Writing Informative How-To Guides

How to write good copy for the internet (a guide). Bad copy kills businesses, good copy makes them. I think we’re entering an era where the best products don’t necessarily win, the best copy does. Most people write copy like they are writing instruction manuals. They got lost in explaining how the sausage is made and no one cares. And even worse they use that same robotic copy in the content they create. 1. Paint a picture Make your reader see, feel, and believe in the world you're describing as if they're living it. It's like telling a story that they become a part of. 2. Conversational tone Write like you're chatting with a friend. It should feel easy and friendly, making your reader feel right at home. 3. Use line breaks generously Space out your sentences like breathing spaces in a conversation. People don't have time to read dense paragraphs when you are competing with TikTok. 4. Hone in on a single focal point Keep your message tight around one big idea. It's like using a spotlight in a dark room to show off the most important thing. 5. Shows credibility with examples Use real stories or examples to prove your point. It's like showing a picture to prove you've been somewhere cool. 6. Anticipates concerns and works through objections Think ahead about what might bother your reader and talk it out. It's like answering their questions before they've even asked them. 7. Entertaining Keep things fun or interesting so your reader enjoys reading. It’s like adding a dash of spice to make a meal tastier. 8. Know who you’re trying to reach Write for someone specific, like you know exactly who they are, what they like, and what they need. It’s like picking out a gift for a friend. 9. Show how the product works Explain how things work in simple terms. It’s like explaining a game so everyone can play. 10. Has clear calls-to-action Be clear about what you want your reader to do next. It’s like giving clear directions so someone doesn’t get lost. 11. Don’t be a robot Put some personality in your writing. It’s like wearing your favorite outfit instead of a uniform. 12. Be different than your competition Stand out by being yourself. It’s like choosing to dance to your own music when everyone else is dancing the same. 13. Use positive words Use words that make people feel good and hopeful. It’s like smiling through your words. 14. Avoid exclamation points Use them sparingly. It’s like not shouting in a conversation. 15. Clear and concise Keep it short and sweet. It’s like telling a story without adding unnecessary details. 16. Safe copy is risky copy Dare to be different. It’s like taking a new path through the woods instead of the worn trail. 17. Be interesting, be brave Write something that grabs attention. It’s like telling a story that no one wants to end. 18. Every word matters Choose your words carefully. It’s like picking out just the right ingredients for a recipe. I hope this guide has been helpful.

No one is waking up at 7am, sipping coffee, thinking, “Wow, I really hope someone explains holistic wealth architecture today.” People want clarity. They want content that feels like a conversation, not a lecture. They want to understand what you’re saying the first time they read it. Write like you're talking to a real person. Not trying to win a Pulitzer. - Use short sentences. - Cut the jargon. - Sound like someone they’d trust with their money, not someone who spends weekends writing whitepapers for fun. Confused clients don’t ask for clarification. They move on. Here’s how to make your content clearer: 1. Ask yourself: Would my mom understand this? If the answer is “probably not,” simplify it until she would. No shade to your mom, she’s just a great clarity filter. 2. Use the “friend test.” Read it out loud. If it sounds weird or overly stiff, imagine explaining it to a friend at lunch. Rewrite it like that. 3. Replace jargon with real words. Say “retirement income you won’t outlive” instead of “longevity risk mitigation strategy.” Your clients are not Googling your vocabulary. 4. Stick to one idea per sentence. If your sentence is doing cartwheels and dragging a comma parade behind it, break it up. 5. Format like you actually want them to read it. Use line breaks. Add white space. Make it skimmable. No one wants to read a block of text the size of a mortgage document. Writing clearly isn’t dumbing it down. It’s respecting your audience enough to make content easy to understand. What’s the worst jargon-filled phrase you’ve seen in the wild? Let’s roast it.

How I Write an SOP That Actually Helps as a Program Manager at Amazon Most SOPs gather dust. Too long. Too vague. Too disconnected from the real work. At Amazon, a good SOP doesn’t just document a process. It makes the next person’s job easier…immediately. Here’s how I write SOPs that people actually use: 1/ I write it like a checklist, not a policy doc ↳ Clear steps ↳ Clear triggers ↳ No corporate speak Example: I once rewrote a 5-page doc into a 1-pager titled “How to Launch a New Data Feed.” Each step was 1 sentence, each had an owner. Adoption went up overnight. 2/ I start with the “when” and “why,” not just the “how” ↳ Why does this SOP exist? ↳ When should someone follow it? Example: I added a top section: “Use this when onboarding a new team to the dashboard. Purpose: prevent access issues and missed metrics.” That framing reduced questions by half. 3/ I link directly to the tools and templates ↳ No “search the wiki” ↳ Just: click → fill → done Example: Instead of “Use the onboarding tracker,” I write “Fill out this tracker → [link].” That one link removes 3 minutes of confusion. 4/ I include edge cases and common mistakes ↳ “If X happens, do Y” ↳ “Avoid this—it’s where people get stuck” Example: I once added a tip: “If permissions fail at Step 3, ping analytics-infra in Slack.” That one line prevented dozens of Slack threads. 5/ I test it with someone new ↳ If they’re confused, the SOP isn’t done ↳ Feedback closes the loop Example: I had a peer follow my SOP step-by-step, cold. Their questions helped me rewrite 4 sections before publishing. A great SOP doesn’t just live in Confluence. It lives in your team’s day-to-day execution. What’s your #1 tip for writing SOPs that actually get used?

Found a weird 'hack' (I don't like that word...but it works kinda) early in October that I've been trying out and figured I'd share. While auditing a SaaS blog, I noticed their most neglected content type was their support documentation. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal until I dug deeper. Plot twist: That's where their best content ideas were hiding. So here's what most content teams do (myself included) - Chase trending topics - Copy competitor blogs - Pump out thought leadership - Ignore support tickets completely This feels more like writing for your competitors, not your customers. (I mean, look at all the AI think-pieces written in the last 6 months) But here's what I discovered in their support docs: - Real customer language (not the marketing fluff we love) - Actual pain points (not what we think they struggle with) - Specific use cases (not generic industry trends) - Product questions that never make it to content calendars (this was my biggest win tbh) Let me make this super practical: ❌ What I used to write: "The Future of [Industry] in 2024" ✅ What actually works: "[Specific Problem] in [Product]: A Step-by-Step Fix" ❌ My old approach: "10 Industry Trends to Watch" ✅ New approach: "How We Fixed Our Biggest Integration Challenge (And How You Can Too)" Here's the thing about support docs: • They're customer research in disguise. • The ticket queue? A content goldmine. • That boring FAQ page? Your next content strategy hiding in plain sight. I've started spending more time just reading support tickets. (It can get super boring at first, but you'll get used to it) Generated better content ideas than a month of competitor research. Maybe we should start writing more for our customers, and worry less about our competitors.

This strategy took my blogs from page 5 to page 1 (Writing content but not ranking? Read this) When I first started writing SEO content, I had no clue. ↳ I stuffed keywords like my life depended on it ↳ I chased trends instead of solving problems ↳ I focused on word count, not quality None of it worked. My posts got buried. Here’s the ranking framework that changed everything: 1. Intent First 2. E-E-A-T Always 3. Optimise, Then Publish Let me explain 👇 1. Understand Search Intent ↳ Google wants to give users exactly what they're looking for ↳ Know the 4 types: Informational, Navigational, Commercial, Transactional ↳ Match your content format and tone to the searcher's goal ↳ Stop guessing analyze the top 5 results for every keyword 2. Show E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) ↳ Add personal examples or real stories = Experience ↳ Mention credentials or cite expert opinions = Expertise ↳ Build topical authority with interlinked, deep content = Authority ↳ Keep your site fast, mobile-friendly, secure = Trust 3. SEO Polish Before You Publish ↳ Use one main keyword naturally no stuffing ↳ Add semantic keywords (LSI) for context ↳ Write catchy, clear meta titles & descriptions ↳ Use headers, bullet points, and images to improve readability Bonus Tip? ↳ Google ranks helpful content, not robotic text ↳ Write like you’re helping a real human (because you are!) ↳ Focus on value, not just volume SEO content isn't just about writing. It’s about aligning with Google's mission: "Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” —-------------- P.S. Was this helpful

How to Keep Your Reader’s Attention (even if the topic feels ordinary) Ever poured your effort and soul into writing a post, Only to feel like readers aren’t making it to the end? If you're like me at some point you've felt like your words weren't being completely read… What you’re missing are “Seeds of Curiosity.” Here’s how to plant your own Seeds of Curiosity in writing: 1. Employ the Cliffhanger Technique ↳It works like magic to keep readers engaged → End each section with a hint about what’s next. 2. Use Open Loops ↳This bit of suspense keeps readers scrolling → Begin a story, but hold back the ending. 3. Tease with Partial Information ↳This keeps them hooked for the rest → Drop a detail without the full explanation. 4. Ask Thought-Provoking Questions ↳They’ll keep reading to find out more → Questions make readers stop and think. 5. Start with a Curiosity Gap ↳Leave just enough out to spark interest → Give them a hint, not the whole story. Try planting these “seeds” into your next post, email, or article. You’ll notice readers staying with you till the very end. P.S. Hollywood is great at this. What movie have you seen that plants seeds of curiosity?

Most SOPs fail before they even get written Why? Because they’re written for the boss, not the team. A lot of small business owners treat SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) like a rulebook. Long. Rigid. Complicated. But real documentation isn’t about control. It’s about CLARITY. One client came to me after her VA kept missing steps in the onboarding process. She had a Google Doc. It was 7 pages long. No one used it. So we rebuilt it, together. ↳ We started by identifying just the three core workflows she needed help with most. ↳ Then we simplified. ↳ Created a step-by-step checklist for each task. ↳ Added visuals to show exactly how things should look. ↳ Recorded short Loom videos (each under 3 minutes) to walk her VA through the process. The result? ✅ Her VA stopped asking the same questions. ✅ Tasks were completed on time. ✅ She finally stopped waking up to Slack messages at 6 a.m. Here’s the truth most people miss: Good systems don’t live in your head…. They live where your team can find and use them. And when your team has access to simple, repeatable SOPs, they stop waiting, guessing, or spiraling. They just do the work. Struggling to get your team to actually USE the SOPs you’ve created? I created a free guide to help you build simple, streamlined SOPs your team will follow, without extra meetings, micromanagement, or overwhelm. Link is in the comment section below. This is exactly what I help small business owners do: Turn over complicated processes into clear, practical systems that actually get used So your team runs smoother, and you stay focused on growth. #systems #leadership #business #strategy #ProcessImprovement

"Don’t teach so your customers can understand. Teach so they 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥." Early in my career, both in support and in Customer Success, I thought I was doing a great job teaching customers. My instructions were “clear.” My walkthroughs made “sense.” And yet… things still broke down. Tickets got reopened. Tasks didn’t get done. Important steps were skipped. That’s when I learned this simple principle: Clarity isn’t about what you think you said. It’s about what can’t be misheard, misread, or misinterpreted. Here’s how I changed my approach, and how you can too: 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆 Before you teach anything, explain what it’s for. Why does this step matter? What does it unlock? Purpose gives context — and context prevents confusion. 𝟮. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 Say what you’re going to do. Show the customer how to do it. Then summarize what you just did. This tight loop reinforces understanding and makes room for correction in real time. 𝟯. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 Whether it’s a written action item, a how-to guide, or a help center link to give your customer something to reference after the call. Don’t rely on memory. Rely on clarity. Great CSMs aren’t just helpful, they’re unmistakable. Because clarity isn’t just kind, it’s a growth lever. What do you do help improve your teaching with customers? #customersuccess

“I can't wait to curl up with a good SOP tonight.” Said no one, ever. But in pharma, SOPs can mean the difference between life and death. You want a shared truth that serves as the foundation for safe, efficient, and repeatable workflows. So here’s my advice (having helped companies such as Pfizer and GSK with their documentation) on how to craft your SOPs so your team follows them consistently and successfully: 1️⃣ Know Your Cast of Characters 🎭 • Analyze roles: From lab techs to QA managers, everyone's got a part to play • Understand each role's specific needs (A chemist and a compliance officer walk into a lab...) • Consider how different roles will access and use the SOP A one-size-fits-all approach fits no one well in the pharma world. 2️⃣ Keep It Simple, Scientist 📝 • Short sentences are your friends • Active voice is your superpower ("Add reagent," not "Reagent should be added by you, maybe, if you feel like it") • Consistent terms (Pick a word and stick to it. This isn't a thesaurus contest) Nobody wants to decode War and Peace while handling active ingredients. 3️⃣ Format for the Skimmers (i.e., Everyone) 👀 • Embrace white space (it's not wasted space, it's breathing room) • Clear headings are your roadmap • One step, one action (multitasking = multierrors) A well-formatted SOP is less likely to be used as an impromptu pillow. 4️⃣ Picture This: Understanding 🖼️ • Diagrams and flowcharts (Worth a thousand words, especially when those words are "complex procedural steps") • Visuals that clarify, not confuse (no abstract art, please) • Callouts for the "Don't mess this up" bits Sometimes, showing is better than telling (and retelling, and explaining again). 5️⃣ Sections That Make Sense 📋 • Clear, logical sections (Introduction, Prerequisites, Steps, Troubleshooting, "What Not To Do Unless You Want An Exciting Day") • Keep it relevant (Save your weekend plans for the water cooler) • Include only the must-knows A well-organized SOP is like a well-organized lab: Everything has its place, and you can find what you need without a search party. Because in pharma, SOPs aren't just documents. They're the guardrails keeping us from chaos, contamination, and some very awkward conversations with regulators.

When people start reading your post and then scroll off…the LinkedIn algorithm notices. It interprets this disengagement as a sign that your content wasn’t valuable. And downgrades its visibility so fewer people see it. So your goal is: Write posts people can’t stop reading. Here are 4 tips to make your content easy to finish. _____ //1 Start with short content. Long-form content (>2000 characters) *can* work. In fact, it can be some of the most engaging, authority-building, and lead-generating content out there. But it takes a lot of practice and nuance to hit the mark. If you’re starting out, my advice: Master short-form first. Practice writing posts where every sentence flows to the next. Where the visual structure is appealing and engaging. And where every word feels impactful. Then you can take those skills and expand. //2 Make it vivid with specificity. Infuse your post with details that take all your insights, facts, and figures… … And make them feel personally engaging and palpable. It’s a classic trick — Show, don’t tell. For example: “I got great results from a post last week.” Versus: “50+ comments from industry icons. 12 new leads. I was so happy I high-fived my cat.” The second example is more gripping *and* more informative. And it lets you feel the results yourself— That builds trust and connection. //3 Use strategic, spacious formatting. You’ve likely already heard the advice, “The more white space, the better.” But there are lots of tools you can leverage for strategic formatting. One approach: - Take any list - Or long sentence - And break it into three bullet points Another approach: Break long sentences in half. Then use connector words to keep the post flowing naturally. (Like I did with this one.) Some connector word examples: - Then - And - But - Or When in doubt: Read through your post. If you find your eyes skipping forward, break to a new line (as makes sense). //4 Simplify. Then simplify more. Most of us have been taught to extend our thoughts into elongated narrations; prose that knows no end; sentences that go on long, winding paths that challenge our analytic abilities. But you know where else those paths lead: The attention graveyard. Case and point → That entire first sentence could have been 7 words. “We’re taught to write detailed, complex sentences.” In your first draft, don’t edit yourself. Let it flow. Then: - Consider the core message you want to communicate. - Read your content aloud and cut anything that doesn’t add to it. - Experiment to see how much you can cut while still getting your point across. You can always add more storytelling back in later. ___ Try these tips out. And please, if you’re putting in consistent work and struggling to see results, be patient with yourself. Writing for LinkedIn is harder than people think. It’s a learning journey—one that we’re all on together.