COM-0014 Blog #2-Storytelling and Communication Styles

Poor grammer will have an impact on your personal brand.
Image created by: Christi Bouchard–Howden (Canva)

Does reading a post online filled with grammar, punctuation and spelling errors just “irk” you? Or have you ever scrolled past an article simply because you can’t figure out what the content is about? You are not alone if you said yes to either of these situations! Several factors go into creating an attention grabbing story, however the presentation and layout quite often is just as important as the content itself.

Seeking the Wrong Attention

The other day I read a Facebook post about the COVID-19 pandemic. The author was passionate about his plea, and I was absolutely riveted with his story. That is, until he used the word “your” in the wrong context.

The point of writing a story or an article, is to captivate and grab the readers attention. When publishing content riddled with grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, the reader is most likely turned-off, and scrolls past the story, in search of a more reputable source. The author sacrifices their credibility and personal brand when posting content that is less than perfect.

So what should you do to ensure readers are attracted to your content? Edit, edit, and just when you think it’s perfect, edit some more! Reading over your content is good way to catch errors, however quite often the author is too close and attached to the material. Have a friend or collegue take look at your work to ensure it’s ready for the public eye. Also keep in mind editing is not a personal attack, and constructive critisism is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Let’s face it, people have short attention spans, and if they are not capitvated quickly, they will go in search of something better elsewhere. When I read a news story online, I want to have an idea of what it’s about before investing time and attention into the whole article. Usually a quick glance over the material will pull out keywords and give an indication of the subject. If the message is not clear after a quick skim, I will continue to scroll or search for another article.

When writing a story you want to grab the readers attention quickily to get them hooked. That means being clear and concise with your message, and giving your audience an overview of what your story is about. If the reader is drawn into the article, they will want more information. Once the audience has the whole story, and if they are cativated enough, they will engage or comment on the content. The ultimate goal is to have the reader walk away with more knowledge and insight, because of your story.

So how do you do this? When studying journalism in college, we often were referred to the inverted triangle method when writing our stories. The mission was to get the most important information out first, and never to bury the lead with fluff or non-essential information. The method is simple, start with the need to know information, followed by the nice to know content and end with the good to know facts. By following this strategy, you are able to stick with an outline and flow to your story.

Simplified Inverted Pyramid Method taught in my college journalism program.
Image created by: Christi Bouchard-Howden (Canva)

Everyone has their own unique writing style, and that in itself is part of your personal brand. When you are publishing content, it is important to follow a few rules to ensure your audience stays engaged and interested. Edit your content and have a friend read over your story before publishing. Using an online proofreader is great way to catch any errors and imperfections in your work. There are also several tools, like Grammarly, to help polish your stories. Following a stragedy, like the Inverted Pyramid, will help provide some structure, so your message is clear and consise.

If you have any writing tips or tricks that work for you, share them in the comments below. It’s always great to have insight into different styles! Writing is supposed to be fun, and playing with what makes you unique is the best way to learn. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”!