Your writing skills directly affect your workplace efficiency. In this free workshop, we’ll help you brush up on your grammar and change habits with tips for delivering crisp, on-point business writing.
If people aren’t reading your content, you may be sharing too much fluff. And by doing so, you’re boring, confusing, or overwhelming your readers. From your paragraphs to your word choice, follow these editing tips to create the clear, compelling…
A fluff trap happens when content loses its focus and gets too wordy, too confusing, and too full of unnecessary details. Let’s explore two of the sneakiest but most common ways content creators can find themselves in fluff traps.
“Perfection is not when there’s more to add but no more to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Whether you’re creating a company blog, printed brochure, email, or more, the perfect content can often feel like it needs as many…
“Show, don’t tell” invites readers to experience your messaging, rather than just hear about them. Showing often involves intriguing details, informative visuals, and an inviting tone.
Clear, compelling communication is about more than proper grammar, structure, and word choice. When writing, you want to make sure that your message is not only well put — but also true.
An editor’s role in communications is to refine and sharpen content, and ensure transparency. And when removing opaqueness in business, more is better. By opening up the doors and being forthright in your messaging, you can attract like-minded people to…
Transparency seems to be everywhere these days. In fact, nearly 90% of people believe that transparency in business is more important than ever. From B-Corps to privacy policies and more, consumers are pushing for clarity in business.
So, you’re creating content and want to start a meaningful conversation with your audiences. While a variety of language tools can help you reach them — such as first-person voice and humor— another key feature to embrace is clarity. Clear…
My favorite joke goes like this: Did you hear about the corduroy pillow? It’s making headlines. Sure, the ol’ corduroy pillow is corny and generates more eye rolls than laughs, but that little joke has actually helped me connect with…
When managing communications, content writers naturally want to create messaging that feels knowledgeable in order to elicit authority and trustworthiness. To win over audiences, they may rely on touting credentials or making simple issues seem complicated (We all know that…
“Dear sir, the holistic approach to your multilevel needs requires that we utilize new technological platforms.” Wait, what? Who in the world talks like that in real life? Pretty much, no one. So, why should your company’s communications be any…
In today’s business world, the majority of consumers believe that businesses and CEOs should state their values and share their opinions. Within this environment, a growing number of companies are publicly embracing important social issues. Recently, Gillette made headlines with…
To get noticed in this content-heavy world, your brand and messaging need to appeal to people on a personal level. With customer experiences defined by meaningful, personal connections, anchoring your business in the values you care about can be key…
“[Building relationships] is about really aligning with a sense of deeply held values and a sense that you’re willing to take risks for those values as a marker of authenticity.” — Patti Williams, Associate Professor of Marketing, Wharton School of…
If your organization were a person, branding would be their sparkling personality. And that person’s tone of voice, or way of speaking, should be one of the most memorable parts of their personality. In fact, people will remember your voice’s…
In my last blog on terms and conditions, I talked about how these documents are more than a legal requirement — they’re a brand asset. Why? Because every piece of content your company creates reflects your brand and your values.…
Oh, those dense terms and conditions. Companies need them. Customers should read them. And yet, legal teams are often the only ones prioritizing these essential communications when services and products come to market. Why? Because the traditional way of categorizing…
A huge part of your brand’s success relies on content consistency across channels. From marketing materials to interoffice emails, every time you communicate you have an opportunity to reinforce your company’s personality, mission, and values. But, do your employees know…
Looking for ways to help your company stand out in 2019? Start by exploring how your language and communications are essential to the brand experiences you create. While many companies focus their branding around image and design — and overlook…
Across content and channels, how you frame your message matters. In most circumstances, you want your reader to have a favorable, affirming experience. When your writing helps them feel good, they’ll think constructively and take action. While positive framing is…
We’ve all heard the idea that a person’s handshake can tell you much about them. Whether you’re networking or meeting a new friend, subtly demonstrating confidence, reliability, or another quality is an invaluable skill. For content creators, positive framing is…
“A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.” – Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, Words Can Change Your Brain Words have always evoked emotions and inspired actions. One…
Your goal as a writer or content creator is to engage your audience. If you can’t hook your readers early, you risk losing their attention and will probably push them away. Motivating your readers and encouraging them to act starts…
Last month, we joined language experts and enthusiasts from across the globe in Montreal to attend Clarity 2018: Plain Language in Modern Times. Hosted by Clarity International, the conference theme explored the possibilities of plain legal language (and beyond). Needless…
** We’re pleased to share this guest post from our business associates at Acrolinx! ** If you’re serious about brand strategy, you’re trying to build a truly valuable brand. That’s why it’s a shame most enterprise marketers leave out a…
In a world of mediocre content, engaging writing is a breath of fresh air. But how do you differentiate your content from all the flat, jargon-filled writing out there? If you’re a content creator looking to strengthen your brand, grabbing…
So, you’re creating content (white papers, reports, emails) and have many employees supporting ongoing communications. But what happens when different language styles emerge, like e-mail or email? Do employees know which style you prefer? Or, what about your company’s verbal brand…
As a content creator, you want your company’s website content to engage and inspire. You likely have a vision of your website as a destination, not just a dropbox. Certainly you want your messages to attract traffic, yet your higher…
Oh, workplace writing. Some people love it, and some people hate it. But, in one manner or another, nearly everyone must write and communicate. I’m sure we all have colleagues, peers, employees, or friends who dread writing. I’ll admit that…
Every business transaction is an opportunity for a professional and straightforward interaction. Yet, without sufficient understanding of your recipient, your transactions can also create opportunities for confusion and frustration. And when you’re sending invoices (which are crucial for managing cash…
Burlington, Massachusetts – Richmond, Virginia | August 28, 2018. — Zuula, a leading expert in verbal branding and communications strategy, has signed a partnership agreement with Acrolinx, the world’s only Content Strategy Governance platform. This alliance demonstrates Acrolinx and Zuula’s shared commitment to helping…
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.” – Alfred Adler Business communicators know that every person they write for has a story of their own. Whether…
Ambiguity in art can be a powerful and inspiring tool. For example, I love Chet Baker’s rendition of “My Funny Valentine” because of its ambiguity. There’s a sweet, yet blue, mood that runs throughout the song — it invites everyone…
“There is no greater impediment to the advancement of knowledge than the ambiguity of words.” —Thomas Reid Today’s business content is replete with words — and reaching your audiences can seem like a jigsaw puzzle. While your content’s structure matters…
As humans, we have a tricky relationship with ambiguity. Used effectively, ambiguity (messages with more than one interpretation) can create clever, insightful, and amusing communication — making it a staple of advertising and comedy. Used ineffectively, however, ambiguity’s multiple meanings…
Every form of communication can benefit from show-don’t-tell writing. Sure, this style can improve storytelling and foster audience engagement — but it’s also a powerful tool when providing instructions. And when managing efficient operations, clear instructions are a must! Whether in…
In writing, we use the concept “show, don’t tell” to ignite our reader’s imaginations and transport them into the world of our story. We build sensory experiences with descriptive and specific details — sometimes called “images” — to help us…
Reaching your audience and capturing their attention requires a fundamental understanding of your persona’s interests and values. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, you’ll need a grasp on technology, social issues, and cat memes. And, to truly connect, you’ll need…
So, you’re creating content and need to reach your audiences. But how do you know what voice and message to use in order to reach them? A key step to understanding their needs is to create user personas. What is…
To create and build supportive client/customer relationships, you need to know what your users find relatable and helpful. But how do you turn the needs of hundreds or thousands of users into meaningful solutions? One practical approach is to develop…
Employee policies are a necessary tool for protecting a company from organizational and reputation challenges — especially when operations span countries or address sensitive material. But if your policies are outdated, redundant, and unclear, employees may inadvertently create far more…
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” —Albert Einsten Plain language may seem like a relatively new concept, but the communications niche has been around for decades. According to Plainlanguage.gov, the current plain language movement…
April is National Poetry Month — a time to celebrate poems and their ability to help us understand life with a fresh, inspired mind. On my best days, I read and write poetry to connect with others and the universe,…
Close your eyes for a second and think back to when you were in school learning grammar. Imagine your teacher. Imagine the lessons. Did the experience inspire you? Did you learn to appreciate the craft and anticipate knowing more? My…
As a former high school English teacher, I have seen my fair share of poor grammar. My students would ask, “Who cares about grammar?” I would say, “Well, it’s the difference between ‘Let’s eat Grandma’ vs. ‘Let’s eat, Grandma.’ In…
Ensuring your audiences hear your voice in a crowded content world requires clarity and credibility. In fact, one of the top brand voice choices for 2018 is “authenticity.”
These days, you don’t have to be a writer to spend an incredible amount of time creating content. In fact, the average office worker composes 40 emails each day — and spends 2.5 hours writing and reading emails.
Don’t think writing skills matter in your company’s operations? Think again. Even when organizations actively implement plain language and clarity standards, they can overlook the importance of internal communications.
How much does a comma cost? Probably more than you expect. In early February 2018, the serial comma — that little comma before a conjunction (and, so, but, etc.) within a list — cost Oakhurst Dairy $5 million. The drivers…
In 2008, we started Zuula to serve companies with thorough writing and editing services. Over the past decade, we’ve evolved to become a communications strategy firm supporting clients nationwide and globally.
Choosing which point of view you use in writing is a powerful (and deceptively simple) way to tweak your message. When you change grammatical person, you quite literally change how your audience interprets and understands your point of view.
Between crafting emails, writing reports, reading content, providing social media updates and more, we spend a lot of our time creating and absorbing writing. And the value of this currency is built on far more than grammar proficiency or correct…
Slimming your writing without losing its power takes practice and focus. By following these 7 tips, you’ll say bye-bye to flab and hello to effective content with just the right meat and bones.
Today, content strategy is the backbone for how you should be reaching your audiences. With endless amounts of content published every day on- and offline, defining your strategy to create and share it all is essential.
Knowing characteristics (and more!) of your company’s personality – and infusing them into your language – will bring your content to life through a strong verbal brand.
Parallel structure is especially helpful when sharing lists of items by – yep, you guessed it – creating parallelism in your syntax. Yet, rarely does anyone actually learn to how to use it – or know that parallel structure even…
Just like any relationship, real conversations based in real language play a huge role in how we connect. But the financial services industry has some catching up to do.
