Many people--even professional writers like us--struggle from time to time with what to put on the page. I'm not talking about "writer's block." That's not usually a problem when writing marketing materials such as websites, brochures or speeches. Our problem is often exactly the opposite: we usually have
too much information we want to share.
In this age of short attention spans, 10-second sound bites and viral videos that travel around the globe in an instant--and are forgotten almost as quickly--your writing must get to the point fast or it will be forgotten.
So, how do you know what to share and what to abandon? By holding up every detail you want to add against a measuring stick. And that measuring stick is a short factual statement about what you want this piece of writing to accomplish.
Say you are writing a web page (and yes, every page should have a goal). Your statement might look like this:
When people are finished reading this web page, I want them to (fill in the blank).
Perhaps you want them to call you, visit your store, sign up for your program or believe in your cause. Perhaps you want them to give you the credibility you deserve. Maybe you want them to purchase your product or service, make a donation or join your association.
The point is, once you are clear on why you are talking to them, you can then say exactly the right things. And nothing else.
