How to Write Clear and Conversational Content

Found this 1980 ad about writing clearly. 65 years later, it's still the best writing advice I've ever seen: 1) Know exactly what you want to say before you start Most people start writing and figure it out as they go. That's why most writing sucks. Thompson says outline first, write second. Revolutionary concept, apparently. 2) Start where your readers are, not where you are Don't assume people know what you know. Meet them at their level of understanding, then bring them along. Most "experts" write for other experts and wonder why nobody gets it. 3) Use familiar word combinations Thompson's example: A scientist wrote "The biota exhibited a one hundred percent mortality response." Translation: "All the fish died." Stop trying to sound smart. Start trying to be clear. 4) Arrange your points logically Put the most important stuff first. Then the next most important. Then the least important. Seems obvious, but most people do it backwards. 5) Use "first-degree" words Thompson says some words bring immediate images to mind. Others need to be "translated" through first-degree words before you see them. "Precipitation" => "Rain" "Utilize" => "Use" "Facilitate" => "Help" 6) Cut the jargon Thompson warns against words and phrases "known only to people with specific knowledge or interests." If your mom wouldn't understand it, rewrite it. 7) Think like your reader, not like yourself Thompson asks: "Do they detract from clarity?" Most writers ask: "Do I sound professional?" Wrong question. TAKEAWAY: This ad is from 1960. The internet didn't exist. Social media wasn't even a concept. But the principles of clear communication haven't changed. Most people still can't write clearly because they're trying to impress instead of express.

No one is waking up at 7am, sipping coffee, thinking, “Wow, I really hope someone explains holistic wealth architecture today.” People want clarity. They want content that feels like a conversation, not a lecture. They want to understand what you’re saying the first time they read it. Write like you're talking to a real person. Not trying to win a Pulitzer. - Use short sentences. - Cut the jargon. - Sound like someone they’d trust with their money, not someone who spends weekends writing whitepapers for fun. Confused clients don’t ask for clarification. They move on. Here’s how to make your content clearer: 1. Ask yourself: Would my mom understand this? If the answer is “probably not,” simplify it until she would. No shade to your mom, she’s just a great clarity filter. 2. Use the “friend test.” Read it out loud. If it sounds weird or overly stiff, imagine explaining it to a friend at lunch. Rewrite it like that. 3. Replace jargon with real words. Say “retirement income you won’t outlive” instead of “longevity risk mitigation strategy.” Your clients are not Googling your vocabulary. 4. Stick to one idea per sentence. If your sentence is doing cartwheels and dragging a comma parade behind it, break it up. 5. Format like you actually want them to read it. Use line breaks. Add white space. Make it skimmable. No one wants to read a block of text the size of a mortgage document. Writing clearly isn’t dumbing it down. It’s respecting your audience enough to make content easy to understand. What’s the worst jargon-filled phrase you’ve seen in the wild? Let’s roast it.

15 years ago, I wrote "Write Better, Sell Better". The tagline that defined my career. Since then, I've written copy for Fortune 500 companies, projects that made millions, and taught copywriting at the university → Yep, writing is my life. But you don't have all semester long to learn. This post contains my 7 biggest writing lessons: (Save and repost this 60-second class ♻️) --- 1. Clarity is 90% of your writing Clarity beats cleverness 10 times out of 10. Remember: First, write clearly. Then, write creatively. Most focus on "creative" right off the bat = big no. (If you can do both, jackpot) --- 2. Use signposting to showcase authority I teach this technique to every single client. (This sentence you just read was a signpost) Signposts are short "signals" to your expertise and results. Think of them as signs on the side of the road, which allow you to "trust" the journey you're on. Can you notice where else I used it in this post? 😉 --- 3. Too much copy? Make it choppy. Here are 2 examples (the second one is better): Sometimes, we write super long sentences that we have no time to breathe and neither do our readers. Sometimes, we write super long sentences. We have no time to breathe. And neither do our readers. Chop it up! It's easier to read. --- 4. Write unselfishly. Edit relentlessly. Think about it. Writing is 80% editing. You are tweaking, optimizing, and making things sound perfect. One bit of advice: Don't hold back. Edit (ehm, delete) anything that isn't on-topic. I've deleted probably 40% of this post. --- 5. Use sensory words. Add texture to text. That had to hurt! → That had to "sting"! Having a bad day? → Having a "rough" day? A seamless process → A "silky-smooth" process All of the 2nd descriptions above can be "felt". It's how your readers "touch an emotion", not just "read text". --- 6. Never write to "everyone" Remember this for all time: "Everyone" is not your audience. Sales happen when your prospect can clearly "see" themselves in your writing. So how do you go about this? --- 7. The "Dear son" writing method Pick "one" person to speak to → I speak to my son. For you, it could be your best friend, the old you etc. I start everything with "Dear son" and end with "Love, Dad". In the end, I simply delete these 2 parts. Doing so creates such a powerful connection with your readers + a consistent tone of voice. With every word. Where there's connection, there's trust. And where there's trust, there's sales. Words to live by. --- Write Better, Sell Better = that's the whole game! Let me know which lesson you enjoy the most. Professor Jay, out. (Repost this for your network ♻️)

Writing is at the heart of digital marketing, yet so many marketers overlook why certain content works. Effective writing isn’t about clever phrasing—it’s about shaping behavior, inspiring action, and guiding people through a logical journey. Audience-first approach: Don’t write for search engines—write for the human being. Understand their pain points, goals, and motivations. Structure matters: Organize content so it’s easy to scan, with headings, bullets, and clear takeaways. Storytelling: Facts inform, stories resonate. Show a scenario your audience can relate to—this is what makes content memorable. Clarity over cleverness: Being witty is great, but clarity wins every time. Make sure the reader can understand your message immediately. Iterate and test: Headlines, calls to action, and messaging should be tested. Small tweaks can have a huge impact on engagement and conversion. Writing skills aren’t limited to blog posts—they apply to social media, emails, ads, and even presentations. Strong writing is a strategic advantage. When you focus on the audience’s needs and use language that connects, you can turn ordinary content into a conversion machine. Always test your messaging, iterate, and refine—your best insights come from observing real responses.

People judge your competence by how clearly you communicate. When you use simple language, listeners rate you as smarter, more competent, and more trustworthy. There’s a name for this: the simplicity anchor. The problem? Most people were never taught how to communicate clearly. That’s a tragedy, because clarity does something powerful: it invites people to care and makes them want to learn more. But clarity isn’t a personality trait. It’s a skill. And like any skill, it can be learned and practiced. So let’s practice. Here’s a simple framework for explaining what you do, clearly: With A, you do B, so C happens, without D. A = your product or service B = what the customer does C = the outcome they want but don’t yet have D = the thing they can stop dealing with A few examples: TitanX With TitanX, you give us a list of prospects and we show you which ones are most likely to answer, so reps have 10–13 conversations per 50 dials instead of 1–3, without adding new tech. Uber With Uber, you press a button and a car shows up in about 15 minutes, taking you where you need to go without handling cash or cards. Notion With Notion, you organize and search your LinkedIn posts so you can find what you need later without endless scrolling. Calendly With Calendly, you share a link and schedule meetings without the back-and-forth emails. Now it’s your turn. Use this framework to explain what you do in 25 words or less. Work your clarity muscle. I’ll provide feedback on as many as I can.

✍️ Golden Rules For UX Writing. With practical guidelines on how to avoid confusion and help people understand better ↓ ✅ Always write with respect, for people as smart as you. ✅ Write mobile-first: short, plain language, bite-sized chunks. ✅ Decide what to say, then find the shortest way to say it. 🚫 Avoid long buttons: use 2–4 words, max. 25 characters. 🚫 Avoid long links: at least 8 chars, max. 8 words (55 chars). ✅ Use sentence case by default, Title Case only for headings. ✅ Use progress anchors for long forms: “Next: Payment details”. 🚫 Don’t use placeholders as replacement for labels or hints. 🚫 Don’t hide critical details or guidelines behind a tooltip. 🚫 Don’t hide frequently used filters/nav behind a button. ✅ Front-load keywords in headings and text summary. ✅ Make people hunt for destructive buttons to avoid mistakes. ✅ Leave room for translation. Expect your text to grow by 40%. 🚫 Avoid more than 20 words/sentence, 50 words/paragraph. 🚫 Never mix 2+ type treatments (color, bold, indents, italic). Good writing is an incredible opportunity. Not only to help people get work done faster and with confidence, but also to build a strong and lasting relationships. To be charming when users get started. To help without a fuss when things go wrong. To show respect and sincerity, but also understanding and care when it’s needed. One little technique that has helped me is to imagine a real person speaking to the customer before I choose words to communicate something to them. I think about how they speak — from voice and tone to speed and intonation. How casual or formal they are dressed. What their personality is. And, most importantly, what traits, values, beliefs and principles they uphold. A product then needs to match that personality, and adapt tone based on user’s context. Once we have it, we write down all the questions users might have. We re-arrange them in order of importance and severity. We decide what to say, and find the shortest way to say it. And then we test, by reading out a piece of content loud. And if it doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t read right either. ✤ Content Design in Design Systems Atlassian: https://lnkd.in/eGpzQqm4 Amplitude: https://lnkd.in/eaB85T7n 👍 DHL: https://lnkd.in/eF494fkT 👍 Duolingo: https://lnkd.in/egCSX9At Girlguiding: https://lnkd.in/eZ8zMyC3 👍 Gov.uk: https://lnkd.in/ekRadXad Intuit: https://lnkd.in/eGyBUrZ2 👍 JSTOR: https://lnkd.in/eAnyrtcu 👍 MetLife: https://lnkd.in/evVE8sqf Progressive’s: https://lnkd.in/evx_8bzY 👍 Shopify: https://lnkd.in/eAKgEHNW Skrill: https://lnkd.in/e2HGTq4q 👍 Zendesk: https://lnkd.in/euxijT5m 👍 Wise: https://lnkd.in/eWk-Mvf9 ✤ Books – Strategic Writing for UX, by Torrey Podmajersky – Content Design, by Sarah Winters – Nicely Said, by Nicole Fenton, Kate Kiefer Lee – Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley – Conversational Design by Erika Hall – Writing Is Designing, by Michael Metts, Andy Welfle ✏️ [continues in the comments ↓ ] #ux #writing

It's not how good your idea is. It's how clear it is. How to speak 10X clearer ⬇️ Most people ramble and as a result their ideas stall. That’s why I’ve developed the Clarity Code — my system that's helped 300+ CEOs communicate even the most complex ideas. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 1: 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 3 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 1/ Being boring  ↳ Boring is hard for the brain. Interesting is easy for the brain.  ↳ Fix: ask “How can I make this a little more interesting?” 2/ You are literally hard to understand  ↳ Poor articulation. Not speaking loud enough.  ↳ Bad audio, bad mic, hand in front of mouth.  ↳ Fix: Proper virtual set up. Practice clear articulation. 3/ Overloading the message  ↳ Muddled thinking. Curse of knowledge.  ↳ Wearing complexity as a badge of honour.  ↳ Fix: ask “What is the One Thing I want my audience to take away?” 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 2: 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 5 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 1/ 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  ↳ What – So What – Now What  ↳ Past – Present – Future ↳ Problem – Solution – Benefit 2/ 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝  ↳ Goal – Problem – Solution  ↳ Excite – Disturb – Assure  ↳ My Story – Our Story – The Future 3/ 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 ↳ “Running a company without a budget is like driving a car without GPS in a city you don't know.” 4/ 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞  ↳ Abstract words are hard to understand for our brains.  ↳ Specific examples are easy to make sense of and remember. 5/ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ↳ Clarity depends on what you say and how you say it.  ↳ Slow down and pause before your key message.  ↳ Avoid monotonous monologue and embrace vocal variety.  𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 3: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞? 𝐓𝐨𝐩 3 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 1/ The BBQ Test ↳ Can you explain it to someone at a BBQ – and keep their attention? ↳ Cheat code: No jargon. No slides. Just say what you mean. 2/ Headline test  ↳ Does your key message sound like a headline?  ↳ “Q3 Business Update.” – NO!   ↳ "Business Growing but Challenges Ahead." - YES! 3/ The Recording Test ↳ What sounds good in your head or looks good on paper can sound clunky and stilted.  ↳ Record → Review → Refine How to speak 10X clearer on Speak Like a CEO: 🎙️ Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e-3ze4jN 🎙️ Apple: https://lnkd.in/eWb6H3FV

We once took a spontaneous trip to Las Vegas. No itinerary, no set plans – just showed up with my bags packed and a "let’s see what happens" attitude. The first night, I found myself lost in a maze of casinos and buffets, and let’s just say… it wasn’t the carefree experience I’d imagined. So, I switched gears. I started planning my days around specific shows, restaurants, and spots I wanted to visit. The difference? Suddenly, the whole experience was more exciting, and way less stressful. That's how copywriting works – having a clear plan and knowing where you're headed makes the journey much smoother for everyone. Ready to write content that works? Here are 5 simple rules from one of the world’s greatest copywriters to help you write like a pro. 1. Make It Simple Complicated writing? No thanks. When you’re writing, remember this: clear > complex. Your goal is to make sure anyone reading your content gets it without effort. No jargon, no fluff – just clear, simple sentences. Be succinct and avoid repeating yourself. Simplifying your writing means making it easier for people to understand and connect with. 2/ Spend as Much Time Writing the Headings as the Body Headlines are key. Your headline is the ticket to get someone to read more – but don’t neglect your subheadings either. A great headline grabs attention; a great subheading keeps it. They need to work together to guide the reader through your content. Think of them as signposts on a road trip – they tell your reader where they’re headed and what they’ll discover along the way. 3/ Focus on Benefits, Not Features When you’re writing, think about the “why” behind your product or service. Benefits sell. Features tell. No one cares if your product has 10 settings on the blender. They care if those settings make their life easier, faster, or more enjoyable. So, focus on what’s in it for the reader. Make them feel the benefits, not just hear about the features. 4/ Write for the Reader (Not at Them) Imagine you’re having a conversation with your reader. When you write, speak directly to them. Use the word “you.” Be personal. Think about it: writing for someone is about giving them something they want to read, but writing to them is about giving them what they need to hear. It’s more engaging when you make it feel like a direct conversation, addressing their concerns, and offering real value. 5/ Tell Them What to Do Next Ever read a piece of content and think, “Okay, but what now?” If you don’t tell your reader exactly what action to take next, you’re leaving them hanging. Without clear direction (aka your call-to-action), they might not take any action at all. So, make sure your content guides them toward the next step – whether it’s buying, signing up, or learning more.

📣 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 “Think of your audience as people, not as experts.” – 𝘙𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘧 𝘍𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘩 Rudolf Flesch, the godfather of plain language, had one mission: make communication 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳. His book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 challenged writers to put readers first—cut the fluff, drop the jargon, and say what you mean. His philosophy still holds up today: • Clear writing builds trust. • Clear writing drives action. • Clear writing 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 “𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁,” 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿. Want your content to land better? Try this: • Replace buzzwords and jargon with real words. • Write like a human, not a brand. • Picture your reader asking, “So what?”—and answer it. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: Take your last LinkedIn post and rewrite it using plain talk. Notice what changes. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻: What’s your favorite tip for writing clearly? Share it in the comments.                                ++++++++++++++++++++++ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗲: With over 40 years in marketing, I focus my marketing expertise on small businesses. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 and activate notifications (🔔) to stay updated 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗠𝗢 (𝗳𝗖𝗠𝗢) 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺? 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. I didn’t realize how many problems were coming from “okay” emails until I started working on fast-moving projects. Delays, confusion, back-and-forth, most of it wasn’t complexity. It was unclear communication. So I started using a simple structure that works almost every time. Here’s the template: 📍Start with context (1–2 lines): Why are you writing this email? “Following up on our discussion on X…” “Sharing an update on Y…” This aligns the reader instantly. 📍State the purpose clearly What do you want from this email? “Objective: Finalize vendor selection for Phase 1.” No guessing. No ambiguity. 📍Add key points (3–5 bullets max) Only what matters. • Current status • Key issue/blocker • Relevant data/decision point If it’s longer, it’s not clear enough. 📍Call out the action required This is where most emails fail. “Action required: Please confirm Option A or B by EOD Friday.” Be specific on who, what, and by when. 📍Close with clarity, not politeness fluff Avoid: “Let me know your thoughts.” Instead: “Once confirmed, we will proceed with implementation.” This one change reduced back-and-forth significantly for me. Because most communication problems aren’t about intelligence. They’re about structure. People don’t need more information. They need clarity on what matters and what to do next. Before sending your next email, ask yourself: Can someone read this in 30 seconds and know exactly what to do? If not, rewrite it. #Communication #Productivity #WorkplaceSkills #Consulting #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerTips #EmailWriting