3 mistakes even experienced comms writers make

Let’s get back on track with your writing.

We know you’re a good writer. Most people don’t make it long in the communications field if they can’t string a few words together with some semblance of artistry and strategy. But even great writers can get distracted, get busy and forget the basics of clear, focused communications writing.  

It’s OK. Let’s do a little refresher and help show you how to get back on track when these fundamental skills fall by the wayside. You’ll especially want to pay attention if… 

1. You don’t evaluate data before you start. 

As wonderful as it would be to just sit down and start writing, most strategic communications work requires a firm grounding in what’s worked (or flopped) in the past.  

What data you need to look at depends on what you’re writing and what you hope to achieve. Writing a pitch? What have you sent the reporter in the past? What have they responded to and what have they ignored? Writing social media copy? It’s time to refresh and ground yourself in past engagement rates to see what sparked user interest and what had them keep on scrolling. 

You may think you know these things. It can feel like second nature, that you’re internalizing the data just from your day-to-day work. But taking a beat, going back to the numbers, and looking at the big picture can give you a fresh perspective and open the door to new ideas and approaches.  

1. You write too long. 

Your intentions are good with this one. You want people to have all the information they could possibly need. Every contingency, every detail. If you put it all in there the first time, no one will have questions. 

What you wind up with is a piece that feels unwieldy and that loses the reader, where it’s difficult to tell the main points and to understand what actions you want the audience to take.  

Good writing means stripping away the unnecessary until only the core remains. This doesn’t mean you have to take on a sterile, minimalist tone. You can still be bright and cheerful, even crack jokes (if the situation allows for it). It just means you want to leave no question about the main foci of your piece. When you have too much length, there’s room for interpretation. People can get lost and walk away with an understanding different than what you intended. 

Before you start the piece, identify one clear objective. Then, as you write and edit, ask yourself: Does every part of this piece support my goal? If not, strip it away. Leave a few fewer words for your busy audience to sift through.  

1. You don’t spend enough time on the headline or subject line. 

Look, we get it. Writing headlines or subject lines or whatever short bit of copy is going to get people interested enough to read your full piece is hard. It’s a different skillset from traditional longform writing. But it’s worth arguing that none of the rest of your writing truly matters if you don’t have a compelling headline that entices people to learn more. 

One simple way to fix that exhausted, “slap a headline on and ship it” mentality: Write your headline first. Not only will it help you keep your end goal for the piece in mind, it ensures you aren’t trying to put it on at the end when you’re rushed and ready to be done.  

And above all, ask yourself: Would that headline entice you to click the link, open the email or otherwise engage with the content? If not, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.  

Making these mistakes doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. It just means it’s time to re-center, go back to basics and find your groove again.  

What common mistake do you find yourself making in your writing?  

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