying to reach and WHY – so that they can give you informed feedback.
3. Return the favor. Don’t be “that one” who only comes in to take, promote, or ask questions. Give (useful feed)back any chance you get!
BOTTOM LINE(S)
You can do this. (In fact, you already ARE doing “this.”) So give yourself some credit, lady.
Know that even though it SEEMS we learned to read, speak, write and listen on autopilot, effective communication takes practice. And discipline. And GRACE.
Cheerful accountability + support in this journey is priceless. For all these things, join Nikki over at acourseaboutcopy.com.
What’s the main thing you struggle with when it comes to writing for your business and out of the tips Nikki shared, which are you going to test out? Leave a comment below :)
See you next week, I’ve got an amazing interview to share with you that I did with Tara Gentile, where she talks about 3 ways to market your business more successfully! If you’re on our list, we’ll email it to you, if not, join us here :)
Carrie xx
