During the course of a typical work week, most legal marketers juggle a variety of writing projects – from a partner biography to a client newsletter or a press release. And while writing comes easier to some than others, one thing is for certain – it is a highly visible work product. It doesn’t matter whether writing is a formal part of your job description; you will always be judged, positively or negatively, on the basis of your writing. Whether you are fresh out of college or a seasoned pro, we’ve put together some tips to help your writing shine.
Consider your audience
Before you write, always ask yourself who the intended audience is for your work product. Is it intended to convince one person or to interest thousands? Is your reader sophisticated or is she someone who may happen to see your firm’s website as a result of an online search? Is he a busy journalist with only a minute to spare, or a chief marketing officer in your firm whom you need to convince and spur into action?
Think like the media
If you are having trouble formulating what you want to say, you may not have fully thought through your topic. Media members, such as reporters, are very good at summarizing ideas and getting to the heart of them. So pretend you are a reporter. Even if you are not writing a press release, a good exercise is to step back and write a headline and a first paragraph for an imaginary newspaper article that embodies what you want to say in your writing.
Style elements
Wondering if you should spell out a number or use digits, or whether to use a semicolon or hyphen? These seemingly small writing elements can have a big impact on your finished document. Keep a copy of your firm’s style guide nearby, and use it frequently. If you have questions that the style guide doesn’t answer, turn to published guides such as the AP Stylebook or the MLA Handbook. And for a quick answer to some basic grammar questions – check out Grammar Girl (www.grammargirl.com).
Proofread
Oftentimes, we have so many competing priorities at work that once a writing project is done, we are ready to send it out the door without a second look. But before you hit the “attach” button on your email, take a step back. While using spellcheck is common knowledge, consider having a colleague read the document. Generally this doesn’t take very long, and getting someone with a “fresh set of eyes” can go a long way in catching any errors that spellcheck might have missed.
In summary, not everyone will become a top-notch writer overnight. But we hope that these tips will go part of the way to helping you write correctly, thoughtfully, and convincingly in your day-to-day work.
By: Jonathan Groner, PR Specialist and Freelance Writer and Aileen Hinsch, Knapp Marketing for the September/October 2013 Issue of the Capital Ideas Newsletter