When you started your business, you were likely excited by the fact that you could finally do what you love for a living.

Then you found out that being the founder/CEO/big cheese included a lot more responsibilities than you bargained for, like sales and marketing and, of course, writing.

Given the swelling popularity of content marketing platforms like blogs and social media, being able to find your way around a keyboard is pretty important.

And you don’t think you’re a very good writer. I get it.

I wouldn’t call myself a Shakespeare (my Olde English is terrible), but I’ve managed to do pretty well.

What’s the secret? Well, you already know. Here are some tips for kick-starting your business writing:

  • Write like you talk. (Yes, even if you aren’t an eloquent speaker.) Most websites have very boring, vague language to the point of utter boredom. Just write like you talk—your customers will understand. Just use the spell check before you click Save, okay?
  • A picture still says a thousand words. If you hate writing, a good photo does the trick instead. This is especially applicable if you have a very visual product, like cupcakes or bicycles. You still need some descriptive words though, but good photography makes for a great crutch.
  • Less is more. Those people that tell you that every blog post or web page needs to be 1,500 words long are full of BS. There are no rules when it comes to page length. You want it to be long enough to cover all the important details, but short enough that people will actually read it. If you sell $10K investment packages, you’ll probably need a bit more text. If you sell $5 chocolates, you might be able to get away with less. And cut the fluff: Get to the point and be specific.
  • Block off small, regular pockets of time for writing. A big part of the problem with writing is finding a clear space to do it in. To ease into it, I’d like you to block off smaller (15-30 minutes) pockets of time, and do so on a regular basis—daily is great, but 2-3 times a week works too. Put this in a place on your calendar where you won’t be disturbed; for me, that’s early in the morning, but you might prefer an evening time slot or a lunch break. Have your calendar alert you, and then set a timer and go! When you only have to be Hemingway for 15 minutes, you’ll surprise yourself at how easy it is.
  • Hire help where it counts. Sometimes, an extra hand makes a big difference. If you do lots of press releases and you’re spending big bucks on distribution, a hired hand can really polish those. If you are selling services or any online-only product, a pro copywriter will make a world of difference and quickly pay for him or herself. If you have a product that changes regularly (like a restaurant menu or flash sales, for example) and you don’t have time to update the site, you need to get help.


Okay, are you up for the challenge? Get those writing blocks on your calendar, right now. Or, start looking for some help!

Join me next week when I’ll be talking about how to get feedback from your customers without bribing them.
 


Own Your Ass[ets] is a five-part workshop series that teaches small business owners how to take control of the assets that will make their businesses relevant on the Internet.

3 Things Every Small Business Needs to Be Relevant in Local Search 
Make Your Blog Content Easy to Create, Find and Share 
Improve Your Small Business Photography in 3 Simple Steps 
Put Social Media Marketing to Work For Your Small Business (Tickets)
Live Website Critiques: Improve Sales and Customer Engagement (Tickets)