Why Do Entrepreneurs Need To Learn Writing?

What does it take to become a successful entrepreneur? Leadership qualities, organizational skills, discipline, and outstanding time management skills, right? 

I’m aware it’s a long list. 

The good news is having all these qualities might make you a “shark” entrepreneur. 

The bad news is that many organizations become isolated from their brands in this pursuit. Either their strategies don’t work, or mental health takes a toll on them. The audience doesn’t feel attached to the brand messages. And as a result, the company loses its grip on the customers.

In ideal circumstances, what should such entrepreneurs do? 

Yes, the beloved buzzword for all entrepreneurs. Outsourcing.

So, they delegate their internal departments to carry out all the functions or outsource it to different firms and agencies. And it’s highly advisable. Isn’t there something they could do a little more of here?

Because no matter how much you outsource, the messaging part is still not ironed out. And quite frankly, the audience still doesn’t feel attached. It’s like a downward spiral to an inevitable halt in the business. 

You might argue that the external agencies align themselves with your objectives to impart a well-optimized message for the audience, but something is still missing. 

Take a wild guess here. 

Let me explain with an example. Recently, Facebook launched a newsletter platform called Bulletin to help the writers publish free articles and share them across social networks. And imagine who hosted this show. Yes, Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief executive officer at Facebook.Article Sponsored Find something for everyone in our collection of colourful, bright and stylish socks. Buy individually or in bundles to add color to your sock drawer! 

Several blogs and articles were written on this particular subject before, but despite that, everybody tuned in just to hear what Mark had to say about it. Why? 

Because they wanted to hear something that resonated at a human level, and that’s how the show gained its audience. 

Don’t you think the personal connection just got amplified to another level with Mark’s presence? If he was not present, would the show get the same traction? Probably not.

That’s what I was talking about. Personal connection. 

Similar to how Mark projected his interest through speech, words can have the same impact as well. You might say writing takes a lot of time. Why would any businessman invest his time staring out the window in search of words? 

But writing is not that time taking. You just have to figure out what you have to say, and words will flow like a river. 

But I know you’re probably sneering at this reasoning right now. So, I thought, why not paint a complete picture into a listicle to help you get a whole idea. 

Let’s get into all of them one by one: 

1. Writing Improves Storytelling Skills

Imagine teaching your grandma about all the technical aspects of your business. 

Will you talk to her using all the industry jargon? Or use simple words to help her understand?

Here’s what you’ll do:

You’ll craft a story that is relatable to her. Then you’ll frame the story into different layers. Finally, explain each layer separately in simple language. That’s precisely what you do when you’re writing. Consider your audience as your grandma and tell them a relevant story. 

So to put it very simply. Writing helps you communicate better with the audience. 

2. Writing Makes You Human!

There is no denying that we are living in an AI-driven society. Everything from shopping to writing is automated. In today’s world, people are busy all the time. So they want to get done with things quickly. There are AI tools that help you with generating ideas, building outlines, and crafting headlines. In fact, you get a full-fledged article at the cost of one click. 

It seems so robotic, doesn’t it? Where’s the human element, the emotions? Something that makes us who we are. I want you to tell me something truthful. 

Do you think AI can replace the value of the human element in writing? – tell me what you think in the comments. I’d appreciate some insights here.

Let’s talk about the business side of writing (like a human).

Without showing your vulnerabilities, behind-the-scenes footage, and the nitty-gritty of what goes on inside your company, you can’t expect to gain the audience’s trust. When you share your experience, people connect to it on a human level. And this is what writing brings you- human connections. 

As an entrepreneur, you must know the value of building relationships with people. You shouldn’t just think of them as numbers or customers. They are humans. They don’t need robots to tell them the stories; they need you.

3. Writing Helps You Get Out Of The “Expert Curse.”

Even though it seems paradoxical, it is true. A great deal of effort goes into positioning yourself as an expert. It’s a challenge for many. People think they need years of experience to write like an expert. But is that true? Do you need a Ph.D. degree or 30 years of experience to write about your business? 

No, You don’t. 

What’s the reason behind all these doubts? It’s because entrepreneurs find it tough to replace their thoughts with words. It may be a cakewalk for them to talk to people, but they come up short when it comes to writing. They believe that there are already successful entrepreneurs who preach the same type of advice to everyone. So, why would anyone care about them? 

They feel like imposters at that moment. The truth is, everyone has been an impostor at some point. The only difference between you and those who have overcome this mindset is their courage. They understood their responsibility to contribute to the map of human languages while you got stuck figuring out the “expert curse.” 

The point is you need to be fearless. When you share ideas in public, you honor the people with knowledge. It becomes easy once you realize that you don’t need to be the best to impart this knowledge. People tend to relate better with beginners than experts. Beginners simplify the teaching process in layman’s terms, and people love it. 

Trust me. It’s just a matter of starting out. Once you start writing, you’ll understand that people don’t need classified knowledge. They just want a sense of belonging to what you’re talking about. 

So, don’t let the fear of being an expert hold you back from writing. Just start, and you will find out that it didn’t matter in the first place.

4. Writing Makes You More Familiar With Your Brand

You need to make your brand’s message clear. That’s no surprise, and entrepreneurs are the closest to their company. This means that they already know the company’s objectives, message, tone, and voice well. It’s just a matter of putting these perspectives on paper. 

Let’s take an example. You are set to release a new product. And you need to craft a newsletter to spread the message. Since this is your giant leap, you want this to go perfectly. So, you delegate your best employee to write that perfect newsletter. The newsletter eventually goes out. 

After a week or two, when you checked in on the analytics, you found out that the subscribers mainly were from your own company- Your coworkers, their colleagues, friends who knew you or your company? No new customers. 

Is that what you wanted? No right.

You expected a flurry of fresh customers to visit your website and ask questions about the new product launch, but nothing happened.

Why?

To figure out, you’d have to think back to the day when you gave the task to your perfect employee instead of yourself. So what did your employee miss out on? 

Analyzing it closely, you found out that the newsletter actually lacked the brand voice. It lacked a relevant story and instead focused on debating the unique features of your product. 

Sadly, it was something people were least interested in. They wanted to know how this product would solve their problem and not some sales pitch. 

Now imagine what would happen if you had written it. You know the company’s brand voice by heart. You could have made it more interactive with the perfect hook, a well-constructed headline, and a strong CTA. As a result, Thousands of visitors would have flocked to the website, resulting in a great sale. 

So, please get down to writing. You already know your brand. You just have to let people know about it. 

5. Writing Helps You Understand Your Customers Better

Writing requires you to be aware of what your audience needs. You need to be wary of what works for the audience, what would they like to read, and how often would they want to read your content? 

The first step is to analyze your current marketing strategies. You’ll have to measure the insights, read customer reviews, success stories, and do extensive competitive Research. This is called brainstorming. By knowing what your customers want and need, you can better serve them. 

As an entrepreneur, when you start writing, you will realize what changes you need in order to optimize your content marketing strategies for the target audience.

6. Research Helps You Understand Your Industry Better

The reality is that you can’t spell out your life story in a blog post. People don’t care about it. A story alone will not be enough to capture their attention.

In other words, you need to mix it up with relevant facts and figures, images, quotes, testimonials, and industry news. Authentic content doesn’t necessarily have to be text-based. 

Now, to collect all these materials, you’ll need a lot of digging. You will also need to understand the timeline, the workflow, and the latest developments related to your industry. That’s how Research helps you create a compelling story – a roller coaster full of buildup, conflict, and final solution. 

And who knows, while doing all this research, you may find that secret code required to push your business through the sky.

7.Writing Helps You Articulate Your Ideas

What exactly does articulation mean? It is an act of expressing your thoughts clearly. 

When you sit down to write, you realize that you need words, appropriate phrases, and short sentences to convey your ideas properly. Despite what some might think, writing isn’t just a form of expression. It’s chaos that needs clarity and a familiar pattern. 

The business world needs thought leaders who can communicate ideas plainly, both verbally and in writing. However, there is a big difference between expressing your thoughts and later turning them into words. Unlike speaking, where an individual’s thoughts flow effortlessly, writing tends to be disjointed if not articulated. 

This is one of the reasons why entrepreneurs avoid writing. The practice and time it takes to articulate are simply too much for them. As a result, entrepreneurs are too cautious about showing their work. This leads them into a vicious loop of self-doubt. 

But here’s the good news. What if I told you that you already possess the tools! 

You know how to converse with people. You just need to learn how to speak with people through words.

1. Pick a niche, research your audience’s pain points and start writing as the reader’s friend. Try to present your thoughts in a step-by-step fashion using listicles. 
2. Focus on expanding your vocabulary. Use words that describe emotions like amazing, incredible, terrible, awful, and many more. 
3. Try expanding your reading habits. Read fiction if you read fantasies. 
4. Dedicate some time to watching spoken word performances. You will understand how artists use words and expressions to dramatize their pieces. 
5. Write like you speak. 

8. Writing Helps You Expand Your Influence

The Internet is a rewarding platform. Whenever you put up your thoughts, they’re likely to be shared by a lot of people. As long as you give them what they’re looking for, your influence grows. 

However, there’s another side to the story. A good piece of writing doesn’t necessarily translate to influence. The strength of your influence depends solely on how much you care about the audience, regardless of your vocabulary or how well you use those emotive words. Though you may think all of your marketing strategies work, you still hear crickets on your posts. 

So, what’s missing here?

An example would help me illustrate this point better. 

Think about Facebook. How have they influenced so many people on a global scale? 

By providing the right solutions to the right people, correct? 

Facebook brought the world together by bridging the communication gap. They understood the problem of connectivity and then took the responsibility of reaching out to the farthest corners of the world. The audience felt the care Facebook had for them.

And that’s how they grew their influence. It wasn’t just the result of smooth marketing strategies. The brand also had a personality. They knew how to treat their people well. 

Similarly, your writing has to bridge those gaps. Communication alone won’t suffice. Fancy vocabulary won’t help either. 

What you’ll need is a blend of both. You’d have to be accountable for whatever you write, speak or sell. Unless your priorities don’t mingle with the overall objective of your brand, you can’t influence people. 

So, always try to write with a clear objective of advocating your brand. Not you, not your colleagues. But your brand. That’s how you’ll become a thought leader. And hence, a successful businessman. 

Writing Is Therapeutic!

As an entrepreneur, it’s natural to be flooded with responsibilities. You already have to administer your business, manage your employees, network with potential partners, and employ risk management skills. Under the bedrock of all these responsibilities, writing skills are bound to take the back seat. 

We live in an ultra-competitive world. It might be challenging to cope with all the work, day in and day out. This is where writing can help you. 

A good piece of writing can improve your business, but that’s not all it’s about. It’s also about mental peace. Writing helps you declutter your mind and organize your thoughts. No matter who you are: an entrepreneur, a home decor artist, a dentist, or a teacher. Writing is for all. The key is to be brave enough and just begin. 

I’ve heard writing quotes are impactful. They’re a peculiar way of shaming writers into writing. 

So, I’d leave you with one of Hemmingway’s here: