Relentlessly tapping words into our keyboards is easy.
Our fingers come alive before our very eyes every single day. We craft replies to friends, family and lovers alike without even a second thought.
But, when the moment arrives to draft up a LinkedIn post, email a client or get a number from Tinderella, we ruminate on every last word we choose.
The reason why is simple:
Some words matter more than others.
If we say the “wrong thing” with a friend, we catch a moment of silence and then just laugh it off and go back to normal.
But, when the tapping of letters is seen by strangers who can drastically change our lives, the words we choose matter infinitely more.
It’s because each one is an opportunity to make a meaningful impression.
We get to package our voice, authority and experience into a several significant sentences that leave a lasting impact.
Which can either compel us to write every thought we have or leave us trapped under the weight of a responsibility heavier than a herd of elephants.
If you’re struggling with the latter, that’s where this Guide comes in.
Here’s how you master writing…
#1: Define Your Category 🔎
“Categories are how we organize information in our minds. Know your category and you’ll know where readers “fit” you into their own minds.”
- Nicolas Cole
Aim for your writing to known for something.
Just like you can pin-point a friend’s voice amidst a sea of festival goers, your writing voice should stand out amidst the noise of social media.
This means writing in an authentic way that can’t be copied across the internet.
You’ll soon become a category of one that can’t be replaced.
Here are three things that will make you unique:
1) Choose what you write about
There are 1,000,001 ways to write about a single topic.
So, don’t be afraid to get specific. If you decide instead to write about everything, you’ll be known for nothing.
To avoid being just another voice, choose up to three “content pillars” that define the unique way you see the world.
Here’s an example to steal from:
Personal - Ironman Training.
Industry - 1:2:1 Business Coaching.
Expertise - Helping Freelancers become Agency Owners.
If you deliver consistent content around these areas…
You’ll become that “1:2:1 business coach specialising in helping freelancers become agency owners, who’s training for an ironman”.
2) Choose who you write to
Get clear on who your writing is for and who it isn’t.
You can have a broad network, but always remember to speak to only one ideal reader per piece of content.
This will help you to use examples, tones and words that resonate exactly with the individual’s situation.
To do this, remember:
The larger the audience, the more universal the language.
The nicher the audience, the more specific the language.
Try going as specific as possible…
You’ll end up with something like this - 18-30 year old ambitious B2B freelancer marketers who want to become agency owners.
Bam… that’s very clear who I’m writing to.
3) Choose how you write
Create a unique writing style.
Choose a style or two and stick with it. It will quickly become your calling card, marking your digital presence.
You’ll be known for your style, regardless of the content you create or whether it’s even relevant to the audience member listening.
Here are the 5 main options with examples:
Story - The journey of an individual over hardship.
Opinion - Take a fresh stance on a controversial topic.
Curated List - Do the research and show the examples.
Actionable Guide - Step-by-step breakdown of a solution.
Credible Talking Head - Use an individual’s reputation + thoughts.
You can remix them together too.
Just don’t overcomplicate it.
#2: Create Captivating Content 🎢
“Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.” - William Faulkner
Okay, so you know what you’re writing about.
Now the hard part - actually typing the damn thing so that the right person sees the right content at the right time.
Whatever the action is you want the reader to take, you’ll have to earn their trust before they’ll even consider it.
That means making a pledge to your audience and then delivering on it.
Here’s how to craft content that captivates:
1) Make the Promise
Everyone is shouting online.
To claim those five seconds of attention you need to create a scroll-stopping moment that hits your reader in the gut of emotions.
That means delivering a hook so strong that the reader decides to stay around.
Do this by including these three things:
Problem - What problem are you going to solve for the reader?
Context - What authority do you have to solve this problem?
Reason - Why does this problem matter to the reader?
Get this across in the first few lines of text.
For longer form writing don’t do this just once.
Think about how you can keep offering promises throughout the content, earning their attention, scroll by scroll.
2) Execute the Delivery
Once your hook has caught them, it’s time to execute.
Whatever you’ve pledged in the promise, you now need to deliver so that the reader begins to trust you.
Avoid becoming just another click baiter. Go above and beyond and you’ll be paid dividends in loyal fans in return.
Here’s how to overdeliver in the content:
Add more - If you promised 7 examples in the hook, give away 10.
Keep it short - respect the reader’s time and cut away the excess.
Share a resource - do the hard work and link to the further resources.
If you get a “Wow, that’s amazing” response, you’ll know you overdelivered.
And next time, you can be sure that the reader will come running back.
Pro tip: keep a “cutting room floor” for all of the sentences you remove from your drafts. It will come in handy for future content ideas.
3) Conclude the Summary
Now you’ve overdelivered you’ll need wrap things up neatly.
For the summary you’ve got two options:
Drive home an entirely new point.
Make it clear why someone should take action.
Either way you’re reinforcing the points you’ve made without simply regurgitating and wasting the reader’s time.
If you’ve got a valuable resource to share or a clear next step for the reader, this is your opportunity to plug the call to action (CTA).
Just make sure you use specific language and link it to the post.
Mehhh… “Click here to learn more”
Woooo… “Accelerate your 20s in less than 5 minutes each week”
#3: Level Up Your Word Game 📈
“Proper copywriting taps into peoples needs, allays fears, and answers all those questions that are swimming around their heads when thinking about buying something…” - Dave Harland
So, you’ve got the category and content down.
Now you need to get interesting, fast.
That means levelling up your word choice so that your readers can’t stop smiling when they trawl through your paragraphs.
Your writing should be a joy to read.
Here’s how…
1) Tell Stories in Your Sentences
You could write THE most useful article in the world.
It could give readers the exact step-by-step tools they need to make crucial life decisions that will bulletproof their retirement fund for decades to come.
But, if you make it boring… no-one will finish it.
And that’s a damn right shame to humanity.
To get your words written on the back of the eye sockets of the readers you want salivating at your sentences you need to bring the unexpected.
Wave goodbye to the boring corporate speak.
Say hello to your personality.
Here’s a cheat sheet to spice things up:
Like a… half-eaten turkey dinosaur on a school night.
More than… your annual pay packet after those 3 holidays to Ibiza.
As much use as a… fiver in a West London sweet shop.
Create a picture in your reader’s mind.
It’ll whisk them away to a universe you create.
For more inspiration, Amy Elliot is your go-to gal. Tell her I said “hi”.
2) Exaggerate with Unexpected Adjectives
The same boring words are everywhere.
They seep into our Instagram feeds, are plastered across billboards and repeat time and again in every single article we read online.
To create a scroll-stopping moment means standing the f*ck out. Don’t settle for the same old “I think that”, “that’s great” or “so interesting”.
Exaggerate with synonyms like these:
Tiny
Brutal
Crucial
Bulletproof
Dead-simple
Little-known
Step-by-step
Basically anything that doesn’t send the reader to sleep.
Get them to release a little air from their nose in appreciation and they’ll keep coming back for more and more.
The go-to expert on this is Dickie Bush. His hooks are top-level.
3) Make Boring Documents Interesting
You know that email footer you never read?
Or that out-of-office email you delete right away?
They’re both HUGE missed opportunities.
When the reader expects to find just another templated series of sentences to tell them what they need to know, it’s your perfect moment to strike.
Hit them with a “Wow, I never expected that”.
Blow their assumptions out of the water with your personality and tone.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Use your out-of-office reply to story-tell where you’re off to.
Use your invoice to get them excited for working with you.
Use your contact form to start a conversation with them.
It’s the little things that make a difference.
People will read and appreciate the extra care you put into it.
If you want to master even more words, go simp over Dave Harland.
The Summary
Let’s recap: To master writing you need to define your category, create captivating content and level up your word game.
There’s your 5 minutes, now take action:
📚 Recommended Book: The Art & Business of Online Writing by Nicolas Cole - Cole gives you the exact tactics he’s used to become one of the most prolific writers on the internet right now.
📑 Recommended Newsletter: The Word by Dave Harland - Nothing beats the sarcasm of The Word Man every week in your inbox. The lessons he gives on copywriting are second to none.
💎 Recommended Cohort: Ship 30 for 30 - Dickie & Nicolas are providing one of the hottest cohorts available anywhere right now. They get you into the habit of writing online everyday for 30 days.