Writing for our businesses can be overwhelming, whether or not we think of ourselves as writers in any other context. Sometimes it’s even the last thing I find energy for because I’m more focused on writing for my clients–and I won’t find energy for it at all if I don’t have a clear motivating goal.
A good place to start (and what I do whenever I’m stuck on a blank screen) is a genre analysis. All that means, really, is that I spend a little time thinking about what the rules are for the kind of writing I’m contemplating–what does this category of writing look like? How will my clients recognize it? Specifically: How long should it be? What kind of language should I use? Are contractions appropriate? What about you? Should I ask questions?
Sure, this could easily turn into productive procrastination as I scroll through similar blog posts or social media blurbs or website content on related sites. It helps an awful lot to go in with a clear objective or set of objectives. Usually, I’m trying to discover the ideal length, tone, and goal for each piece. For this blog, that might look like: less than 750 words, friendly and confident, and to offer some practicable advice.
It’s easier to keep focus and to answer these questions if we think of genre narrowly–consider Netflix categories in comparison to those found in media stores or our memories of Blockbuster. Rather than browsing the whole Drama area hoping to find the movie mood I’m in, what if I start with Period Romantic Dramas With a Strong Heroine? I’m much more likely to find Bridgerton with the latter, and the same is true of our clients: they’re much more likely to find us if we’re using the rules common to the space you hope to occupy. As in most things related to our businesses, niching down is the way to go, and identifying genre conventions–the rules of writing for this particular case–helps us define those niches.
Something Polished 