Your content and copywriting represent you and your business. Clear and cohesive writing is crucial. If your content and copywriting are clear and cohesive, your customers will know what you mean. They will easily be able to follow your thoughts and call to action. Your customers will clearly understand how your service or product can benefit them.
Clear and cohesive writing also signals quality and intelligence because all parts of your content follow a logical order that works well together. And quality content automatically boosts your credibility. Your customers will feel safe and confident that you can provide them with a great solution to their problems.
This article will give you a straightforward approach and an easy-to-use template that will help you make your writing clearer and more cohesive. If that sounds good to you, please keep on reading.
First, let me illustrate this simple approach with an example.
500-word blog post “5 reasons you should go hiking.”
The other day I got a writing job. The job was to write a 500-word blog post with “5 reasons you should go hiking.”
The job caught my attention because I love hiking and outdoor adventures myself. So, I was already in a great mood as I went to my whiteboard. I picked up my blue marker because I associate outdoor activities with freedom. And to me, the color of freedom is blue.
I gazed out of my window past the patio and looked at the palm trees. On the horizon, I saw the beautiful Pacific Ocean. The birds were chirping. I took a deep breath.
I turned my face to the whiteboard and wrote “5 reasons you should go hiking” at the top of the whiteboard. Then I took the black pen and wrote these four headlines in each of the imaginary four corner squares of the whiteboard: CTA, big idea, headline, five simple reasons.
I put down the black pen and picked up the blue pen again.
Under CTA, I wrote “go hiking” as the call to action.
For the big idea, I wrote: “bring client product to improve hiking experience.”
Headline idea. I wrote: “Explore the great outdoors doing what you love and win the new client product.”
And then, I went on to the five simple reasons. I wrote excellent for your health, fun, cheap, accessible worldwide, and share joy.
Let me pause my story about my approach to the writing job here.
If you struggle with clarity and cohesiveness
I have had many of my writing students over the years struggle with clarity and cohesiveness. The advice I’m about to give you comes from my own experience of writing and publishing five books, three master theses, white papers, business plans, brochures, magazines, lesson plans, numerous articles, and many other writing projects. It has also helped many of my students over the years make their writing more precise and more cohesive.
The key to clarity
As you can see in the example of how I prepare for a writing job, there is a simple key to great clarity and cohesiveness in your writing. And this critical approach is to start with the end goal in mind. When you know what the call to action is and where you want to take your reader, your writing becomes clear even before you put your pen to paper. Your sentences will flow naturally and logically. Your examples and stories will support your big idea and action steps.
It is just like hiking in the forest
You can compare the preparation for the writing process with a hike in the forest. If you don’t know where you are going, it is like standing in front of an overgrown hedge of thorns, making the way to the sleeping beauty very difficult. If you don’t know how to find the way in your writing, it will be unclear to the reader.
When you know where you are going, the path opens naturally in front of you. You get to pass great beauty and exciting adventures along the hike, but you always know where to go next. Your sentences will flow naturally and logically. The reader will experience the same sense of direction and clarity in your writing and are much more likely to follow your lead.
Easy-to-use template
No matter what type of writing you are doing, it follows a specific structure from beginning to end. When you know what this structure looks like, you can find your call to action and your big idea. And you can fill in your keywords in the template in advance.
Knowing the end goal with your writing with a clear idea of where you are going will make your writing clear and cohesive.
The critical components in almost all types of writing that you can follow step by step as an easy-to-use template is:
· Headline
· Lead
· Sample story that engages
· Credibility statement
· A big idea
· 3-5 action steps
· Call to action
If you follow this proven template in your copywriting, you get clear and cohesive content and copywriting.
Start your copy with the end goal in mind
And as you saw in my example, I suggest that you start your pre-writing process by turning the template upside down. Start by filling in keywords on your call to action, your big idea, your headline idea, and your action steps.
Grab a big piece of paper or get a whiteboard and write:
- CTA: What is my call to action?
- What is it that you want your reader to do as a result of reading your copy?
- Do you want them to get more information?
- Do you want them to buy your service or product?
2. Big idea: What is the big idea?
- What is the ONE big thing your client should take away from engaging in your copy?
- What is the value or benefit to the client?
- Is this crystal clear?
3. Headline idea: How to provide the desired solution to a specific client problem
4. 3-5 simple steps: What are 3-5 simple steps or action items your client can do to start accomplishing this one big idea or promise?
- Define the deliverable.
- Define their actions.
- Define the promised benefit.
If you fill in your keywords in this easy-to-use template, you will find that it is much easier to start writing. You will have created the necessary clarity in your mind about where you are going before you even put your pen to paper.
You will experience the same clarity and cohesiveness in your thoughts. And the clarity of thoughts makes clarity of writing. Because you know step-by-step where you are going from beginning to end. Your reader will experience a clear red thread in your writing, and this will give them a sense of safety and confidence in you and the quality of your business.
This article is the fourth in a new series with Pro Copywriting Tips for high-leverage content writing to boost traffic and increase sales.
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And as always, feel free to reach out if you need help with your content and copywriting.
About Sophie H Higgins, MA, MBA, MBC: I’m a freelance copywriter, professional speaker, business coach, and martial artist. I specialize in providing high-quality content and in helping people and businesses grow. Need a copywriting magician? 🧙♀️ 📖 ⚡As a certified copywriter and business coach, I can help you and your consulting business boost your client flow.