This guest post is by Jason of FindingMyFitness.com.
You know that one of the “tricks” to writing great posts is to keeping the content short, crisp, and clear.
So why is that so hard to do?
Adopting the Twitter method
Ever write a great tweet and have to shorten it because it doesn’t fit? You tweak and edit until you get your point across in 140 characters or fewer. I noticed my tweets were snappier when I edited them down.
I get wordy in my posts, so I wanted to practice writing more succinctly. I began playing a game with myself by putting my wordy sections in Tweetdeck and crafting them to fit. Long sentences get shortened to 140 characters. Sometimes, even whole paragraphs.
Twitter can help improve your writing in different ways:
- You have to craft sentences instead of write them, so your command of the language improves.
- It helps you to communicate more clearly, specifically, and directly.
- If you tweet parts of your posts (I have), you’ll see immediately how readers react and even generate interest in your next blog.
A practical example
I didn’t edit while I wrote this post. I knew I wanted it to be short, but I didn’t specifically try to make it tiny.
By using the Twitter method to edit, I shortened it by 20%.
I’ve noticed that my shorter posts get retweeted more often than my longer posts. When you make your point and get off your box, people react. You haven’t given them time to be bored.
You can take it too far
This method won’t work for all posts in all situations. Sometimes you’ll just need to use more words. Just a few tweaks can completely change the meaning of what you wrote, and that is something you don’t necessarily want.
Short and crisp works great for inspirational posts. For explanations and how-tos, clarity might require more words. Don’t let your long posts be boring, though: break them apart with short, concise paragraphs.
Eventually, you’ll be concise without thinking about it. Your sentences will be snappier; paragraphs, clearer; readers, happier; wallet, fuller. Nothing but wins!
What techniques do you use to make your posts as tight and clear as possible?
One day Jason got tired of being fat, so he created FindingMyFitness.com to help him get skinny. Follow him there or on Twitter at @fmfblogger.
