Writing: Why get jazzed about it?

Writing is the hardest work I do. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done (and I’ve had several other jobs in which writing was not the main task). Maybe everyone who writes feels that way, but even so, there are plenty of good reasons to keep plugging away at it.

First, it helps you attract more customers. Sure, writing ads, brochures and newsletters can attract clients. So can information marketing — the articles, white papers, case studies, newsletters, etc. that are a tremendously effective way to demonstrate your expertise and impress a prospect. (There’s an article about it on my Web site — what a surprise.)

On her Successful Blog, Liz Strauss recently offered ten good reasons to get jazzed about writing. From the point of view of this blog, I suppose #5 would be at the top of the list:

Writing is free promotion. Offer quality, relevant content to an audience who needs it, and they’ll be coming back to see you again. Your name, your business, and your brand will gain a following from the writing that you did.

Liz’s other reasons also make sense from a strictly P&L (Profit & Loss) POV (Point of View):

It increases the visibility of your brand.
Writing lets you reach an unlimited audience.
In today’s universe, writing is your voice.
Writing lets you define the big idea of your brand.

Her other reasons might not translate directly into dollars, but they still make good cents — er, sense.

Writing forces you to think through ideas.
Writing allows you to think before you speak.

Liz is my kind of business owner. You’d do well to check out her blog and her reasons for writing.

One of these days we’ll discuss one of my favorite techniques for becoming a better writer: morning pages. Or read Julia’s Cameron’s excellent book The Artist’s Way.