May 2008: Volume 5

Anyone who has ever been charged with writing a brochure, newsletter, or other marketing piece knows that it can be challenging as well as intimidating. Will Haygood, journalist from the Washington Post explains, “Writing is physical work. It’s sweaty work. You just can’t will yourself to become a good writer. You really have to work at it.”

Therefore, we provide this list of guidelines to help you navigate the writing process.

• Set goals for the piece. Determine what you want to accomplish before you begin writing...
• Write from the reader's point of view. While writing continuously ask yourself, "Who cares?"...
• Focus on benefits, not features. You should always begin your copy by providing the benefits of your...
• Make it easy to read. With today's hurried lifestyles, very few people will read a marketing piece in detail...
• Include a call to action. We are continually surprised at the number of pieces developed without a call...
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Always have several objective readers review your document...