You have written quite a number of articles and blogs in your website. To further expand your presence in the internet, you posted your work in the social media but it seems no one is reading any of your articles or blogs. Without an audience to give comments on your work, it is really difficult to know the reason for this discouraging result of your blogging efforts.
Studies show that so much the otherwise productive hours are wasted merely because of misunderstanding and communication problems. It is rather amazing to note that many intelligent individuals find it difficult to communicate their thoughts and ideas to others. This is true even among college students and degree holders. Many of them can hardly compose or speak in a way that effectively reaches their readers or listeners.
It is clear then that productivity is very closely associated with good communication skill. This is more evident in professions whose success depends much on communication such as writing and blogging.
Therefore, the first step a writer or blogger should focus on is to learn the skill of effective communication. This will help him increase his productivity.
Here are some tips on how to master this skill:
Use simple and short sentences. Unless you are preparing for an oratorical contest where high sounding words and dramatic delivery make the grade, simplicity is the best option to take in writing articles or blogs that sell. Steer away from long, complicated words that blur the meaning of a sentence. Your article’s primary aim is to be clearly understood from the first reading. All vague phrases or run-on sentences should be eliminated.
Short sentences are preferred over long compound or complex ones with multiple clauses. Avoid highly technical words unless you are writing a report intended for technical professionals. Use of corporate jargons, impressive foreign phrases, or slang words will just confuse readers. For the purpose of looking for simpler synonyms for complicated terms, the Thesaurus is your best reference.
Finally, make sure that your punctuation marks are properly placed in your sentences. These tiny characters can considerably change the meaning of a phrase or a sentence.
Take time to edit your work. A glaring grammatical or topographical slip can ruin your entire composition and may turn off your audience. No one wants to deal with a sloppy or careless writer or blogger. Read and re-read your article alone and with another person. Sometimes, it takes an outsider to spot the errors you missed. Before publishing your work, let a day past and review your work with a refreshed mind a final time before letting go of it.
Make a written record of your communication. Do not rely on your memory for your conversations since misquoting them later may cause considerable problems. The accuracy of your work will boost your credibility and gain the trust of your readers. Keeping a recorder handy is a wise move.
Criticize to improve. Always opt for constructive comments with the aim of improving a situation or a project. Criticizing to put down or embarrass people is counter-productive. Instead of winning the respect and goodwill of your co-workers, you earn their ire and promote animosity among the group. Instead of cooperation from them, your project may even be sabotaged.
If pointing out the mistake is inevitable, using considerate words of admonitions delivered calmly will deliver the message without ill-feeling to all concerned. In admonishing, give clear instructions so as not to cause any misunderstanding or confusion.
Use the right word. Listed below are some words that commonly cause confusion:
Accept, Except / Affect, Effect / Allusion, Illusion / Capital, Capitol / Climactic, Climatic / Elicit, Illicit / Emigrate from, Immigrate to / Principle, Principal / Than, Then / There, Their, They’re / To, Too, Two / Your, You’re / Lie, Lay / Set, Sit / Who, Which, That
The primary purpose of communicating is to convey to others your thoughts and ideas. You can only achieve this goal if your readers or listeners are able to clearly understand your message. With the help of the above tips and your sincere effort to become a very good communicator, your writing and blogging activities will soon result to improved productivity