Your words are little seeds of intention. Choose them wisely and tend them well.
Very often we think long and hard about the words we use in copy or content with the audience in mind - but how often do you think about the effect that they're having on you?
Tiny seeds
My garden and my allotment are a source of inspiration and are integral to my practice as a writer. One of the things I'm most fascinated by is seeds. Filed away over winter in Tupperware, you open one of the packets and find little dry pockets of promise inside. Into the soil they go when the time is right and with a little water, the outer ruptures, sending up two starter leaves. From these come the first proper leaves and it starts to look more like a plant than an alien that's burst out of the earth.
At this stage, the seedling is quite vulnerable. You need to protect it from drought and soaking, slugs, birds and cold. Within weeks, plants like beans and courgettes can be wide and high, swaying in the breeze and it seems impossible to think that they were ever so fragile.
The words you focus on will grow
Apologies for the horticultural interlude, I could talk about it all day. What does all this have to do with writing?
The stories you tell other people, you are also telling yourself. The words you choose to relate your tales, they're the seeds that will germinate and take hold inside of you. Nurture their tiny stems, their delicate roots and their fresh, soft leaves and soon they will flourish in the warmth of your self-love.
Find the words that:
bring you power
reflect what you do for a living
lay bare your joy
Authenticity is everything.
What next?
Too often I talk to clients who've worked with a branding photographer to get just the right business pics for their website and they've worked with a coach on their goals and how to achieve them but when it comes to their writing, their words just don't seem to hit the spot.
Do not despair, the solution is in your hands. Start with finding your little seeds of wonder and the rest will follow.
Take some time out to work out what your:
mission
vision
values
service propositions
are and use these as a starting point. These are your seeds, your intentions. Use them to colour your language so that your copy and content become purposeful.
This lifts SEO or algorithm fodder to quality content because its human benefit reflects the human benefit of what you do. You feel good about it too. Everyone wins.
If I've inspired you to get out into the garden to do some weeding today, or to plant on your squashes, then all is well and good. If you're going to sit down and write a word bank as well, even better. And a glass of something cool and bubbly in the backyard as the sun goes down? Oh go on. Whatever you choose to do, be happy doing it.
If you'd like a little inspiration to get you started, explore a few handy hacks to get over writers' block or pick up a few insider tips on blog writing on my blog.
I'm Amanda Fearn, a copywriter, brand language consultant and writing coach.
If you're raring to write but you feel like your confidence, skills (or both) need a boost then a six or twelve month programme of coaching may be just what you need. Blogs, social media captions, thought leadership, website copy and SEO content, are all at your fingertips with a little help from me. I'll even help you sort your ideas and plan everything from content strategy to content layout.
Book a chat if you'd like to know more.