DM

In 2018, an Amazon employee shared the company’s “7 Tips for Business Writing.” They’re a must-read for anyone who wants to write more clearly. 1. Use fewer than 30 words per sentence Constraints drive clear thinking. And the best constraints force you to use less words, not more. If you can explain something in simple terms, you likely understand it well. 2. Use subject-verb-object sentences The goal of writing is to transfer your thoughts to another person with as little lost in translation as possible. It’s a big game of telephone. The simpler your sentences, the more accurately your ideas will be translated. 3. Replace adjectives with data “Customers love Prime.” “Customers with Prime spend on average 3x more than those without and we retain 90% of them year over year.” Specificity leads to clear results and quick decision-making. 4. Pass the “so what” test The reader should immediately know what action you want them to take. Make sure to answer who, what, and when. Otherwise, you’ve wasted your time and the reader’s. 5. Eliminate weasel words Most weasel words are adverbs. “Nearly,” “Significantly,” “Almost.” These words are imprecise. They may mean one thing to you, and another to your boss. Get rid of them. 6. Avoid clutter words Utilize → use In order to → to Until such time as → until Due to the fact → because Getting rid of clutter focuses your message on the parts that matter. 7. Avoid jargon and acronyms Companies are littered with internal jargon. But this excludes new employees and anyone external to the company. When wanting to use an acronym, write it out the first time it’s used in any document. Clear > clever *** The best marketers are relationship builders — strong internal alignment separates good from great. So I got interested in Amazon’s writing. Because writing is communication and communication is alignment. Follow @TheMarkJung for more content like this on marketing and media.