• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wylie's Writing Tips

Improve your communications with our training, consulting, and writing services

  • Home
  • Writing training
    • Topics
      • Clear-writing classes
      • Content-writing classes
      • Email-writing classes
      • Persuasive-writing classes
      • PR-writing classes
      • Storytelling-writing classes
      • Web-writing classes
      • Writing-process classes
    • In-house writing workshops
    • Public writing workshops
      • Persuasive-writing | April 5 – May 3
      • Storytelling | May 17-21
      • Writing-process | June 1-29
      • PR-writing | July 12-16
      • Web-writing class | Nov. 15-19, 2021
      • Past writing workshops
    • Association workshops
      • Case study: PRSA Puget Sound
      • Case study: IABC Detroit
      • Case study: IABC Lincoln
      • Case study: PRSA Alaska
    • Writing training clients
    • Trainer
  • Writing services
    • Ask Ann
    • Writing & editing
    • Writing coach
    • Writing guidelines
    • Writing training
    • Consulting clients
  • Writing tools
    • The Power Pack
    • Rev Up Readership: toolbox for writers
    • Art of Storytelling
    • Block Busters handbook
    • Clarify Complex Copy
    • Cut Through the Clutter manual
    • Get Good at Getting the Goods
    • Jargon: Start Making Sense
    • People Power
    • Think Like a Reader
    • Think Outside the Pyramid
  • Writing tips
    • Content writing
      • Relevant content writing
      • Creative content writing
      • Structure for content
      • Readability for content
      • Content writing resources
      • Content writing quotes
    • Email writing
      • Why email writing?
      • Subject lines
        • Resources on subject lines
        • Quotes on subject lines
      • Target your email
        • Quotes on targeted email
      • Email structure
        • Resources on how to organize content
      • Short, readable emails
        • Quotes on readable emails
      • Scannable emails
        • Quotes on scannable emails
      • Resources on email writing
      • Quotes on email writing
    • Microcontent
      • Skimming, scanning, reading
        • Resources on skimming, scanning, reading
        • Quotes on skimming, scanning, reading
      • Bulleted lists
        • Quotes on list writing
      • Callouts, pull quotes
        • Quotes on callouts
      • Captions, cutlines
        • Quotes on captions
      • Decks, summary blurbs
      • Headlines
      • Links, buttons
        • Quotes on list writing
      • Subheads
        • Quotes on subheads
      • Resources on display copy
      • Quotes on display copy
    • Persuasive writing techniques
      • Think Like a Reader
        • ‘What’s in it for me?’
          • Quotes on WIIFMs
        • Benefits copy moves readers to act
          • Quotes on verbs
          • Quotes on benefits
        • ‘You’ writing puts the reader first
          • Quotes on ‘you’ writing
      • Quotes on persuasive writing
    • Public relations writing
      • Pitch writing
      • Relevant PR writing
        • Relevant releases quotes
      • News release structure
        • Leads for releases
          • Press release first paragraph
          • Quotes on press release leads
        • Body for releases
          • Quotes on short releases
        • Good quotations
          • Write human quotes
          • Paraphrasing quotes
          • Quotes on qriting short quotations
          • Quotes on writing a quotation
          • Quotes on sound bites
        • Boilerplate for releases
      • Press release length
        • Quotes on short press releases
      • Headlines, display copy for PR
        • Headlines for releases
        • Visuals for releases
      • Resources on press releases
      • Quotes on press releases
    • Readability
      • Why readability?
        • Information overload
          • Information overload quotes
        • Time spent reading
          • Quotes on time spent reading
      • Story length
        • Why short content
        • Measure A.R.T.
        • Tighten your story angle
        • Resources on writing short content
        • Quotes on writing short content
      • Paragraph length
        • Quotes on paragraph length
      • Writing with statistics
        • Quotes on writing with statistics
      • Sentence length
        • Activate the passive voice
          • Quotes on the passive voice
        • Resources on short sentences
        • Quotes on short sentences
        • Quotes about sentence length
      • Word length
        • Quotes on short words
        • Jargon
          • Quotes on jargon
          • Quotes on acronyms
        • Adjectives & adverbs
          • Quotes on modifiers
      • Readable
        • Resources on readability
        • Quotes on readability
      • Conversational copy
        • Quotes on conversational writing
      • Resources on clear writing
    • Storytelling and creative writing
      • Concrete details
        • Why concrete details?
        • Types of concrete detail
        • Quotes on concrete details
      • Description
        • Quotes on scent
      • Human interest
        • Quotes on human interest
      • Humor
        • Quotes on humor
      • Metaphor
        • Why use metaphor?
        • Clarify complex concepts
        • Creative comparisons
        • Simplify stats with metaphor
        • How to write metaphor
        • Resources on metaphor
        • Quotes on metaphor
      • Storytelling
        • Why is storytelling important?
        • Find stories
        • Narrative research
        • Elements of a story
        • Storytelling structure
        • Quotes on storytelling
        • Quotes on the power of storytelling
      • Wordplay
        • Alliteration
        • Balance
        • Coin a word
          • Resources on coining words
          • Quotes on coining a word
        • Rhyme
        • Rhythm
        • Twist of phrase
          • Resources on playing with words
        • Wordplay workout
        • Model the masters of wordplay
        • Quotes on wordplay
      • Resources on creative copy
      • Quotes on creative copy
      • Quotes on boring copy
    • Type of articles
      • Case studies
      • Tipsheets
      • List-writing tips
    • Web writing
      • Why writing for the web?
        • Quotes on why writing for the web
      • Above the fold
        • Quotes on above-the-fold content
      • Tight web copy
        • Quotes on tight web copy
      • Scannable web copy
        • Quotes on scannable web copy
      • SEO for writers
        • Quotes on SEO
        • Quotes on SEO for releases
      • Quotes on crafting good web writing
      • Writing for mobile quotes
    • Writing
    • Writing process
      • Creativity step by step
        • Creative process
          • Quotes on the 5-step creative process
          • Quotes on foraging
          • Quotes on analyzing information
          • Quotes on incubation
          • Quotes on breaking through
          • Quotes on knuckling down
        • Quotes on creativity
        • Quotes from naysayers
        • Creative story ideas
        • Communicating with comics
      • Prewriting
        • Research blog posts
          • Research quotes
        • Tighten angle
          • Quotes on finding your focus
        • Quotes on prewriting
      • Freewriting
        • Quotes on freewriting
      • Writing difficulty quotes
      • Writer’s block quotes
      • Writing process quotes
    • Writing structure
      • Feature story structure
        • Why features structure?
          • Why feature structure?
        • Feature structure examples
        • Feature leads
        • Nut graph
          • Quotes on nut graph
        • Background section
          • Quotes on the background section
        • Body
          • Quotes on the body
        • Conclusion
          • Quotes on how to write good endings
        • Transitions
          • Quotes on transitions
      • Other story structures
      • Quotes on story structure
    • Communications planning
      • Situation analysis
      • Program planning
        • Quotes on program planning
      • Approvals
      • Measurement
      • Quotes on communication planning
    • Other
      • Chapter management
  • Writing newsletter
    • Current issue
    • What others say
    • Archives
  • Blog
  • Calendar
  • Why us?
    • About the trainer
    • Contact Ann

Wylie’s Writing Tips archives

Missed an issue? Catch up here

Master the 5-step creative process

Develop more creative ideas with this system

Bright ideas: Need some creative juice? Come up with brilliant solutions to real-life problems when you use a creative process that works with — not against — your brain.

April 15, 2021


Your brain on story

Excuse me, are those your neurons flashing?

Like being there: When you read a vivid story, your brain lights up as if you are performing the character’s actions yourself.

April 08, 2021


How to write news headlines

3 ways to polish your traditional heads

Break the news: Tell the story, don’t tell about the story, in your news head.

April 01, 2021


Why creative content writing is important

Grab attention, keep it longer, communicate better & more

EnLightening: Creative material enhances credibility, gets shared, gets people to read longer — even slashes burnout and boosts performance.

March 25, 2021


Why worry about your readability level?

Save money, make money and more with readable messages

That’s ROI: Get your message read and shared by boosting your readability level.

March 18, 2021


3 ways to find balance, or parallelism

Take a tip from Charles Dickens

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times: Repeat and reverse, add and or so and other ways to bring balance to your message.

March 11, 2021


Avoid background leads

Don’t start with the blah blah blah

Background — also known as the blah blah blah — is no way to draw readers into a piece. Instead, leave the definitions, history lessons and broader context for the third paragraph.

March 04, 2021


What’s the best length for a blog post?

Are you writing about Brussels sprouts or brain surgery?

How long should your blog post be? Experts recommend 1,500 words, 2,000 words, 2,500 words and longer content. The right answer: It depends.

Feb. 25, 2021


‘What’s it like?’

How to hunt down numerical comparisons

Apples to apples: Find the numerical comparisons you need to help readers understand your stats.

Feb. 18, 2021


How can you get readers to read?

Increase expectation of reward; reduce effort required

Follow me: How do you catch readers’ attention and persuade readers to read? Tap Wilbur Schramm’s Fraction of Selection model.

Feb. 11, 2021


Invite readers in with the imperative voice

Let people know what they can do with your Whatsit

Just do it: Imperative voice gets clicked, opened, read and shared.

Feb. 04, 2021


How to use acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms

Avoid drowning readers in alphabet soup

NNCBTPSNBRTASTSAFW: “Names not commonly before the public should not be reduced to acronyms solely to save a few words.”

Jan. 28, 2021


Focus on the findings in survey stories

Don’t lead with study— or the methodology

The results are in: The best survey results press releases and blog posts focus on the results, not on the survey itself.

Jan. 21, 2021


Measure readability with STORYToolz

Get 33 metrics about your clarity

The right readability tool for the job: Input a chunk of copy, click “Check Readability,” and STORYtoolz will run 7 readability tests on your message.

Jan. 15, 2021


3 email newsletter formats that work

Lists, headlines & blurbs, single stories most valuable

Format for attention: Choose an email newsletter format that’s short and focused, and stick with it issue after issue.

Jan. 07, 2021


Top 8 writing tips for 2021

Ring in the New Year with these approaches

Want to write better? Start with these top 8 tips.

Dec. 31, 2020


8 of my favorite writing quotes

Enjoy these on your holiday break

Here are eight other favorite quotes about writing. I hope you enjoy them with your cocoa and kugel this holiday season.

Dec. 24, 2020


How to structure an email invitation [Example!]

Sensus goes to the science museum

Midnight at the museum: Focus on what people will be able to do at your event, not on the event itself.

Dec. 17, 2020


Why write relevant email blasts, newsletters?

Irrelevant content No. 1 reason readers unsubscribe

You’ve got mail: In the battle for attention in the inbox, only the most relevant, valuable email newsletters and promotions will survive.

Dec. 10, 2020


How to write clever email subject lines

72% share email because it’s entertaining

Try a little cleverness: Entertainment is the No. 1 reason people share email, according to Chadwick Martin Bailey. “To get a laugh” is No. 2.

Dec. 03, 2020


How to write a case study [example]

Zimmer Inc. uses the P-S-R format

What’s the problem? Use this story template to make your next case study, testimonial or narrative more dramatic and powerful.

Nov. 25, 2020


3 ways to polish your message

How to write copy that’s an inch wide, a mile deep

Short and sweet: One way to write short content is to polish your message.

Nov. 19, 2020


Email overload by the numbers

Recipients have too much to read, no time to read it

Some 306.4 billion emails are sent and received each day.

Nov. 12, 2020


8 new writing tips to try now

Get opened, get read — and get home early — with these techniques

As we plan our upcoming Master Classes, I’ve been creating a lot of new slides. Here’s a sneak peek at some of my favorites:

Nov. 05, 2020


Reach three types of web visitors

Get the word out to lookers, skimmers & readers

Reach all of your web visitors, whether they’ve come to your web page for a bite, meal or snack.

Oct. 29, 2020


Try snappy synthesis, stakeholder benefits and more

Write web leads that lead readers into your message

The opening paragraph of your web page should lead readers into your piece.

Oct. 22, 2020


Does the fold still matter?

And where is the fold, anyway?

Above the fold: People spend most of their time on the first screen of a web page — in a newspaper. So put your most important content where their eyes are.

Oct. 15, 2020


Can they read you now?

Overcome the obstacles of reading on mobile

Reach readers on the small screen: People spend half the time with your message on a smartphone than they do with a laptop or desktop.

Oct. 08, 2020


One more phrase to avoid

Enough already with the ‘at XX, we …’ construction

It’s not about you: Can we agree to drop the ‘At xx, we …’ construction?

Oct. 01, 2020


Overcome information overload

Can your message cut through the clutter?

Americans receive the data equivalent of 174 newspapers a day — ads included.

Sept. 24, 2020


Catch Your Readers with benefit headlines

5 ways to draw people in

Heads up on benefit headlines: To write a benefit head, seduce your readers by showing how your product, service or idea will make their life better.

Sept. 17, 2020


Readability helps everyone

(Yes, even your audience)

Thumbs up: Even highly literate people read messages faster, understand them better and enjoy them more when they’re readable, according to this Nielsen Norman Group study.

Sept. 10, 2020


5 ways to avoid flabby middles

Build a better body for your content

Strengthen your core: Avoid ‘the muddle in the middle’ when you create a solid structure for the body of your feature article.

Sept. 03, 2020


What’s the ideal press release length?

Can you get your story across in 1 minute or less?

Gone in 60 seconds: If your release is longer than 200 words, seven out of 10 journalists won’t finish it.

Aug. 27, 2020


Think Like a Reader

Write to and about your reader

Are you trying to reach your reader by writing about us and our stuff?

Aug. 20, 2020


Six press release leads to avoid

How many of these have found their way into your releases?

Lead the way: Write press release leads that engage readers, instead of these PR 101 approaches.

Aug. 13, 2020


Avoid marketing fluff and ‘pouffle dust’

5 reasons to cut the hype from your copy

Minimize modifiers: They make journalists cry ‘hype’ & more.

Aug. 06, 2020


How long should your PR headline be?

Keep news release headlines short

PR pros: Your head is too big: Want to influence editors and journalists? Why not model your headlines after theirs?

July 30, 2020


They snooze, you lose

Reporters hate PR quotes; here’s what to do about it

Say it ain’t so: If it doesn’t sound conversational and substantive, don’t expect journalists to pick it up.

July 23, 2020


Put the reader first in news releases

Lead with the reader

The reader is always the topic: The best way to write attention-grabbing news release leads? Write about the reader.

July 16, 2020


Get words on paper — better, easier and faster

Go for the flow with freewriting

Creative explosion: Fill the page with better copy faster with freewriting.

July 09, 2020


Find your focus in writing

4 quick steps to Writing Better, Easier & Faster

It’s all about focus: Want to spend less time on your next writing project? Start by finding your focus.

July 02, 2020


How to get to Ah-ha!

How to get the job done — even during the pandemic

Write right: The right writing process can help you Write Better, Easier & Faster — even during the pandemic.

June 25, 2020


Steal tips from this before-and-after

Financial writer reimagines — YAWN! — annuities article

Blow me away: How can you write like Marcie Kemper?

June 18, 2020


Stop writing PR 101 leads

And 5 more tips for writing right now

When it comes to creativity, the further afield you seek inspiration, the bigger your ideas will be.

June 11, 2020


Turn numbers into things

And 6 more tips for writing right now

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the pandemic — or any time.

June 04, 2020


The award for best Covid-19 writing goes to …

And 6 more tips for writing during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic — or any crisis.

May 29, 2020


Turn ideas into people

Turn ideas into people

And 6 more tips for writing during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic — or any crisis.

May 21, 2020


Try a selfie photo essay

Try a selfie photo essay

7 more tips for writing during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic — or any crisis.

May 12, 2020


Report human-interest stories like The New York Times

Report human-interest stories like The New York Times

And 7 more tips for writing during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic — or any other crisis.

May 05, 2020


Are you power nesting? Pimping the office?

Are you power nesting? Pimping the office?

7 more tips for writing during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic — or any other crisis.

April 28, 2020


Don’t We-We on your readers & more

Don’t We-We on your readers & more

7 more ways to write during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic — or any other crisis communications.

April 21, 2020


7 more ways to write during the pandemic

7 more ways to write during the pandemic

Free webinar on demand, find the right tone & more

Here are 7 more tips on writing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

April 15, 2020


How to write during Covid-19

How to write during Covid-19

Tipsheets, webinar & 4 other ways to communicate during the pandemic

Here are 7 more tips for writing during the coronavirus pandemic.

April 06, 2020


How to communicate during the pandemic

How to communicate during the pandemic

7 ways to write better — and stay connected — in tough times

Here are 7 tips for communicating — and keeping it together — during the COVID-19 pandemic

March 31, 2020


Measure ART, or average reading time

Measure ART, or average reading time

How many minutes will it take them to read?

How long is too long? Readers measure the length of your message in time, not space. If you’re smart, you will too.

March 25, 2020


How long should a sentence be?

How long should a sentence be?

Short sentences are easier to understand

Add a word, reduce comprehension: Shorter sentences are easier to understand than long, complex sentences. But how short?

March 19, 2020


4 ways to avoid Option Overload

4 ways to avoid Option Overload

Think in decision layers, make risks vivid & more

Overwhelmed by choice: From jars of jam to 401(k) plans, when you give readers too many choices, they often give up.

March 10, 2020


Concrete images boost understanding

Concrete images boost understanding

Researchers find a 1:1 correlation between vivid descriptions and comprehension

Turn ideas into things: Researchers found an almost one-to-one correlation between how concrete a passage was and how easy it was to understand.

March 03, 2020


Don’t drown them in data

Don’t drown them in data

People perform better with short-form vs. long-form content

Less is more: Long form content is typically a good choice for Google. But what about humans? People make better decisions with less information.

February 25, 2020


How to write a great email newsletter

How to write a great email newsletter

Steal these tricks from theSkimm

Make ’em smile, make ’em think, make ’em Skimm. Boost your open rates and click-through rates when you steal these 3 tricks from theSkimm. (Great for mobile devices!)

February 18, 2020


Don’t do a data dump when writing statistics

Don’t do a data dump when writing statistics

Don’t make your readers’ eyes glaze over

Avoid statistics soup: Use only the numbers that are necessary for the reader’s understanding.

February 11, 2020


Why creative content writing is important

Why creative content writing is important

Grab attention, keep it longer, communicate better & more

EnLightening: Creative material enhances credibility, gets shared, gets people to read longer — even slashes communicator’s burnout and improves performance.

February 04, 2020


What’s the best email subject line length?

What’s the best email subject line length?

Do shorter subject lines really get higher open rates?

Measure up: What’s the optimal subject line length? 60 characters? 40? 25 to 30? More? Less?

January 28, 2020


3 ways to avoid noun phrases

3 ways to avoid noun phrases

They suck the energy out of your copy

Reverbify noun phrases: Noun phrases muddy your words, lengthen your phrases and bore your readers. Turn anemic noun phrases into strong verbs.

January 21, 2020


Get clicked with good link text

Get clicked with good link text

7 superpowers — and 4 potential pitfalls — of link writing

Click here: Good link text increases click through rates, helps search engines find your page and helps screen readers understand your message.

January 14, 2020


How to write emails that get read on mobile

How to write emails that get read on mobile

Overcome the obstacles of reaching readers on smartphones

Get clicked: When reading emails on mobile, recipients click 40% less often, find it 48% harder to understand content and are more likely to unsubscribe. Now what?

January 07, 2020


8 tips to improve your writing for 2020

8 tips to improve your writing for 2020

Here’s to better writing in the New Year

Cheers! Here are some of my favorite quotes on writing. What new writing techniques can you pick up from these masters?

December 31, 2019


How to engage an audience on social media

How to engage an audience on social media

Give readers helpful, how-to information

Give the people what they want: Information I can use to live my life better travels farther and faster on social media.

December 17, 2019


What readability level makes sense for your audience?

What readability level makes sense for your audience?

Even rocket scientists and brain surgeons don’t want it to be harder

Who’s in your audience? Whether you’re writing to rocket scientists, brain surgeons or top executives, this research will help you figure out what readability level to target.

December 10, 2019


How to write an engaging blog post

How to write an engaging blog post

Use the Awwwww Factor to make content marketing pieces go viral

Put on a happy face: How can write blog content that gets readers to read your posts? Make messages positive and emotional.

December 03, 2019


8 writing tips I’m thankful for

8 writing tips I’m thankful for

These techniques have really helped me out this year

Write messages that stand out … Get writing tips for story structure, blog posts, the writing process and more. Boost your writing skills and improve your writing with this writing advice.

November 26, 2019


What’s the best tweet length?

What’s the best tweet length?

Plus: What’s the best hashtag length, word length and reading grade level for Twitter?

Tweet this! What’s the most effective length of a tweet that Twitter users will retweet? The best character limit for a hashtag? The best character count for a word on Twitter?

November 19, 2019


Write a great list with this listicle template

Write a great list with this listicle template

6 tips for crafting list articles, blog posts

Step 1 — List lists: Before you write your next listicle, check out this list of six tips for crafting readable, scannable lists.

November 12, 2019


Write about people doing things

Write about people doing things

To cut your syllable count, make subjects characters

Just do it: Take these tips for making your message active from the Little Red Schoolhouse.

November 05, 2019


‘Fluent’ words more trustworthy, believable

‘Fluent’ words more trustworthy, believable

Choose short, simple, easy-to-pronounce terms

Trust me: ‘Fluent’ words — those that are short, simple, and easy to pronounce — are seen as less dangerous.

October 29, 2019


How to write a nut graf

How to write a nut graf

Tell readers what you’re going to tell ’em

Put the kernel of your story into a nutshell. That’s your nut graph.

October 22, 2019


How to organize a how-to story

How to organize a how-to story

5 steps to a stellar service story

Step by step to a service story: Tip sheets, aka how-to or service stories, work for everything from content marketing to social media to news releases. Here’s how to write a terrific tip sheet.

October 15, 2019


Make it F-A-B

Make it F-A-B

Reach readers by leading with the benefits, substantiating with the features

It’s not about your product, program or promotion If you’re giving away a trip to Las Vegas, that’s your headline.

Oct. 08, 2019


Don’t repeat the headline in the deck

Don’t repeat the headline in the deck

Instead, telegraph a secondary angle in this key piece of display copy

Scrub the decks: Don’t repeat the headline in the deck. (Or, if you’re a rockstar like The New York Times, the kicker.)

September 24, 2019


Hit return more often

Hit return more often

When it comes to paragraphs, shorter’s better

How long is too long? If you want people to read your message, take a tip from The New York Times, and keep paragraphs short.

September 17, 2019


Turn ideas into things

Turn ideas into things

Concrete leads are the price of entry for feature articles

Show, don’t tell: Turn ideas into things in your feature story leads.

September 10, 2019


To draw readers in, tell them a story

To draw readers in, tell them a story

Anecdotes make great feature leads

Tell a tale: When writing features stories rather than breaking news, set the tone with anecdotal leads.

September 03, 2019


Get the ‘wah wah’ out

Get the ‘wah wah’ out

Make your sound bite sound like a real person is talking

He said, she said: How do you make that quote from your VP sound like a real person said it?

August 27, 2019


Put a quota on quotes

Put a quota on quotes

Stop quoting every VP

Don’t quote every VP: To avoid overquoting, put a quota on quotes, paraphrase, curate quotes — even leave them out altogether.

August 20, 2019


Stop running a newsroom

Stop running a newsroom

Your job is to change behavior, not to report news

Breaking news: Your job isn’t to report news; it’s to change behavior. So why are you running a newsroom?

August 13, 2019


How to persuade like Dale Carnegie

How to persuade like Dale Carnegie

Steal writing tips from the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People

The art of persuasion: Dale Carnegie taught hundreds of thousands of folks — from the highest executive to the lowest car salesman — the psychology of persuasion.

August 06, 2019


Edit before you write

Edit before you write

Write to length — first time, every time — with story structure

Map out a plan: Spend a few minutes upfront organizing your piece, and you’ll save hours later agonizing over it.

July 30, 2019


The topic is never the topic

The topic is never the topic

The reader is always the topic

The best way to write attention-grabbing press release leads? Forget summary lead paragraphs and inverted pyramids.

July 23, 2019


Get good at getting the goods

Get good at getting the goods

How to research for article, blog post writing

Research project: How do you find relevant material for blog posts, web pages, intranet articles and e-zines?

July 16, 2019


Steal tricks from the world’s best online headlines

Steal tricks from the world’s best online headlines

BBC’s heads are short, clear, front-loaded and context-free

The world at a glance: The BBC’s headlines encapsulate the world’s news in an average of 34 characters each.

July 09, 2019


How to overcome writer’s block

How to overcome writer’s block

Work with, not against, your brain

Feel stuck? Maybe you need a better writing routine.

July 02, 2019


How people read on the web

How people read on the web

They don’t; so make web pages scannable

How do people read online? They don’t read; they skim. So write skimmable web copy.

June 25, 2019


How to be relevant on social media

How to be relevant on social media

Write about the reader, not about us and our stuff

Avoid crumpled-paper syndrome: Freewriting helps you get words on the page.

June 11, 2019


What is freewriting? It gets words on paper, fast

What is freewriting? It gets words on paper, fast

Let it flow in Step 2 of the writing process

Avoid crumpled-paper syndrome: Freewriting helps you get words on the page.

June 04, 2019


Email marketing by the numbers

Email marketing by the numbers

Understand the reach and power of the No. 1 marketing channel on the planet

The right stuff: Email gets a 4300% ROI, according to the DMA. How are you using this power tool in your marketing campaigns?

May 28, 2019


Get ready to write

Get ready to write

The first step of the writing process is prewriting

Game plan: Spend less time worrying about grammar, spelling and punctuation. Start the writing process with prewriting instead.

May 21, 2019


Mobile writing by the numbers | Slideshare

Mobile writing by the numbers | Slideshare

Reach smartphone users by understanding these stats

Which of these statistics surprised you most? How do you plan to overcome this obstacle when writing for the web?

May 07, 2019


Benchmark readability against The Huffington Post

Benchmark readability against The Huffington Post

Make your message as readable as this popular news site

Read all over: How does your readability stand up against the third most popular online news site? Benchmark your message to find out.

April 30, 2019


What is the writing process?

What is the writing process?

3 steps to writing better, easier & faster

The writing process, step by step: To write better, easier and faster, break your work into three stages of the writing process: pre writing, free writing and rewriting.

April 23, 2019


Find your focus

Find your focus

To tighten your story, tighten your story angle

Sharp focus: Here’s an idea: Have a point!

April 16, 2019


What’s the right web page length?

What’s the right web page length?

Clicking vs. scrolling for the mobile web

Index cards or toilet paper? What’s the right web page length? Should you write more shorter pages for clickers? Or fewer longer pages for scrollers?

April 09, 2019


Can you read me now?

Can you read me now?

U.S., global literacy rates terrible and falling

Light reading: Researchers in the world’s largest adult literacy study have dropped the top level of literacy. Why? Because too few people in the world can read at the 11th grade level to count.

April 02, 2019


What’s the best font for email?

What’s the best font for email?

4 ways to make your e-zine type letter-perfect

But can they read it? Of all the aspects of email design, choosing the right font might be the most important. You don’t have to be a type designer to choose a font designed to speed reading, increase persuasion — even reduce irritation.

March 26, 2019


‘The shark is down’

‘The shark is down’

Don’t get eaten alive by the approval process

Dun dun … dun dun: Of all the business processes in your organization, the approval process is most likely to be broken. Here are three ways to fix it.

March 19, 2019


Write about people doing things

Write about people doing things

Use the active voice in writing

I like to move it, move it: It’s one of the best writing tips I know. In any kind of business writing, write about people doing things.

March 12, 2019


Develop a 4-part fear appeal

Develop a 4-part fear appeal

Avoid losing readers in these hot spots

They can’t heeear you: Arousing fear can backfire if you don’t offer a simple solution for controlling risk. This four-part persuasive message model motivates behavior by overcoming that obstacle.

March 05, 2019


Rivet readers with this blog post structure

Rivet readers with this blog post structure

Credit union communicator nails the feature structure

Blog writing structure simplified: Take these steps to organize a more attention-getting blog post.

February 26, 2019


Measure clarity with readability formulas

Measure clarity with readability formulas

How to use Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog indexes

Measure up: Use readability formulas like the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Gunning Fog Index to reach more readers.

February 19, 2019


Don’t be afraid of fear appeals

Don’t be afraid of fear appeals

Why accentuate the negative?

Better sorry than safe? Arousing fear can be more effective than promising rewards at moving people to act.

February 12, 2019


Find your character’s ‘I wish’ song

Find your character’s ‘I wish’ song

Motivation a key element of storytelling

Make a wish: If your story were a musical, what would your protagonist’s ‘I wish’ song be? That wish is what launches the action of every great story.

February 05, 2019


Top 2 ways to improve your readability score

Top 2 ways to improve your readability score

Sentence length, word length make messages more readable

It takes 2: Want to dramatically improve readability? Focus on the top 2 drivers of reading ease: sentence length and word length.

January 29, 2019


Use chronology for storytelling structure

Use chronology for storytelling structure

3 steps to a great narrative arc

Tick-tock: How do you organize a good story? With time.

January 22, 2019


Avoid label headlines

Avoid label headlines

Don’t just slap the topic on top of the story

Warning: label: Label headlines communicate the topic — but nothing else — about the story.

January 15, 2019


Find the aha! moment

Find the aha! moment

3 ways to identify the narrative line

Find the moment of truth: For compelling corporate storytelling, find the desk-pounding, or aha! moment.

January 08, 2019


New Year’s writing tips

New Year’s writing tips

6 writing resolutions to improve your copy in 2019

Here’s to your 2019 writing career: Kick off 2019 right when you ring in the New Year with these writing tips.

January 01, 2019


Readability score: Going up!

Readability score: Going up!

City communicator increases Flesch Reading Ease by 38.8%

Raise your own readability score: Craft readable text easily with our 5 tips.

December 18, 2018


How to write a conclusion

How to write a conclusion

Leave a lasting impression with these 2 key elements

Tell ’em what you told ’em: End with a bang by writing a good conclusion that includes a wrapup and kicker.

December 11, 2018


Find your brand story

Find your brand story

‘How we make it’ and four other ways to spot a good story

Why did my husband switch cognacs? Brand storytelling made him do it.

December 06, 2018


Improve readability scores with these 4 free tools

Improve readability scores with these 4 free tools

Measure, monitor, manage and report readability

Hit the target: Test your clarity with these cool digital tools.

November 27, 2018


4 persuasive writing techniques to try

4 persuasive writing techniques to try

‘Make ’em sick, make ’em well’ & 3 other ways to move people to act

Lead the pack: Stand out from the crowd and align readers with your point of view with these persuasive-writing techniques.

November 20, 2018


Why is storytelling important? [Research!]

Why is storytelling important? [Research!]

‘Whoever tells the best story wins’

Why storytelling? Storytelling makes your messages more engaging, easier to understand, easier to believe and more.

November 13, 2018


Why relevant email campaigns?

Why relevant email campaigns?

Irrelevant content No. 1 reason readers unsubscribe

You’ve got mail: In the battle for attention in the inbox, only the most relevant, valuable e-zines and email blasts will survive.

October 23, 2018


Make e-zines timely

Make e-zines timely

Give subscribers the scoop, early insights

Right on time: Timeliness is one of the things subscribers like best about e-zines. So get the word out to your readers — stat!

October 16, 2018


How to write email that’s easy to skim

How to write email that’s easy to skim

3 ways to get the word out to nonreaders

Pass the squint test: Squint at your newsletter. Can you see the parts?

October 10, 2018


Focus your email newsletter

Focus your email newsletter

Expand on, but don’t exceed, the subject line

3 keys to e-zine success: 1) Focus. 2) Focus. 3) Focus. Hew to your subject line: Subscribers don’t want you veering off on different topics.

October 02, 2018


Why write email that’s easy to skim?

Why write email that’s easy to skim?

Because only 19% of e-zines get read thoroughly

They skim the surface: Mobile readers skim email newsletters 74% of the time; they fully read just 24% of the time.

September 25, 2018


How long should email newsletters be? [Data!]

How long should email newsletters be? [Data!]

People average 51 seconds on e-zines

What’s the right length? Email newsletters of about 200 words get the greatest click-throughs. So why not write 200-word e-zines?

September 18, 2018


How much time do people spend reading for fun?

How much time do people spend reading for fun?

Americans average 16.5 minutes a day

All time low: Americans spend less than 20 minutes a day reading for fun. How much of that time do you think they’re spending on your piece?

September 11, 2018


How to write short sentences

How to write short sentences

Check, find & cut long sentences with these Word tools

Check it out: Microsoft Word tools let you check sentence length, find long sentences and cut them into short sentences.

September 04, 2018


Customize e-zines, don’t just personalize them

Customize e-zines, don’t just personalize them

Segment lists to nanotarget newsletters, e-blasts

Bespoke content: Segment lists, then use meaningful pieces of data — your recipient’s dog’s name, maybe — to nanotarget readers.

August 28, 2018


‘OK, Google: How do I do SEO for voice search?’

‘OK, Google: How do I do SEO for voice search?’

Optimize for Alexa, Siri and other digital assistants

Optimize for voice search: Half of all searches will be via voice by 2020, according to comScore. Are your webpages, posts and other pieces optimized for voice?

August 21, 2018


Write it like Winston

Write it like Winston

Make Churchill your muse

Word from the wise: Some say Winston Churchill saved the Western world with his words. So why not model your executive quotes after his?

August 14, 2018


Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Fraction of Selection model shows how readers choose what to read

Is it juicy? Good for me? Easy? Increase your chances that readers will read your message with Wilbur Schramm’s Fraction of Selection model.

August 07, 2018


The big squeeze

The big squeeze

Try compression of details for PR leads

Main squeeze: Make it juicy with compression of details.

July 31, 2018


Urgency boosts email engagement

Urgency boosts email engagement

It may be the most effective approach

Tick tock: A sense of urgency in subject lines increases opens, click-throughs and readership.

July 24, 2018


Get to the point faster in PR

Get to the point faster in PR

Keep news release leads to 25 words or less

They snooze, you lose: “If the copy doesn’t excite me within 20 words, I won’t read the rest of it,” says one editor.

July 17, 2018


Feature-style story form easy as 1-2-3

Feature-style story form easy as 1-2-3

Strathcona County masters ‘stack of boxes’ structure

Feature-style story structure is simple: Just stack three boxes.

July 10, 2018


Why Think Like a Reporter?

Why Think Like a Reporter?

‘They chew gum, don’t they?’

Don’t let irrelevant releases blow up in your face: Journalists’ biggest pet peeve is releases that aren’t relevant to their audiences.

July 03, 2018


Coin a word

Coin a word

Create new terms by merging old ones

A whole new word: Freshly minted words like portmanteaus get more attention than tired coinages.

June 26, 2018


The verb is the story

The verb is the story

5 ways to activate news release headlines

Away we go: A story is a verb, not a noun. Something should be happening here. Use dynamic verbs in press release headlines.

June 19, 2018


Try MBWA

Try MBWA

Gain color and insight you can’t get any other way

Just looking: Firsthand observation brings your message to life.

June 12, 2018


Creative process: Get to Aha!

Creative process: Get to Aha!

Write better, easier & faster with this 5-step system

Brilliant ideas The 5-step creative process helps you work with — not against — your brain to produce dazzling ideas, brighter pieces.

June 05, 2018

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Email
  • Print

Primary Sidebar

April 15, 2021

Catch Your Readers - Ann Wylie's persuasive-writing workshop online on April 5 – May 3

Save up to $100 with our group discounts.

Register for Catch Your Readers - Ann Wylie's persuasive-writing workshop online on April 5 – May 3
  • Master the 5-step creative processMaster the 5-step creative process: Develop more creative ideas with this system
  • Your brain on storyYour brain on story: Excuse me, are those your neurons flashing?
  • How to write news headlinesHow to write news headlines: 3 ways to polish your traditional heads
Archives

Wylie Communications, Inc. logo
    Training
  • In-house writing workshops
  • Public writing workshops
  • Association workshops
    Services
  • Writing guidelines
  • Ask Ann
  • Editing and rewriting
    Tools
  • Learning tools
  • RevvingUpReadership.com
  • Free writing tips
Subscribe to our ezine
Upcoming Workshops

Catch Your Readers - Ann Wylie's persuasive-writing workshop online on April 5 - May 3

Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-writing workshop online on May 17-21

Write Better, Easier and Faster - Ann Wylie's writing-process workshop online on June 1-29

NOT Your Father’s PR Writing training - Ann Wylie's PR-writing workshop online on July 12-16

Copyright © 2005 - 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Wylie Communications · Contact us



loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.