There are many pros to using social media to promote your business, with few cons. If you are just starting out, establishing a presence on the platforms can be completely free if you are doing it yourself. Once your business grows, investing more in your social media presence is a good idea. This could be by outsourcing this aspect of your business to a social media agency, or by having a marketing team take them over.
Businesses with better customer service tend to see better customer loyalty. Responding to direct messages on social media or comments on posts is a way to speedily and efficiently provide customer service.
Email marketing is currently one of the most successful ways to convert leads into customers. If you have the budget to run social media ads and promote lead magnets, this is a great way to grow your mailing list.
Facebook is one of the oldest and most established social media platforms, therefore it is important to ensure you have a business presence on this platform. It also has the most social media users at just over 3 billion, out of those on this list. Depending on your business industry and your budget, it will depend on the success you see on this platform and how is best to use it.
Organic reach on Facebook is difficult and most businesses utilise social paid advertising or post boosting on Facebook. (This is then shown on both Facebook and Instagram as the platforms are connected and both owned by Meta).
But if your budget is limited, one way to still make the most of Facebook is to set up a group instead of a page and drive people to join this group. This will act as a concentrated space to nurture the group members.
Firstly, ensure your profile is set to ‘professional’ status rather than just ‘personal’. This feature gives you access to support, analytics, and tools that a personal account doesn’t.
Instagram is all about optimisation. It has a wide range of features, which is great! But it’s especially important on this platform they haven’t been half-hearted, and they have been optimised.
This includes optimising your bio and profile, the links in your bio, your Instagram shop, and any direct messages or automated messages page visitors might receive.
If you already have an established presence on Twitter – great! If not, now might not be the best time to start a new account. With the change in ownership when it comes to Twitter, it has undergone a lot of changes. Furthermore, with the new verified paid structure the platform is prioritising the content of accounts that pay to use the platform rather than those that don’t.
If you want to set up a new Twitter account, why not consider Threads…
If you also use Instagram and are looking for a Twitter alternative, Threads could be the answer. The latest Threads stats show the platform now has 130 million users (that’s a lot). Despite being a fairly new platform, it’s showing no sign of slowing down or users changing their minds and closing their accounts.
Compared to Twitter, Threads also has a more generous 500-character count, compared to the smaller 280 offered by Twitter. Plus you can post videos up to 5 minutes long.
YouTube is often referred to as the second largest search engine after Google. It has the second most users after Facebook. Therefore given its high user rate, it’s an excellent place to promote your business. Short-form video content you post on your social media can be turned into long-form video content for your YouTube channels, providing customers with a more in-depth, exclusive insight into your business.
There are lots of SEO features and opportunities on YouTube your business can utilise which can assist in driving more traffic to your website.
Most users use Pinterest as a vision board or a source for ideas and inspiration. There’s nothing stopping you from using Pinterest if you have the means and resources to create content for this platform; but it is ideal for businesses to ‘showcase’ e.g. interior design businesses, fashion designers, virtual assistant tips and advice, home improvement businesses or planning a vacation and hiring a travel agent, just to name a few.
Anything related to showcasing, ideas creation, products, or just mood boarding, is ideal on Pinterest.
Last but by no means least – TikTok. The good thing with this platform is you can repost your Instagram reels onto TikTok, and vice versa, meaning you can appear on both platforms without having to create brand-new content for each!
This platform is an excellent place to partner with influencers (as well as on Instagram), showcase your products or services through catchy and fun short-form video content, and make the most of user-generated content (this is content created by your customers on their experience with your service or product).
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Trusty Social is a social media marketing and management agency. We aim to improve the online presence of busy businesses through social media while positively impacting the world and donating 3% of our profits to social justice initiatives. Find out more by visiting here and get in touch with us here!
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Maybe it’s generational, or perhaps it’s just a mix of personality and communication style. Either way, I can’t deny a professional pitfall of mine is working up the confidence to pick up the phone and dial.
But it’s so important.
Hearing someone’s voice on the phone helps to develop trust and can build better relationships, especially if the contact is purely digital/remote. It can also be a quicker and more direct way of reaching someone when emails get lost in the inbox. Organic conversations can flow and things that may otherwise go unsaid can arise in this more natural form of reciprocal communication.
And yet, this aversion is apparently becoming more commonplace. One article describes the phenomenon as “telephobia” and shared that one survey of UK office workers found that 70 per cent of millennials experience anxious thoughts when the phone rings, while Gen Z was described as ‘generation mute’ by some.
But, when you work in PR like I do, that ‘phone call phobia’ has got to go. Of course, it’s not as simple as flicking on a switch, and the transition to cool and confident doesn’t come overnight. But it is absolutely a skill and attitude you can work towards honing, just like I am.
Different approaches will suit different people more, but are all equally valid.
For some, charisma comes naturally. Confidence is as easy as breathing, and speaking on the phone is a breeze if not a joy. But for those of us who find it a little harder, the route to success can be the classic ‘fake it ‘til you make it’. You can be whoever you want on the phone, so try adopting a persona. A version of yourself that is calm, cool and collected. It’s still you, and it’s still genuine, just with a little false pep to get you feeling confident.
Another tip from communication coach Mary Jane Copps, who is known as “The Phone Lady”, is to
print or cut out pictures from a magazine of a smiling person and look at that while talking on the phone. Apparently, this can help you feel more comfortable with how the other person is receiving your conversation. It also helps to humanise the conversation. It is also said that certain aspects of body language can still translate through the phone and the voice, such as smiling – speaking with a smile can affect your vocal tone. It can also release natural mood-boosting chemicals in the brain like dopamine and serotonin.
For the people pleasers of the world, this sip can be a hard one to swallow. But swallow it we must, because it really is true – you’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s okay.
When calling someone up in a professional context, I try to strike a balance of being polite but direct. In PR, the people you’re calling are generally busy people doing busy jobs, where time is precious. So don’t be blunt, but at the same time, try not to beat around the bush and waste words. Be impactful with your time. But also remember that the person on the other end is just that – a person. Being genuine, kind, and respectful is equally as important.
I might not feel like it, but remember you’re allowed to call someone. Especially if they’ve given you their work number. It’s not automatically intrusive or taking up time, and if it is – they’ll let you know, and that’s okay too. Just be respectful. Make sure you’re recognising someone’s working days/hours. If it’s not someone you speak to often such as a new journalist, check they’re the correct contact (e.g. they still work for the publication and haven’t moved on!). Relevance is also key in that instance – try to keep your discussion relevant to them.
As you develop professional relationships, you’ll also come to understand how different people prefer to communicate, and you can navigate from them.
These tips may help you in the short term to build confidence and get familiar with professional phone calls, but it’s not necessarily a long-term fix. That’s because sometimes you need to understand why you fear something – the anxiety that drives the aversion and apprehension – to properly address it and move forward. When you know what the problem is, you can research and adopt more targeted strategies that specifically address the root cause.
Some of the reported reasons that Millennials and Generation Z like me might dislike making phone calls include:
But how can you figure out your root cause?
Aside from speaking to someone with more expertise than myself, I’d start by making one of those calls, and as soon as you put the phone down, grab a piece of paper. Sit with your mind and body for a moment, and really analyse what you’re thinking and feeling. Try to name the emotion or write some of the phrases floating in your mind and put pen to paper. If you can identify some of these things, you might unpack a common theme or feeling which can point you in a good direction for what you want to work on developing. Emotion wheels like the one below (courtesy of The Junto Institute) are a great tool to help dig deeper with this exercise:
At the very least, I always try to remind myself: what’s the worst that can happen?
Technically this depends on the context of the call, but generally, the stakes are never that high. You might get a sharp decline or a blunt hang-up, but that’s rarely the case, and if it is, it’s really not the end of the world. Even though sometimes it can feel like it is (silly, I know – but this kind of stuff isn’t always rational, it certainly isn’t for me otherwise I’d have no trouble here) it isn’t. I’m still growing my confidence when it comes to this, so I’m by no means an expert. But if you’re a bit like me and have found this skill one that needs a little TLC, then I hope this blog has been helpful, or at the very least, validating. Now, if you’re interested in a refresher on PR strategies and tactics, have a look at this article here.
How do potential customers decide if a business is a friend that shares the same beliefs as them, or if they are a foe that shouldn’t be trusted? A business blog could be the answer.
If you think about your own buying experience, you might start your journey by researching a product online. You might browse a website to view the products or services on offer and you’ll come away with a flavour of what that company is about. The tone of voice will have impressed you or put you off, as will the colour scheme or what they have covered in the body of the website. Then it’s likely you’ll look at a few more websites to compare different companies, but what would make you take that leap to go from prospect to customer?
A business that truly expresses its personality by talking openly about its ethos, its brand journey, the people behind the brand, and some of the relevant issues surrounding the organisation is more likely to build trust among prospects than one that doesn’t. And one of the best ways to get this much information across is by publishing a business blog.
One of the best things you can do as a business is empathise with the problems of your prospective customers. Think about customers you have helped in the past and put yourself in their shoes. How were they feeling at the start of their journey, and how did you make their lives better? Then talk about these problems in your blog. Perhaps you can help customers with a service because they don’t have enough time to do a certain task themselves, or perhaps you have a product that will save them money. Talk about the issues affecting them so they can see you understand where they’re coming from. If they feel understood, they are more likely to trust you.
It can be so tempting to sell, sell, sell on your website, but it would probably be more helpful for your customers to be able to read a pros and cons list of a particular product. It takes a certain confidence for a brand to offer an objective view of the products they sell, but the likelihood is, the more honest you are about the fact your product or service will suit some people but not others, the more likely your prospects are to trust you and want to buy from you.
Build a strong relationship with your existing customers and engage with them throughout their customer journey too. By better understanding their experience of working with you, you will have more of an idea what new customers want to hear. By addressing issues as and when they arise, you can adjust your offering and then tell prospective customers how you are always evolving to give your customers what they need.
Business blogs might feel like a lot of work – to produce content consistently isn’t easy. But the benefits of having a regular dialogue with your customers and prospects is a great way to build a relationship and demonstrate your personality. If people feel like they know you, they are more likely to trust you and what your business stands for.
If you would like a business blog on your website that accurately reflects your voice and values, but simply don’t have the time to dedicate to it, drop me a line and I would love to help.
Originally posted to www.carnisght.com
The desire to be socially accepted is growing along with our loss of authenticity. Creating content around trending topics and awareness days is common practice for businesses using social media. This can be used as a great tool for voicing your opinion on a certain topic or raising awareness on an issue that your organisation finds important. However, jumping on every bandwagon under the sun can have a negative effect on how your business is viewed. Here is why.
A lot of businesses seem to have the following mindset: “everyone is talking about ___. I am going to talk about ___ too,” drafting up a generic post that we have all read many times before. The problem with this is that it puts a block on both creativity and authenticity. While these are important topics, there are only so many times one will stop scrolling to read something we have read many times before.
Many businesses over-incorporate awareness days into their social strategy which overtime results in damaging the human connections that we create through sharing real stories and true experiences. Instead, choose a few awareness days that are relevant to your industry or important to your team and run with them.
In an article by 2030 builders, Woke Washing is defined as:
“The act of using social justice themes in marketing campaigns to create a positive image for a company without taking any meaningful action. This practice has become increasingly popular as companies try to capitalize on the growing trends of purpose-driven consumerism.”
It’s easy for businesses to claim they are socially and environmentally conscious while continuing to do very little, if anything, to genuinely support these claims. Showing support through social media is nice. However there needs to be evidence that this support extends into the real world. An example of how this can be done is through updating or discussing company policies or sharing the credible contributions your business makes to address actual social or environmental issues. Remember, unethical marketing is never cool. Be honest. If you know your business needs to level up, post about how you plan on doing so instead.
Focusing too hard on being socially accepted may push you into forgetting what your business is all about. And being authentic on social media is just that! Be yourself and show off talents and personality that are unique to your brand. Set your business apart from others. Create content that is original, be creative, stick to what you know well and don’t forget to have fun.
Are you looking for more tips for creating a strong social media strategy? Why not check out our blog on the three key differences between a B2B and a B2C Social Media Strategy?
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Working in PR can be highly demanding with PR pros wearing a lot of different hats, and so managing work stress is an important aspect of the job. From being responsible for maintaining a positive public image for clients or organisations to handling crises and juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Despite the many pressures of the job, adopting effective strategies for managing work stress can help PR pros find balance and success in their roles.
One of the keys to managing work stress in PR is prioritisation. To stay ahead of the curve, it is essential to create daily to-do lists, use project management tools (I personally enjoy Trello, Notion and Google Cal) , and set realistic deadlines. There will always be lots of different things vying for your attention, but having good prioritisation skills will ensure you stay organised and in control of your workload.
Effective time management is also crucial for PR professionals who have to juggle multiple tasks, from media relations to event planning. Things like blocking out time for tasks, learning when to say no, and taking regular breaks to recharge and maintain focus are all great ways to better manage your time.
I know it’s a cliché, but stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness and meditation really can help us manage our work stress. Mindfulness and meditation, exercise, and deep breathing exercises are all effective techniques that can help us stay grounded and reduce anxiety. It is important to find a technique that works best for you and make it a habit to practice regularly.
Active listening, conflict resolution, and setting boundaries are all skills that can help prevent misunderstandings and reduce stress. When PR professionals communicate effectively, we can work more efficiently and avoid unnecessary stress.
If work stress becomes overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek support. Talking to a supervisor or manager, leaning on the team, or even seeking professional help from a therapist or counsellor can all help manage stress and maintain good mental health. It is essential to remember that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness and we all need people to lean on and talk to from time to time.
Ultimately, managing work stress in any role, including PR, requires a combination of effective time management, stress-reduction techniques, communication skills, and seeking support when needed. By adopting these strategies and being open to help, we can better navigate the demanding world of PR while maintaining our own well-being. Remember, as Carnsight’s Jess always says, it’s PR not ER, and so it’s okay to prioritise your mental health in times of need.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Social media has revolutionised the way we conduct business, and a strong social media presence is now a must-have for entrepreneurs. Whether you run an Etsy store, a vegan restaurant, a construction company or an accountancy firm, knowing how to present yourself confidently on social media is crucial to your success. However, as a small business owner, it’s common to feel a little apprehensive around social media. Maybe you find it challenging to navigate. Today, we want to provide you with some valuable tips for boosting your confidence and upping your social media game.
Authenticity is one of the most powerful assets you have as a small business owner. In contrast to the days of slick and polished ads, today’s consumers crave content that feels genuine. Share your journey, your challenges, and your triumphs. Allow your personality to shine through in your posts. Authenticity fosters a connection, and connection builds trust.
Remember that you are not competing with large corporations with massive marketing budgets. You don’t have to be like them. Think about what sets you apart from the competition? Perhaps it’s your handcrafted jewellery, your quirky sense of humour, or your passion for sustainability. Heck, maybe it’s even your love of your adorable office dog. Highlight what makes your business special and flaunt it without fear.
Knowing your audience inside and out will help you create content that resonates with them. That being said, I want to give a bit of controversial advice. If you’re totally new to social media, try not to get too bogged down in this. It’s still important, of course. And if you want to see results, you’ll need to make content with your target market in mind, however, I’ve seen business owners time and time again that get so wrapped up in what they think people want to see that their content loses that genuine sense, that spark. Don’t try and copy what someone else is doing to gain success with your target market, instead use what they’re doing as inspiration and see what you can do to put your own stamp on it.
Don’t give up. You’re not going to see results overnight. Like anything, a large and engaged following and community on social media is something that takes a lot of work and time to build. The best thing you can do to move towards that is focus on consistency. Consistency is the key to building familiarity and trust with your audience.
Social media is all about, well, being social. It’s about networking and building relationships. Don’t be afraid to reach out to fellow small business owners or influencers in your niche. Collaboration can be a game-changer for growing your audience.
Social media is ever evolving, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Experiment with different types of content, hashtags, and strategies. Don’t be afraid to pivot if something isn’t working as expected.
Every like, comment and share is a little victory. Celebrate these wins! Small steps forward can lead to significant leaps in the long run. Don’t get so caught up chasing the thousands that you forget the hundred that truly matter. Share your successes with your audience, and let them join in your joy.
Running a business can be overwhelming, especially when it involves maintaining a strong social media presence. After all, it’s another thing to do, and we get that. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Schedule regular breaks, practice mindfulness, and seek support when needed.
You could even hire a lovely PR and social media agency like Carnsight to help lighten the social media load! ;p
Above all, remember to have fun with your social media journey. It’s a platform to express your passion, creativity, and expertise. Enjoy the process, and let your enthusiasm shine through. Your audience will pick up on your positive vibes.
Check us out on social media to see how we put these tips into practice ourselves.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
This post was written by our guest author, Jill Misson. Jill Misson is a freelance writer and broadcaster with over 20 years of experience working on radio stations in the UK and around the world. As a presenter and producer, she has hosted programmes, podcasts and documentaries for the BBC and BFBS.
“We have all the time in the world,” sang Louis Armstrong in his gorgeous gravelly voice. The famous crooner savours those lyrics, pausing to let the words sink in. He actually only has 3 minutes and 14 seconds to make a lasting impact before the track ends and time’s up.
As a radio presenter sitting in a studio, I can watch a song count down on the screen in front of me, poised to start talking as the music fades. Timings are absolutely crucial as every hour of a show has a running order that has been planned in advance by producers who piece together the content of the programme like a jigsaw. Certain features have to happen at specific times, like traffic reports or news bulletins, so it is important to always keep an eye on the clock.
It helps to understand that time pressure when you are taking part in a radio interview as a guest. The allotted time slot for your conversation may only be fairly brief but you can still achieve a great deal and make the experience worthwhile.
When someone gets in touch out of the blue to arrange a meeting, it is usual practice to both consult your diaries and come to a mutual agreement based on your availability. However, if you get the opportunity to appear on a radio show, it may not be quite as flexible. Sometimes a producer will be forward planning for the following week or month but more often they are working to a tight deadline towards the next day’s programme. For breaking news and current affairs you can even be asked to appear within hours to give a more immediate reaction or comment.
Although it can be daunting to suddenly be expected to speak at short notice, on the plus side there is less time for anxiety to build in anticipation. Talk to the producer to find out the focus of the interview and ask how long it is likely to be for. Prepare yourself by deciding on the key messages you are keen to get across and jot them down as bullet points to glance at to jog your memory. It is always a good idea to have a trial run and even if you haven’t got someone to play the part of the interviewer, you should practise saying your answers out loud. Try challenging yourself to get to the point quickly. You could set a timer to get a better idea of how long your answer is then come up with a more concise explanation.
After working up to your big moment it may feel disappointing when the whole thing is finished after five minutes. The length of time will depend on the format of the programme but don’t feel you have been cut off because you were boring, it is simply time to move on to the next item on the agenda. If your discussion was about an issue in the news it may also be clipped so that a short soundbite can be included later in the newsreader’s bulletins.
Your radio debut is now out of the way so next time you are asked to appear on air you will feel more confident and able to accept knowing what to expect. By maintaining a positive rapport with the producers and presenter they are more likely to invite you back for a repeat
performance. By sharing expert knowledge on a particular subject or industry, your name or organisation should be added to their contacts database and come up in future to call again.
Harness social media to extend the reach beyond those who would usually listen to that radio station at that time. Ahead of your interview spread the word by telling your followers to tune in and share a link to listen live. Afterwards, you can post again sharing a link to listen back online. Your on-air experience is likely to be a topic of conversation when you see clients or meet people in the local community who want to chat about your five minutes of fame.
When the offer comes through to take part in a radio interview or a podcast, say yes. By making the most of the time available you can maximise the potential of the opportunity.
You can read Jill’s previous blog on preparing to be on air here
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Consistency is key.
We know this and apply it to so many aspects of our lives. Consistency is how we improve and develop. It’s how we achieve success and demonstrate our skills. And yet so often people forget that this also applies to PR. A one off PR project is incredibly valuable to launch a business, a new product or service, or share some big news, but imagine the impact PR could have if you kept at it beyond that initial launch.
PR is about building momentum. It’s getting your name out there and hitting those touch points. It’s working towards reaching a point where journalists recognise your business name and identify you as an expert in the field. Then the PR opportunities can begin to come to you! And new doors can be opened.
Consistency in PR allows you to:
PR is not something you can really just turn off and on again like a tap. If you disappear in the media for an extended period of time, when you next pick up again, you will have to restart the work of building your presence pretty much from scratch. The news cycle doesn’t sit around waiting for you. Journalists certainly won’t. Neither will your customers and clients, and neither will your competitors. The other issue is, once you’ve launched, it’s done. You can’t launch again. Not unless you change your name. And so you will have lost the ‘big bang’ you hopefully kicked off with.
We’ve proven time and time again that consistent retained relationships with our clients provide the best PR results. The clients we’ve worked with for years are the clients that are most often approached for comment, invited to events and have great search results. That’s not to say we can’t ever achieve those things without a retained relationship, just that working on PR consistently over time greatly increases those chances.
Like anything, building a strong PR profile takes time. Those who are the most consistent in their PR approach will reap the greatest rewards.
If you like this post, you might like our post on why you need to repeat yourself in PR.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
In an ideal world, your carefully crafted message would reach your desired audience under perfect conditions: a quiet room, undivided attention, and a receptive mindset. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the reality at all. As PRs, we’re all too familiar with this. There’s a lot of discourse around cutting through the clutter and reaching your audience, whether it be from the perspective of marketers or film makers or PRs like us. But instead of getting into all of the mechanics of that in one go, we’re starting with a simpler approach today.
We’re sharing one small change that can might make a big difference, and it all comes down to the perils of using too many big words.
One school of thought suggests that using big or unusual words is a surefire way to come across as knowing what you’re talking about. That an impressive vocabulary lends credibility. And sure, to an extent it does. But one key piece of the puzzle here is that oftentimes your audience doesn’t operate with the same sphere of reference, especially if you’re a business. They’re probably looking towards you and your content for a reason, perhaps that they aren’t as well versed in the area and are looking to learn or outsource.
So again, don’t get me wrong; there’s always value in a carefully honed vocabulary. But there is equal value in knowing when and how to use it. Context plays a big role here, and so does knowing your audience. Top tip here – if you are using more unusual or ‘big’ words, make sure you’re using them correctly, and if they’re technical, do a reality check to make sure your audience knows them too or give enough context clues so its straightforward. Otherwise this could have the opposite of the desired effect.
Another reality here is that your post/content is unlikely to actually get your point across if it’s too convoluted or time-intensive to understand quickly. In communication theory and practice, there are basic models of communication, many of which look at how linear message transmission and reception occurs between humans.
The thing is though, communication isn’t often linear these days. It can be messy or out of order, interrupted or misrepresented. There are so many factors that mediate how we receive, decode, and interpret information. Unfortunately, a lot of these aren’t easily something you as the sender can control. You don’t know where the audience will be receiving your message, if they’ll be interrupted by children or coworkers or are watching TV in the background, they might have ads pop up disrupt the flow. Or they might simply scroll away.
The point is, you should write with the assumption that your audience is distracted. That the message could easily be interrupted, and that it has a lot working against simple smooth reception on the other end.
Word choice, sentence length, and paragraph structure all impact things like cohesion, flow, and comprehension. The technical nitty-gritty of this may come easier to some. But for others, here’s one easy to understand and even easier to implement tip that if you want to skip the mechanical deep dive.
That is: keep it simple stupid. Or KISS.
Ideally, your post should to be easy to read and easier to skim. Because the reality is, our attention span is not what it used to be. We have less time and maybe even less mental space to process confusing or complex information at the rate we’re exposed to it. We need the important things served up right under our nose, with big signs and underlined phrases. Make your message clear and obvious, and yes, essentially do the work for them.
Like I said, we’ll save you the over-complicated explanation of communication mechanics for another post. Today’s focus was a bit broader and focused on a trend we’ve noticed popping up in recent years, but we couldn’t leave you completely in the dark after having so much to say about what not to do. So here’s a little bit more on what you can do to optimise message reception:
While you can’t control everything when it comes your message and what your audience takes away from it, but by trying out some of these tips there’s progress to be seen. That’s it from us for now, but stay tuned for a deeper exploration to come. In the meantime, why not take a look at this post from our Social Media Manager Yasmin, who shares her insight into the differences between LinkedIn for business and personal profiles.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Writing takes up a huge portion of my time as a PR and so getting writing feedback is incredibly important. From news releases to thought leadership pieces, emails to social media copy, every single day I write thousands of words at work. This blog being a case and point.
I’ve done lots to improve my writing over the years (and still have a long way to go) but the one thing that’s made the biggest difference and the piece of advice I will give over and over again is to get workshopping.
There is simply no better way to improve your writing than asking people what they think of it. And its got to be in the right context too, which is why I so highly recommend being part of a writing workshop. Whether it be colleagues, friends or just fellow writers, being part of a workshop group will 100% take your writing to the next level. It’s all about getting that writing feedback.
A writing workshop is a group of people who exchange pieces of writing and give each other constructive feedback. This means positive feedback, as well as constructive criticism, and it means giving feedback as well as receiving it. A writing workshop can be set up with just about anyone from colleagues to friends and family to other people who write, but the important thing is establishing clear rules and boundaries up front. Workshop has to be a safe space; a space where there are no bad ideas and nothing is considered a failure except being mean or not showing up.
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Workshopping is a skill and a practice. Both giving and receiving feedback is something you learn over time as you do more of it. Offering feedback will become more natural and knowing what criticism to take on board and when gets easier too.
It is literally impossible to view your own writing objectively. You’ll always be far too close to the work to be able to spot every little angle and every missed opportunity. Having other people review your work will give you new perspectives and open your eyes to things about your writing you couldn’t see before.
I’ve been part of many writing workshops throughout the years, some formal and some informal. In work, my colleagues and I regularly swap press releases, blogs and opinion pieces, giving each other feedback on what we’ve written. We also always proof each other’s work. Another pair of eyes is always appreciated!
In a more formal context, I was first introduced to the idea of structured workshopping in university. I did a creative writing degree and masters programme and workshopping was a huge part of both courses. They were so effective in making me a better writer that I still workshop parts of my novels (the writing I do outside of PR) with friends from uni to this day (four years later) and I still find it invaluable.
Nothing will improve your writing more quickly or effectively than workshopping. If you’re looking to maximise the effectiveness and impact of every piece of writing you do, regularly giving and receiving feedback is a sure fire way to see big improvement, fast.
For more writing tips check out our seven quick tips to improve your writing.
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