During one of my first writing jobs, my editor admonished me to “write tightly”. Those two words of advice are some of the best I can pass along to other business communicators. Too often, extraneous words block clear communications and lead to muddy writing. Readers who must dig to find your meaning may be confused, or worse become disinterested. When our team writes marketing materials for our clients – which includes everything from blogs to press releases – we know the importance of avoiding clichés and bulky phrases.
Here are my top suggestions for stronger, more concise writing.
Instead of Write this
In order to To
Due to the fact that Because
At this point in time Now
During the period During
Has a requirement of Needs
In a timely manner Quickly, Promptly
In accordance with Per
In regards to Concerning, about
In the amount of For
No later than By
Until such time that Until
With reference to About
With the exception of Except
As you write tightly, look for opportunities to make each word more descriptive. Instead of writing, “The dog ran in front of the car”, add visuals for your readers by writing “The Dalmatian ran in front of the Porsche.” The result is more meaning using the same number of words.
If you’re ready to discover how professionally written content can improve your online presence, call me at 952-697-5269.
