Photo Credit: “Write“- Flickr/Sarah Reid, CC BY 2.0
Note: This is the second of a three-part series on keys to building a personal brand, inspired by a blog post from Adii Pienaar titled “How to Build Your Personal Brand: The Next Step to Anything,” published August 18, 2013.
Among his five stepping stones for building a personal brand, Adii Pienaar advocates “email-first branding.” I was stopped in my tracks as I read this advice for I had never heard anything quite like this statement. First, I interpreted his suggestion literally and wondered how thinking email-first could possibly make a personal brand stronger. But, as I read on, Pienaar’s advice became clearer. He points out that today’s professional communication is email-centric. Whether you are fond of email as a communication channel or not, the reality is we read and write extensively with peers, bosses, customers, and others. Simply put, becoming a more effective writer can make you a more effective professional.
Developing writing skill is like becoming more physically fit- when you work at it consciously and consistently you will get stronger. If you do it occasionally and without following proper technique, it will hurt! Here are three tips for making the desire to be a better writer a reality:
1. Look Out
Just as becoming a better oral communicator begins with sharpening listening skills, improving writing skills by first resolving to look out for writing that you find easy to read, enjoyable, and valuable. What is about the writer’s style that is appealing that you could comfortably incorporate into your own writing- Use of humor? Ability to tell captivating stories? Giving helpful advice? Showing empathy for others? Build a collection of RSS feeds that gathers works from magazine writers, newspaper columnists, bloggers, or others that write regularly and from whom you can find inspiration and ideas.
2. Work Out
Being a consistent consumer of writing is a start to becoming a better writer, but at some point you have to apply what has been learned. If you are not blogging already, I highly recommend getting into the game. I have been blogging since 2007, and it has been one of the best professional decisions I have ever made. For the first two or three years, I paid virtually no attention to audience reach, page views, etc.- I just wrote. For the first six years that I blogged I used a free service (Blogger) and found it be a good fit with my needs. My writing has focused on professional interests related to marketing, but I would have gotten just as much benefit and enjoyment had I blogged about fantasy baseball or being a father to three boys. Write about a subject that energizes you and work out regularly to build your writing “muscles.”
3. Seek Out
As you strengthen your writing skills, seek out opportunities to get even stronger by applying in situations in which writing is valued. An obvious starting point is to embrace the email-first branding advice of Adii Pienaar. Keep in mind that many outlets are virtually starved for quality content, meaning you could reach out to pitch ideas for contributing through your writing. For example, many company and organization newsletters are looking for articles to build out their weekly or monthly issues that reach employees and other stakeholders. Another tactic that is easy to implement is leaving replies to blogs or articles that you are reading. Give the writer and audience feedback while working on your own writing style.
One Word at a Time
One of my favorite quotes is “the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” Too often, we are overwhelmed by a task (eating the elephant) that we miss out on putting processes in place that break down the task into actionable steps (eating the elephant one bite at a time). The urging to become a better writer, while desirable, can be overwhelming when we think about how to achieve the outcome. How can I go from my current abilities to a far loftier place? Commit to weekly or even daily writing goals- posting to your blog three times a week, writing 500 words a day, writing a journal entry daily- to take the bites necessary to become a stronger writer.
