If you're ready to create an e-newsletter, or you just want to spruce up your writing skills, United Methodist Communications has put together five quick tips to help you craft articles that get noticed. Let's get started.
1. Give them what they want.
The first rule of writing is to know what your readers want to read. Write about topics that interest them. If you are writing a church e-newsletter, great topic ideas would include stories about new ministries, staff updates, news about your members making a difference in the community. Put yourself in your reader's position. What would you want to know or learn?
2. Paint a picture with words.
Captivate your readers with visual language. Get to the point in a descriptive way. For example, instead of simply writing something like, "The weather was great for the event." You could write, "Sunny skies and a warm breeze provided the perfect backdrop." What would make your readers feel like they are in the middle of the story? Think about that as you write.
3. Know the value of headlines.
The headline is almost as important as the actual meat of the article. Articles with boring headlines often get overlooked. Make sure they're short, snappy and enticing. Tease your readers with the headline so that they want to read the entire article.
4. Watch your tone.
Pay special attention to the tone of your language. Do you want to convey a casual tone of voice or a formal one? Know what your audience prefers and be consistent. Use language that all of your readers can understand.
5. Proofread.
Some of the best writers make spelling or grammatical errors. Ask a friend to check for inaccuracies, typos or confusing language. If you're on your own, set the article aside for a bit. Sometimes when you let a little time pass and you take a second look, you'll notice things you didn't see before.
And there you have it! Looking for other tips to help your church or ministry thrive? Go to www.youtube.com/mycomtips. Or head over to our website at www.umcom.org.