How to write better

This wonderful post from Alex Vasquez on how to write better popped up in my Twitter stream today. It’s particularly relevant given yesterday’s post about how to create awesome habits for success. I’ve already installed Grammarly and it’s already improving my writing no end after about 3 minutes of use – thanks Alex!

As someone old enough to remember the pre-web world, I’ve seen a noticeable sharp decline in the quality of writing on even the largest websites over the past two or three years. Perhaps I’m just developing a sharper eye for typos – but I don’t think so. Perhaps it’s due in some part of the proliferation of different types of content that is making people care less and less about the quality of their own writing?

Content is no longer just about writing. Creating engaging content for your users encompasses many different mediums (and platforms) including Video (Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat), Podcasts (iTunes, Stitcher) and Images (Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook). Many successful online entrepreneurs are successful despite being awful writers. While this is fantastic news for those with literacy challenges, I’m a firm believer that mastering the written word is still the most powerful way to achieve success online. The craft of writing is more than just learning about sentence structure. For me, well-written content is about telling stories that your audience can relate to in a meaningful way. I’m by no means an expert at this. The good news is that it doesn’t matter. Very few people are. The web stuff is morphing and changing at a rate of knots. By all means read Alex’s recommendations but remember to practice writing every day – learn what resonates with your audience and adapt your writing style accordingly. Practice makes perfect!