Something I love in the initial stages of a project is when we sit down with a client (virtually) and just ask them to tell us about their business or organization and what they are looking for. This is helpful for us to gain information, but I particularly enjoy listening to people talk about things that they are passionate about. It’s always fascinating because they are so knowledgeable in their field and can go into all kinds of detail that is helpful for our work. While it is interesting to listen to, it can often be an issue when it comes to writing content for a website, blog, brochure, whatever it may be.
Sometimes when clients are trying to create a new website or write a brochure or really anything where they need to convey information, at some point, someone on our team says these four words: you know too much.
You’re too close to the subject matter. You are not writing this for you or your peers, you are likely writing it for people who are unfamiliar with the topic or certainly, less familiar than yourself.
Taking a step back, removing jargon, and having someone else edit for you can be a huge help in making sure you are explaining your topic in a way that will make sense to your audience, not just people in your field.
Sometimes it’s hard to step away or not write about every aspect because it is all so important to you! But it will be a helpful exercise to ensure your audience can understand your points and be interested enough to contact you for more information!
Do you have trouble editing your own writing for external audiences? And what topic do you know too much about? Let us know in the comments!
