Crossman Communications

Crossman’s Crash Course in Writing for Audience Engagement

2012-05-22T11:09:19-05:00

Step # 2: Understand Your Reader’s Pain

No matter where you are on the “writing continuum” you’ve no doubt encountered a situation where you need to write an article or web page that grabs audience attention and doesn’t let it go. It’s a stressful task for most of us, -- these things don’t just write themselves. And even if we know the job requires creating rapport with our readers and engaging their interest, it’s not always obvious what steps we need to take to get there.

Here’s how I do it:

1. I tell people why my program or initiative is important.
2. I show them I understand their pain.
3. I add an emotional component.
4. I reference experiences my audience will embrace and
5. I use language that incorporates different motivational precepts.

My previous blog posts looked at the importance of telling folks why your program or initiative is important and today we’re going to examine the importance of showing your audience that you understand their pain.

My current copywriting mentor is a man by the name of Dean Edelson, and he works out of Sedona, Arizona. Dean is a brilliant writer and an amazing stand-up comedian; he's expensive and he's worth it! He is also an avid student of the human condition.

Dean is cheerfully relentless about the importance of ensuring all my copy is phrased around my audience’s experience rather than my own. Although it’s something I already knew, he has taught me new techniques for doing this more effectively.

If you’re a senior executive, or a corporate communicator, with some solid writing experience behind you, it might be worth remembering that much as you might command respect in your circle of influence, people generally aren’t focused on you. They’re focused on their own lives. I don’t mean that in an unkind way – it’s just that as we all blur through our daily chaos, we aren’t especially concerned about what other folks tell us is exciting, interesting, important or cool. If you want to stop us in our tracks and pull us into your orbit, you need to tell us how what you’re offering is going to make our lives easier, better, safer, more efficient, more interesting, more productive or more comfortable.

And of course, in order to decide which criteria to emphasize, you need to understand your readers’ pain. What do your readers find difficult or discouraging? If you aren’t sure, ask them. And find out what you need to do to ease that pain. No empty promises, though – if you say you’re going to help, then you really do need to help.

Writing to engage an audience is an enchanting challenge and there is a lot involved in the process. My next blog post in this series will examine the importance of writing with emotion. Until then, if you have a comment, please leave it below!

Crossman's Crash Course in Writing to Engage: The importance of "Why?"

2012-05-08T20:27:49-05:00

Being a writer is an awfully fun gig and I absolutely love what I do. The sheer bliss of stringing words together is like weaving magic on a page and there really is no thrill that can compare to doing that well. But I’ve come to the point in life where I also like sharing that knowledge, and one of my other favourite things to do is to coach other writers in their own evolution.

Once a writer has learned how to structure their work well, and can write with a certain amount of style, I like to lead them through the most valuable set of writing skills for our competitive world and that is to write to engage an audience. Engaging an audience is the most important step in motivating folks to understand your position, support your program or take a desired action. My last blog post provided an overview of some of the top ways of doing that – you need to:

1. Tell people why your program or initiative is important.

2. Show your audience you understand their pain.

3. Add an emotional component.

4. Reference experiences your audience will embrace.

5. Use language that incorporates different motivational precepts.

Today we’re looking at the “Why” issue.

Telling your audience why your topic is important shows them what the payoff is going to be and the more compelling you can make that, the better. In a corporate communications setting, for example, your readers might want to know if it will help them do their job better or more efficiently, improve relationships with other people or between their department and another, help them meet their objectives, or give them more control over their time or their department.

What’s more, studies out of the field of psychology have shown that different people filter information differently and one of the filtration systems we all use on a subconscious level means every one of us will filter the world around us according to why something is important, what it is, how it works OR what big dream it facilitates. We might do all of those things at different times. But only one of them is our most important default filter in any given context.

Guess which group is the most likely to tune out first? You guessed it: the folks whose primary filtration system centres around “why” something is important. If you don’t give them that information right off the top, they will tune you out and Bingo! you’ve lost the chance to inform or influence them.

It is certainly not difficult to include that information in your written work — you just have to remember to do it.

Interested in more on engagement? Check back soon for my next blog post, which will help you show your audience that you understand their pain.

Writing for Audience Engagement

2012-04-24T08:48:21-05:00

Writing well involves many fluid skill sets and distilling them all down into a concrete process risks eliminating the creative magic that can make a story really cook. And although I respect the rules of the writing road, I also love the excitement of steering onto an unmarked trail and letting my imagination take the wheel. Even when I’m writing for business.

Previous blog posts have examined some of the structural and style considerations involved in writing and today I’m starting another blog series, this one focusing on engagement.

I think of an engaged reader as one who simply keeps on reading — not because they have to but because they can’t help themselves. An engaged reader doesn’t stop to think how nice the writing is – they’re connecting directly with the material itself and floating along on the river of understanding the writer has created for them. In corporate communications – or indeed in any field – that engagement is the key to ensuring our readers understand an issue, support an opinion or program, or take a desired action.

Here are my top five suggestions for writing to engage an audience:

1. Tell people why your program or initiative is important. Never assume people will “get it” just because it makes sense to you. They need – and deserve – some solid information around why it’s being introduced, why it will be helpful, why they should support it and/or why other programs or initiatives are being phased out.

2. Show your audience you understand their pain. Referencing problems and other issues that interfere with job satisfaction, for example, develops rapport with your audience. It is a form of respect.

3. Add an emotional component. Being human implies an emotional existence and a light reference to feelings acknowledges that we aren’t just machines lined up waiting for quitting time. It doesn’t have to be excessive to be effective – for example, I used the word “excitement” in the first paragraph of this post as part of an analogy about creativity to encourage interest and create depth.

4. Reference experiences your audience will embrace. A group of of heli-skiers might understand the 9-to-5 world, for example, but they’re probably going to be far more motivated by references to stretching the envelope of human existence. So it is with an employee or stakeholder group: references to flex time or improvements to the company fitness centre might resonate more than fresh powder.

5. Use language that incorporates different motivational precepts. Bring words that will help your audience see, hear and feel what you’re talking about and show them you understand their need to deepen their business relationships, achieve their goals and control their environment. Where appropriate, show them how things will be exactly the same, and how they will be different, from what they’re used to. Help them understand the global vision at the heart of what you’re describing, as well as the minute details that will make it work.

Future posts will look at each of these issues in more detail. In the meantime, I would love to hear how you maximize reader engagement!

Copywriting and Creativity: a freelance writer mines the magic

2012-04-06T08:49:44-05:00

The word "writer" often conjures dreamy visions of languid afternoons and ink-stained papers but I have to say that the reality, at least for me, is somewhat less romantic . As a corporate communications writer with my feet planted firmly in the business world, my work days are packed with research, first drafts, revisions and deadlines. And although I am a published novelist, there is a lot of technical practicality involved in my writing. Solid structure, grammatical accuracy, factual integrity and technical grace are all part of the package.

But what ABOUT the stuff of dreams? Do I ever incorporate creative thinking into my work as a writer?

Absolutely! I default to three main creative techniques when I’m looking for ideas around theme, story direction, or engagement. Here’s how I do it:

1. Brainstorming. I grab a pad of 3" square sticky notes and a black sharpie and stand in front of a large blank wall. I define the problem I’m trying to solve, set a timer and spend three minutes scribbling every idea that comes to mind. As I finish each idea I slap it on the wall and when my time is up I’ll either start Round Two or start classifying my ideas.

I make three categories: "Reject," “So-so" and “Let’s work on these." If I’m really lucky, I will have found the key to unlocking my creative block and I can immediately start writing.

2. Think tanks. Back in the ‘70s, my father had a large round ball filled with thousands of words written on small strips of plastic. This “think tank” had a large window and a knob on each side which allowed the user to mix the words. We would randomly select seven words and play a little word association game with each one to spur our creative thinking. Dad’s think tank is long gone so today I open up a newspaper, magazine or web page and randomly select my seven words.

3. Mind mapping. I'm not a huge fan of mind mapping but I do occasionally use the technique, and usually with success. Some excellent online software packages are available but I like the whole-body experience of standing in front of an easel or white board with a handful of coloured markers. I write the topic I want to explore in the middle of my page and circle it. Stemming off from this central circle I write the ideas that flow naturally from this initial idea, circling each one and connecting them to the central circle. I drill down as far as I can and my exploration is invariably thorough.

I think the key to any creative process is to relax and enjoy it. It may seem awkward and uncomfortable at first but the more you practice, the better you get.

I’d love to hear how you kick start your creative process – care to share your favourite in the space below?

Five key skills for Freelance Corporate Communications Writing

2012-03-23T13:31:29-05:00

People are sometimes surprised to find that writing well depends upon a number of different skill sets and that the writing itself sometimes represents the perfect icing on a very substantial cake. A typical corporate newsletter project, for example, might require a dozen or more articles around a specific theme. What does that involve? Let’s take a look:

1. Good “big picture” capability. As a corporate communications copywriter, I need to be able to grasp the importance of the project at hand in terms of the company’s overall priorities, goals, plans and culture. As I work through the project, I need to continually monitor my progress to ensure I am consistently on track.

2. Good organizational skills. While every article I write is unique, and some stories are more complicated than others, I might have to contact as many as four or five people to get the information and quotes I need to craft an accurate and interesting article. Depending on how busy people are, this might take as many as three or four phone calls or email touches apiece. Fortunately, I’ve been able to develop a system for tracking the research trail to make sure I hit my deadlines.

3. Good interview skills. The people I approach for information in the corporate world are busy. Spending time with a writer who wants information for the company newsletter is not always something people leap to do, much as they realize it will provide their department with support and exposure at the corporate level. Out of respect for other people's valuable time, I’ve had to become very proficient at interviewing: I get as much information as quickly as possible, I conduct the interview in a professional and courteous fashion, and then I let people get on with their work. Sometimes I need to make a repeat call for clarification or additional detail, but these connections are generally very focused and straightforward, and, therefore, very quick.

4. Accountability. Every director of communications has their own working style but when it comes to hiring a freelancer, they all have one thing in common: they want to know the work is getting done and that it’s getting done properly. Some folks want a daily check-in by email, some like a phone call every few days and others appreciate a weekly summary of what's been happening — but everybody needs the reassurance that comes from knowing the writer they’ve hired is on top of things.

5. Last but not least, writing skills. If everything has unfolded smoothly at every other stage of the newsletter process, then the writing itself will be more accurate and coherent as a result. And while the writing skills seem to be the skill on display in the finished product, they are actually the result of a larger collection of skills that work together to enhance the final product.

Corporate communications writing is highly enjoyable for folks like me and I love my job. But what do you think? Have I missed any details that you feel are important? Please leave a comment below!

Corporate Communications: Is There Room for Stylish Writing?

2012-01-26T15:28:07-05:00

I’ve heard numerous communicators lament the fact that corporate approval processes tend to steam all creativity out of internal communications documents. And I share the frustration. The problem is that lively turns of phrase can seem ambiguous and as communicators we need to be strategic, accurate, methodical and professional. Keeping within a specified word count is usually important as well, and in the drive to get the most information across in the least amount of space, our work is often pared down to a stark list of factual information. I understand the rationale completely.

But as a published novelist and essayist, I also recognize how powerful stories are: there is something about the soothing flow of a good story that keeps readers engaged all the way to a satisfying conclusion. Marketers seem to have carte blanche on the creative side of writing and they bombard us endlessly and cleverly through compelling stories told in words and images.

How can we get the best of both worlds in our corporate communications writing?

In my work on behalf of clients I try to bring a story into my content whenever I can do so with ease and grace. This takes a light touch because a story is more than a chronological recitation of facts and it has a lot of ingredients: a little thematic unity, some strong quotations, a sprinkling of emotional content and maybe a metaphor or two. A great story needs an interesting beginning and a satisfying conclusion. Some elements of personality need to be exposed so readers can identify with the story's subject matter, and a gentle surprise or two is almost always a good thing.

Sometimes that approach is just too much, however, and I will often default to great words -- searing adjectives, zesty verbs and delightful adverbs. If I think the topic can bear a metaphor, I will develop one that seems fitting.

In the context of corporate communications, it all has to be meshed together in a neat, economical package of words that drives to corporate objectives, takes account of corporate culture, and conforms to corporate style guides. Most of all, it has to be approved.

After 30 years as a professional writer – and thousands of hours of training – I’ve pretty much got the hang of writing to maximize audience engagement. And although I’m a huge fan of writing with clarity, I carry the flag for creativity in corporate culture as well. There’s plenty of room for both in our world – as long as we put them together in a perfectly balanced fashion.

I’d love to hear how other communicators approach the issue as well. What do you think is the best way to bring liveliness to your professional writing?