You’ve put all this effort into building your brand. You have a clear sense of what you have to offer customers. But do they?
Writing, especially for our customer-facing materials, is all about convincing our audience–it’s an argument for further engagement, for the worth of our services or products. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from two decades working with students studying argument, it’s that arguments are first and foremost about connecting with an audience.
A strong argument has a clear claim or call to action (in this case, that your reader needs your services) and is supported with some reasoning and evidence of success. A clear argument is structured so that claim is foregrounded and easy to find, and your reader knows how to ask questions or seek more information if they’re only halfway convinced.
Are you struggling to write your website? You’re brimming with good ideas and you know you have something to offer your clients…but then you sit down in front of the blank screen and suddenly it’s four hours later and you’ve got nothing to show. Start with your claim; since spend your money isn’t specific enough, try to answer the question “why me?” I suspect you’ll find yourself working through several answers–which will give you your reasons and lead you to the evidence you need to support them.
Since argument is usually a messy process, the tricky part is really in sorting out all that thinking, to a nice linear appeal to your customers. And this can be the hardest part, since you’re inside your own head and your thinking already makes sense to you. Getting an outside reader–a fresh set of eyes–on your argument can help you make it stronger.
Something Polished 