Before You Write: THINK

Many marketing managers tell me they often can't get a new communications piece moving.They struggle writing the first sentence - or  they start over so many times that they just give up (and thankfully, call me).

If you fall into this scenario from time to time, here's my best advice: Before you write, think.

Fight the urge to just start writing.
I cringe when someone says, "I'll just get everything down, then go back and edit later."  This technique produces convoluted pieces or puts you in Edit Hell. And you'll often bore your audience with too much information. In marketing, good stories are short and less is more. As colleague and friend Eileen Scully likes to say, "Land the plane."

Tip #1. THINK before you write.

• Who's your audience?
• What's your objective?
• What is your single, most compelling message?

When I'm doing a big project, or writing a white paper I'll think about these three questions for a day or two. Believe me, it's time well spent.

Tip #2. Organize.

You can get going fast by simply figuring out the most appropriate structure for what you're trying to achieve. You can organize by:

Location. A piece about urban renewal might begin with Los Angeles and end with Miami.

Increasing difficulty: A math book might start with 2+2, move to algebra and end with trigonometry.

The Alphabet. Maybe you can just order things alphabetically (like a group of personality profiles for your quarterly newsletter).

Chronology: Group your stories in the order in which they occurred (like history books).

Problem/solution. Most popular for case studies. "Here's the pinch we were in. Here's how we solved it."

Reporter. A trusted model that always works: What, Who, Where, When and Why?

The SIR model: What's the situation? What impact is it having on you or the organization? What's your recommendation? Military staffers use this technique to brief their commanders.

Deductive order. Start with your finding, observation or recommendation (scientists use this model). Then unfold your supporting evidence.

Use a list. Sometimes it's all you need. "Seven Ways to Go Green."

So before you write, think. And fight the urge to just start writing. If you have the right structure, the rest will fall into place.