Writing Archives - Trade Press Services

The Science of Words and Unleashing Its Power in Business Communications

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Gerri Knilans

Writing is an essential aspect of business communications, and high-quality content can significantly impact a company’s success. While many business professionals appreciate the power of the written word, they do not understand the science behind it. The ability to engage and persuade an audience through writing is not simply a matter of talent or creativity. By applying scientific research and understanding of writing to their communications, businesses can create content that captivates target audiences and drives meaningful results.

Writing for Quality and Clarity: Common Writing Mistakes Every Professional Should Avoid

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Gerri Knilans

Whether an important email, sales proposal, bylined article or video script, developing content is a universal need. Even with tools such as spell check, Thesaurus or supportive artificial intelligence (AI), quality writing can be difficult to produce. The way a brand communicates with the written word can have a significant impact on brand reputation, the success of marketing goals and professional interactions.

Create Powerful Content with These 16 Tips

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Gerri Knilans

Writing is not easy. Writing well is even more difficult. Creating powerful content that resonates with readers involves many steps including concept development, goal setting, collaboration, creativity, research, outlines, drafts and edits.

8 Ways to Write Headlines That Get Results

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Gerri Knilans

Headlines are important. The right title means the difference between your message getting read or unread. A powerful title informs, hooks readers, provokes curiosity, plays on emotion and provides value. Sounds easy, but there’s no one-size-fits-all headline that works best for all audiences.

Content Development: How to Create Content that Delivers Results

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Gerri Knilans

Did you know 58 percent of marketers say “original written content” is the most important type of content to use with current and potential customers? But consistent content creation takes time, energy and brain power, not to mention it can be difficult to continually come up with new and relevant messages. We all have our own style, routine and approach to building our brand and communicating our value proposition to our target audiences.

Improve Your Writing With These 10 Essential Tips

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Gerri Knilans

Whether writing an email, article, blog post, white paper, press release or any other type of communication, the quality of the content comes first. Right behind that is the quality of the writing. Even savvy writers need to practice, fine-tune and hone their writing skills on a regular basis. Here are 10 tips to help you turn good writing into great writing.

How to Write So People Will Read

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Gerri Knilans

Effective marketing relies on well-written content. Yet, less than half of B2B marketers say they’re effective at content marketing. When developing content for blogs, articles, white papers, case studies, email campaigns, website, proposals and presentations, use this checklist to increase readership and response rates.

So, You Think You Want To Be A Writer?

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Gerri Knilans

There are three essentials for being a good writer. They are talent and skill, perseverance and determination, and realistic expectations minus the ego. While many individuals who author books, newsletters, articles, white papers and other forms of communication have the subject-matter expertise to produce content, they may not have the other attributes. As a result, the end product doesn’t result in the quality the author seeks.

Do You Know Quality Writing When You See It?

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Gerri Knilans

While some people think writers are a dime a dozen, it isn’t true. Good writers are hard to find. Quality writing requires the ability to communicate concepts, ideas and information clearly, accurately and in a way that engages readers without auditory and visual cues. It is both proactive and responsive. It requires both logic and creativity and, at the same time, is subjective and objective.

Not All Experts Are Writers: 8 Tips to Develop Better Content

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Gerri Knilans

Content marketing is more than a buzzword. It is a critical business initiative. Yet, to produce effective content requires not only thought-leadership expertise but the ability to create content in a way that is engaging, interesting, and sometimes even controversial. To develop the skills necessary to be considered a highly-talented writer, consider these essential tips.

The Importance of Writing: Are You Getting Published Regularly?

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Gerri Knilans

College professors have lived by the mantra “publish or perish” for a long time. And there’s good reason for that. In academia, frequent publication, whether in the form of a book, research or articles in academic or industry publications, reinforces a person’s reputation as a subject matter expert. In turn, these published works impact an

12 Hard-Hitting Words in the English Language

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Gerri Knilans

Marketers are continually looking for ways to engage their audiences with powerful, impactful content. As creatives produce what they hope will be meaningful messages that resonate with readers, they need to create word-pictures or mental images. Here is a list of the most persuasive words to help accomplish those goals. Hard-hitting words 1. You: People

4 Steps to Help You Choose the Right Freelance Writer

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Gerri Knilans

The number one question prospective clients ask about our marketing communications and media relations services is: Are your freelance writers experts in our field? Sometimes the answer is “no.” Should that be a deterrent? Absolutely not. Writers who are worth their weight in gold are skilled and talented professionals who have studied their craft and

The Value of Storytelling

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Gerri Knilans

Joseph Stalin is rumored to have once said, “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.” Chilling and cold-hearted, true; however, it reveals a truth about the ways in which consumers understand the world. People aren’t good at understanding big numbers. That is why Stalin’s supposed quote rings true. One million

Five reasons to use lists when you write

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Gerri Knilans

Last week I talked about your to-do list, but this week I want to talk about using lists in your writing. We’ve all seen the articles: “Ten tips to lose weight by summer,” “Three ways to get that raise,” and so on. Why are lists so popular? What compels authors to write this way? Here

Is It Time to Write a Book?

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

From time to time, a lot of us have thought about writing a book. Whether the motivation stems from having an idea to share with others or simply wanting the glamour that comes from being a published author, writing a book is an item that appears on many bucket lists. But writing a book is

Questionable quotations

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

I read them all the time: advice from a famous person, usually long dead, or a founding father offering wisdom from the past. Take this one, for example: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” It’s attributed to none other than legendary physicist

Beyond the 5 Ps

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

Have you ever tried to pull together a new company newsletter, blog, or interactive website only to see the whole effort flop right before your eyes? Most of us have been there. And most of us have heard some version of the “Ps”: Proper preparation prevents poor performance. In most cases, our failure stems from

How to write an apology

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

No one likes to be wrong, but it’s a fact of life that at some point everyone will find the finger of blame pointed straight at them. As is the case with most things in life, the outcome of this situation depends largely on how you respond to it. Here are some tips for how

How do you quote someone?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

It’s a problem that comes up all the time for writers: quoting someone accurately. Imagine a reporter or writer with a small notepad and pencil, furiously taking notes while someone he or she interviewing is talking. Maybe they’re talking rapidly. They’re agitated or in a hurry. Or maybe their English isn’t perfect because it’s not

Need expert testimony?

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

Whom do you believe? The Internet is full of so-called experts in every field. Anyone with a device connected to the net can post his or her shingle and claim to be a know-it-all. Throw in discussion forums, where everyone has the right answer it seems, Facebook and Twitter, and cyberspace is full of expert

Proofreading: a forgotten art

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Gerri Knilans

I’ve noticed that in today’s business world, which can best be described by the adjective “now!” (exclamation mark and all), it’s easier than ever to make typographical errors—or worse: missing words, spelling errors, improper subject-verb tense agreement and more. The pressure to respond instantaneously causes our brains to move faster than our fingers can comply.