tips for writing clear-as-mud content

Have you ever been driving a car and received unclear directions? The chances are you ended up taking a detour, losing your way, or ending up at an entirely different destination. Writing is the same way.

Imagine that you are setting a goal (or destination) at the beginning and aiming to take your reader on a journey to that destination while highlighting all the points of interest that you want them to remember along the way.

Here’s how to build clarity in your content

1: Make a plan!

Oh, I know – you barely have time to write your content let alone plan it first! In actual fact, planning saves time writing as you have a structure to follow. And planning doesn’t need to be done at the same time as writing.

Have you tried setting aside time to plan your content in advance? For some people this may be sitting down one morning a month to plan the content for the month ahead. Full disclosure: that’s not me! One hour a week to plan your content for that week would also work.

I fall somewhere between spontaneous and super organized, so I like to sit down for a couple of hours every two weeks and plan my content biweekly.

I write down my umbrella subjects, which marketers often call pillars. They are categories of interest that you and your followers could connect over. Then, I think about my bigger picture.

My greater destination that all my content is aiming to support (maybe you have a website launch, course start date, or podcast debut coming up – or maybe your main aim is just to create interest and connection).

Thinking about these aspects allows me to generate ideas for post topics under each of the categories.

Having prepared categories not only helps you to come up with ideas more quickly, it also keeps your messaging on track. You’ll be less likely to post random thoughts that do not connect to your main core message – such thoughts dilute your message and can leave your followers feeling disconnected from your purpose.

Don’t be afraid to repeat the same topics using different stories from your experience, your client sessions, or your day-to-day routine. Rather than boring people, this actually creates a sense of comfort in familiarity and builds a stronger connection.

2: Cut the intro!

When you have clarity around what you want to say and confidence in your own ability to say it well, you can get to the point much more quickly and effectively.

The hesitation in getting to the crux of what we have to say leads to unnecessary intro words that distract and bury your message.

Here’s an example:

In life, there are many things we take for granted every day without realizing it. This morning, I was talking to a client during a coaching session, and I realized the fact that we were hundreds of miles away and yet our computer systems were allowing us to meet as if we were really close together in order to discuss her latest project.

Without the overly general and hesitant intro:

We often take for granted the modern technology that allows us to meet with clients hundreds of miles away to discuss latest projects.

In social media, you simply don’t have time for generalized intros. While the first sentences in your content contain the curiosity builder, or ideal client hook, they also share the topic for your post.

Set a clear topic with as little introduction as possible to capture attention and show your followers this post is worth the click.

3: Read aloud!

Weird voice optional.

Is it just me who loves playing with voices?

My son gives me a good side glance and eye roll during our reading time before bed, but a good voice makes every reading experience more fun!

When you’ve written your content, take a break from it so that you can come back with fresh pair of eyes (and a full set of lungs!) to edit. Read your words out loud to hear if your meaning comes across in the way you had hoped.

Where is the focus for you? Where is the power? Which sentence is summoning, “I am the heart here. This post centres around me.”

Consider placing the most impactful sentence in a prominent position: the beginning is good if it is also the topic; the end is great if it can be turned into a question or call to action, and if it sits well right in the middle, make it a standalone sentence for the stage it deserves.

4: Be obvious with instructions!

If your content is giving any kind of direction for your reader to follow, make sure it is a) clearly worded b) complete c) prominently placed.

It doesn’t take much to forget an aspect of your instruction. I once asked a group of students to meet me at a certain time with specific pieces of work that I had set without giving them a location. And do you think one of them asked me for it?

When calling your reader to act, be sure to define how, where, and when they should do this. It’s also great to give them a reason why it’s worth the effort! There are many distractions on this route, and they may just forget to make their move if the way is foggy.

5: Be clear on the importance of what you have to say.

If you don’t fully understand the benefits of what you offer, the details of your vision, or the destination for your content ideas, they will simply circle around and fail to move you and your reader forward.

Picture your purpose, visualize your client’s potential results from working with you, and believe that you have what it takes to craft a clear and thoroughly captivating piece of copy to reach the heart of your reader.

Maintaining a clear focus in your content allows your reader to understand the purpose and value in what you have to say and keeps your message familiar and alive.