Writing for your business; how to power your writing with bullets

Bullets are a major weapon in your writing armoury. Why?

Want to whiz your reader through your text?
Use bullets.

Want to make your points fast?
Bullets do that for you?

Want to catch those scanners and skimmers on your website?
Bullets are the things to grab their attention.

Writing bullets for effect is vital. Here’s how:

• cover only one point at a time

• pull out the juiciest information to highlight

• promote a book by adding the page number to direct them to the information

• answer questions they might want to ask

• slip in teasers for in-depth information

• make the language active and positive

How do you construct an effective bullet?

Take the piece of text and on index cards write down the most important facts, features of the product or service you’re promoting
For each fact and feature, create a benefit to the user
Look at each benefit in turn and describe it in not more than 10 words. You can use longer bullets, but limiting yourself to10 words focuses your attention on the essentials
It takes practice to become good at dashing off bullets. But once you’ve acquired the skill you’ll be amazed at how many ways you can use it.

More ways to use bullets.

• create bullets for anything you write

• write a 60 second introduction to your business from connected bullets

• talk or write about the essential benefits of your business – fast

Bullets are the essential bones of your business writing. If you can’t make a lively bullet from iinformation about your business, you shouldn’t be writing about it.