8 simple ways to improve your writing

The public relations profession is evolving, but good, persuasive writing remains a core component of good PR.

Because strong writing is a skill to be maintained and improved, a refresher course is always in order.

Whether you’re in product PR, tech, crisis management or public policy, here are eight simple rules to help improve your compositions.

1. Read it out loud. Good writing is as much about how it sounds as about putting words on a page. If you find yourself struggling to find the right turn of phrase, read it aloud to hear how it sounds. It’s guaranteed to clarify what’s working and what’s not. (We can always tell when one of our colleagues is hard at work writing because it sounds like he’s talking to himself. He is not. He is reading aloud.)

2. Trim, cut, and trim again. A common mistake novice writers make is being overly verbose. Young or inexperienced writers falsely equate more words with better writing. Generally, the opposite is true. A more concise sentence holds the reader’s attention, because there are fewer things to distract from the main idea.