It's getting kind of comical how many business owners I talk to who tell me they hate writing for their business.

The complaint goes something like this. "Every day it's something: an email reply to a prospect, warm letters to get more people in the door, website content that needs an update."

Yep, running a business requires a lot of patience, drive...and words! 😀

But those words are crucial and it literally pays to get them right.

They do the work of talking about your business and results when you can't be there to talk about your business and results.

Part of the problem writing haters have is thinking that there are only two ways to create great content:

Wasting hours of the day staring at the blank screen of death trying to figure out what to say in your (blog, warm letter, article, video, launch sequence, email response or whatever your word need is today.)

Or

Tossing a half-baked content idea to a random freelancer and hope they’ll figure out how to fully bake it in your voice with your message.

Those approaches can work, but let's be honest. They are also a) exhausting and b) a little meh unless you find and spend quality time with the right freelancer who'll really capture your voice and spirit.

There's A Third Way

As a content pro of many decades and the owner of a small business that requires just as many words as anyone else's, I know there is a third way. It's a framework that breaks down into four phases:

Get Focused

Get Writing

Get Better

Get Done

This is the framework I use for all my messaging. It's also what I guide my 1-1 clients through in the WordLaunch Content Coaching program designed to teach a better way to tackle content creation.

Get Focused

This is the work before the writing that makes the writing easier.

Do not even open a Google doc until you've taken the time to really understand what you need to say, who you’re saying it to, why you’re saying it and why they should care. Dig in and peel back the layers of your answers: what do you really need to say? What's the world like for the person you're saying it to? Why does it matter?

Get Writing

Now that you've gotten really clear on what you need to convey, start writing. Blast out a sh*tty first draft or even a pretty good first draft.

It doesn't have to be perfect. But it does have to get written!

Get Better

All content gets better when there is time to step away from it and review it with fresh eyes. That effect is multiplied when you get someone else's eyes to look at it.

But be choosy when picking a reviewer. Make sure they understand your business and can read your material from the point of view of your audience, not their own preferences or voice.

My clients and I go through two rounds of writing and editing at this stage. If you've got the bandwidth to do that, you should.

Get Done

"Done" is a tricky concept in writing content for your business. There are always a million tweaks you can make and one more round of proofreading that can happen.

But at some point you have to call it and send the content on its way to do what it is meant to do -- speak for you when you can't speak to someone face-to-face.

Bonus Tip

Though not part of the "official WordLaunch Framework" it's super helpful to keep track of what content you are using where, especially email responses because you almost always need those again and there's nothing worse than trying to remember who you responded to with that one really good reply.

I have a google folder of all my drafts and a Google Sheet I call my "Content Vault" that helps me keep track of messages, testimonials, etc. (Email me if you'd like a copy.)

And if you're curious what it would look like to have the support of the WorldLaunch content coaching process instead of going it alone, let's talk.

“Well Said Wednesday” is a blog by Barbara Govednik, Founder, Content Coach & Message Strategist of 4.23 Communication. It’s published every other Wednesday…ish.