Hi, I’m Olivia Dunn, a B2B copywriter and messaging and positioning strategist. I’ve put together a list of quick tips that can boost the quality of your writing. Here’s my list – let me know what you’d add.

Much of it may tumble into the ‘stating the bleedingly obvious’ file, but there’s still value in reminding yourself from time to time.

If you’re going to use AI, do it well

Here’s a post I wrote on how to use AI to help you write at work (without sounding like a robot). I don’t recommend outsourcing your writing to AI, but inevitably, people are. Your voice and personality matter; they are unique to you so please don’t lose them.

What’s the point?

What three things do you want to say? Figure that out before you start writing. It’ll really help you waffle-dodge.

So what?

Who is likely to read your article? Understanding your audience is critical for success, as it’ll help dictate your tone and the level of detail you go into.

Short is sweet

Short sentences work, especially when you mix them up with longer ones. If you find yourself wrangling with commas, split the sentence up.

Use subheadings

Subheadings help readers swiftly navigate your writing, and readability/digestibility is great for search engine approval, too. Try and make your subheadings interesting. Bonus points if you can scan the subheadings and immediately get the summary of the whole article.

Congratulations on your engagement

Ask your readers questions to really engage them. What do they think about XYZ? Write in a conversational tone, as if you were actually speaking to your reader. And it should go without saying that jargon and acronyms need to get in the bin.

Draft and craft

Write your first draft. Then, cast your eye over the third paragraph. What does it say? In many cases, that’s where you’ll find your leading point. Send it up to the top, and see what difference it makes. This is also a good time to sift through your writing, identifying superfluous/redundant words you could lose to make your writing easier to read. Be brutal!

Learn from others

Professional journalists always start with the big messages, and so should copywriters. Check out the ‘inverted triangle’ technique for telling a story.

The pudding’s in the proof

Always ask someone to check your work over before you set it free. Ask them to look for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. And, crucially, ask them if it makes sense.

Read, read, read

Read everything you can, from the back of shampoo bottles through to Substack long reads and classic literature. It’s all data.

Exclamation marks

These little sprites can scream ‘desperation’ and can make your writing sound like it was written by a puppy. Use them sparingly, if at all. If something’s funny/shocking/scary, the right language will convey that. Basically, if Donald Trump does it, then probably don’t.

Call to action (CTA)

Decide what you want your readers to do next. Then, tell them. Good copywriting always includes clear signposts to the next action to take. It’s easy to forget your CTA, so always check back to make sure it’s there.

I’m a B2B copywriter with over two decades of experience helping businesses sound as good as they really are. Book a call to talk through your project.