Author: Michelle Troutman

For more than ten years, Michelle Troutman has crafted attention-getting newsletters and other content for service providers. She has spent a decade creating standout e-newsletters for law and economic development firms. Her marketing and business administration background and education enhance clear and persuasive copy. Through features in publications like "Attorney at Work" and "Law Fuel," and her e-newsletter and YouTube channel, she inspires professionals to create engaging content. She enjoys helping businesses who serve others reach the right clients.
engaging, engaging content, writing advice

5 Tips for Creating Engaging Content

Among the many tips for creating engaging content is to balance showing your personality and expertise with your readers’ interests.

An example of how to make your content more engaging: A man with a beard wearing a white t-shirt and lanyard presents to a group in what appears to be a casual office space. He's pointing a hand to his left as people in the foreground look on.

Does that make you not just a writer, but a performer? Yes, because quality content doesn’t just inform — it persuades and entertains.

Present your information in a way that keeps readers hooked. As the curtain rises, choose words that reflect your branding and speak to your readers; knowing who you are enhances your authenticity and relatability.

Write with style: add facts to stories or humor or rhyme to make readers smile and key points stick.

So, before you grab the top hat and cane, consider:

  • How will I warm up the crowd?
  • How will I take the stage on the page?

Based on marketing, audience, and behavioral psychology research, here’s how to create engaging content.

How to Make Your Content More Engaging

1. Address your audience – Google/Greenberg research shows six in ten people expect brands to personalize their experiences based on their preferences.

Picture your reader struggling with a problem. How do they feel? What’s their next step? Show the solutions.

Research your audience and their interests:

  • Internally: Which topics and writing styles keep them engaged?
  • Externally: Where do they spend time? What do they “like,” comment on, or share?

The answers clue you in to how they think and feel — the core parts of building a connection with them.

It’s part of that buzzword “personalization”: writing to your reader (even if you don’t call them “Jane” or “John,” but “you”).

Detailed personas aren’t always necessary, either. But they can guide you to find wording your readers will respond to. A call to action then sparks the conversation.

2. Show, don’t tell – Studies show storytelling increases trust and empathy and makes information 22 times more memorable. It can also shape how your audience feels about your brand, stirring their emotions enough to inspire them to act.

Bring ideas to life through vivid details:

  • Share anecdotes that showcase your expertise.
  • Move your audience through making them the hero of your story. Show how you guide them to overcome challenges via relatable characters, conflicts, and resolution.
  • Use examples, especially to simplify complex concepts.
  • Ask your customers to share their stories, testimonials, or visuals about how your product or service helped them.
  • Social proof: use real numbers to reveal how many people bought, subscribed, or asked — preferably those that support your statements. If you can’t show specifics, phrases like “our most popular widget” can still boost your credibility.

Examples are one of my favorite ways to show concepts. I’m still refining my “story-sharing” style. Like others, I’ve mistakenly cast myself as the star in my readers’ story. Depending on the topic, story-sharing comes more naturally to me in personal writing than for business.

David Deutsch’s approach looks at ways to bring people into your copy and share their stories, which eases the process.

You don’t have to follow the crowd. If “story-sharing” isn’t one of your strengths, consider other methods that play to them and distinguish you yet suit your brand.

One of the tips for creating engaging content: a side-by-side comparison infographic with "Before" and "After" headings, showing low and high engagement through charts and graphs.

3. Use images strategically – A Skyword study found that content with relevant visuals attracts nearly ten times more views than content without them.

Add a chart that shows your results, like a before-and-after comparison. A compelling infographic or a behind-the-scenes video can also enliven a dry topic.

More examples:

  • Videos
  • Memes
  • Photos or illustrations

Photos and video are reportedly the most effective, especially images that don’t look staged or reinforce clichés (unless you’re making a statement).

Example: The Touristy newsletter mixes snarky takes on current news with fun memes and animations.

Your results might vary — and algorithms could skew them — but in my experience, organic social media posts with relevant images gain more interest. (I don’t scale them to each platform’s recommended sizes.)

Video offers a more in-depth view, bringing the faces behind the screen into the spotlight.

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” All kinds of visuals can communicate more effectively than writing alone.

4. Make your content useful – Content Marketing Institute research shows practical, actionable content boosts trust and engagement.

  • Guide readers with step-by-step instructions to solve their problem (through words or imagery)
  • Provide relevant tips, tools, or templates to help them take the next step
  • Add something unique like an insight you gleaned from your experience, even if it goes against the grain

5. Be consistent – Forbes reports that one of their clients who posted blogs every Thursday over six months saw new visits rise nine-fold.

Consistency can also mean using a familiar format (like this listicle) or keeping an idea file for inspiration and motivation.

Time your posts to the ideals for each platform:

  • Social media: daily or every few days
  • Blogs or newsletters: weekly, biweekly, or monthly; quarterly can be more forgettable, which is why in our age of disposability, print editions stand out

Think of your writing as a performance — one that keeps your readers on the edge of their seats. Stick with it and they’ll come back for more.

Learn how to create content that connects with clients who value and respect you and your business

get my checklist — START creatING content that reaches the right clients

Which of these tips for creating engaging content will you use in your next piece? Share your thoughts — or your most engaging stories — in the comments!

Quotes

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” ~ Leo Burnett

“Your content is not about you; it’s about your audience.” ~ Dan Knowlton

content quality, writing advice

Is This Good Quality Content? 5 Key Factors

After you’ve written something for the web, you might wonder, “Is this good quality content?”

No universal definition exists, but experts agree on certain standards. Essentially, quality content meets your audience’s needs and supports your business goals.

A black cat stares at a person typing at a computer, touching their arm with one of its while lying on a desk next to a computer monitor and keyboard.

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines “quality” as a standard that measures how good or bad something is. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary overviews the different meanings of the term, its origin, and usage (with examples).

The word “quality” alone, without adjectives or qualifiers like “good” or “low,” implies excellence. That’s not a strict rule, but a style guideline I prefer.

So what does “quality content” mean, and why does it matter?

How Major Marketing Experts Define Quality Content

  • Active Campaign: “…the depth of information and insight contained within a piece of content. Content quality goes beyond information to include formatting, readability, and grammatical correctness.”
  • SEMRush: “Quality content typically refers to content that is useful, accurate, reliable, and relevant to its intended audience.” The article with the quote explains how content quality affects SEO, with examples​. It’s also a model for quality content.
  • Ann Handley (“Everybody Writes”): “Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience.”

But even if a piece meets this criteria, does it “sing” to your readers? The subject matter and how you present it affects whether readers connect with it — and whether it helps you reach your goals. Beyond algorithms, the factors below can keep your audience reading and returning.

5 Ways to Answer “Is This Good Quality Content?”

1. Well-written – Quality content lacks spelling, punctuation, grammar, and factual errors.

Beyond that, consider the depth and accuracy of your information. As part of Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, authoritativeness and trustworthiness — through your experience and expertise — play major roles. Adding research from reliable sources also enhances your credibility and search rankings.

And if you seek to rank, tabloid-style content that intends to shock readers and gain clicks has no place here.

2. Cohesive – Quality content suits your brand’s tone, voice, and strategy, reinforcing and projecting your identity. For the most part, brands with consistent messaging, like Apple or Nike, publish content that aligns well with their images.

  • Apple’s content reflects innovation and sophistication
  • Nike’s inspires empowerment and athleticism

This consistency bolsters their brand values and their connections with their audiences.

3. Readability – Quality content communicates your core message clearly throughout the text and the design; it’s legible on desktop and mobile devices and meets accessibility standards for the visually and cognitively impaired.

If your content is harder to follow than an IKEA bedroom set assembly manual, it’s time for a redesign. Present the information in a clean, organized way. Bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs enhance scanning.

Readability tools: The Hemingway App provides scores based on Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, or SMOG standards. They also advise on how to improve grammar, sentence structure, and word choice.

Website Copy Example:

Before: “Here at our store, we offer great customer service, helpful product reviews, and all the info you need to make an informed decision about your purchase.”

Issues:

  • Dense, hard-to-scan text
  • Needless words
  • Lack of clear structure, especially for mobile devices

After:

Why Shop With Us?

✅ Customer Service: Ready to help 24/7.
✅ Product Reviews: Honest feedback.
✅ Detailed Advice: The essentials to guide your choice.

Improvements:

  • Clear headers and bullet points for scanning
  • Fewer words
  • More mobile-friendly and accessible

4. Utility – Quality content provides enough information to help your audience achieve their goals. In a broader sense, it’s actionable.

It answers the question, “Is it worth reading”? In marketing terms, “Does it add value?” Would you send it to a friend? It doesn’t have to be entirely original or innovative, but should offer fresh takes.

And must a blog be 3,500 words? Google’s helpful content guidelines suggest length doesn’t matter. Your content should mainly satisfy search intent and be useful. Think “informative guide,” not “never-ending lecture.”

Content audits: They help you see if your information connects with your audience. For instance, high bounce rates on your service pages might mean visitors don’t find what they expect.

Measure engagement through:

  • Heat maps (they show where people look)
  • Bounce rates and dwell time
  • Subscribe/unsubscribe rates
  • Click-throughs (as applied to emails, given the potential influence of bots and automation, open rates aren’t always reliable)
  • “Likes” or shares
  • Impressions

Tools like Google Analytics and social media metrics help you track and assess your content’s effectiveness.

Audit tip: Look at your last blog post or newsletter. Did people click through? Did they stay long enough to read your key points? To audit your content quickly to see if it reaches the right clients, get my free checklist.

5. Serve Readers – If applicable, beyond search ranking methods, seek to serve your audience.

Google’s quality raters use E-E-A-T guidelines to assess web content. Among their content guidelines, Google suggests you answer certain questions to determine content quality and minimize a “search engine first” focus.

Relevance (and empathy) also influences quality content through answering readers’ questions or addressing their problems. In SEO terms, this is known as “search intent.” Search engines now serve as a jumping-off point.

For faster insights, users are turning to generative AI. ChatGPT claims to consider search rankings, relevance, clarity, and users’ needs to deliver helpful answers.

Still in its infancy, AI answers are more like a stop before you reach your destination. Though it can provide quick answers, it’s a tool. Your expertise and creativity make your content memorable — and irreplaceable.

Don’t just chase algorithms. Focus on your readers, who will remember if your content helped them.

In future articles, I’ll explore some of these topics further.

Quality content isn’t one-size-fits-all. To assess if you’re creating quality content, consider whether it serves your audience and your business goals. Every piece should:

  • Build trust
  • Be useful
  • Foster an experience your audience will value and appreciate

Learn how to create content that connects with clients who value and respect you and your business

get my checklist — START creatING content that reaches the right clients

What do you think makes for quality content? Please share in the comments.

Quotes

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” ~ Andrew Davis

“Content is anything that adds value to the reader’s life.” ~ Avinash Kaushik

writing advice, writing with empathy

5 Steps to Assertive Business Communication With Confidence

Assertive business communication relies on an assertive tone in writing to ensure your message lands. Because like snowflakes, your words can either float away or make a lasting impact. But what is assertion in writing, and how does it affect professional interactions?

A woman walking on a snowy mountain top; from a distance, her feet have left deep imprints in the snow.

Earlier in my career, I leaned on words like “can” or “might,” which sound unsure. I also apologized for things that weren’t my fault, often to soften the blow for something I couldn’t do.

It was like HAL9000’s line in “2001: A Space Odyssey” when he refused to open the pod bay doors: “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” It comes across as passive-aggressive because HAL doesn’t explain until Dave prods him.

Like HAL’s cryptic refusal, vague writing leaves your reader wondering what you mean.

The business world respects clarity and directness. Assertive business communication builds trust, clarifies your intent, and supports collaboration; it lifts you and your reader up without putting anyone down. Whether in emails, memos, or marketing calls to action, it suits a variety of texts and contexts.

If you’re not used to practicing an assertive tone in writing, it might feel awkward initially, especially if you tend to avoid conflict. But communicating clearly and respectfully shows others where you stand — it’s a gift to yourself and others.

5 Ways to Practice an Assertive Tone in Writing to Leave a Lasting Impact

1. Style – Assertive business communication considers your word choices and structure. Aim for clarity, conciseness, and directness. Prefer “I” statements and active verbs to “waffle words” (“I think/believe/hope,” “might/maybe/perhaps,” etc.) to express yourself confidently.

  • Weak: I hope to send the report soon.
  • Assertive: I’ll send the report this Friday.

How you format your responses online also affects whether you project an assertive tone in writing. For example, set clear expectations and avoid emojis or slang that could undermine your professionalism. Tailor responses to different platforms:

  • Email: Use clear subject lines, concise openings, structured paragraphs, and “next steps” or calls to action.
  • Instant Messaging: Be direct but brief, and use threads to organize conversations.

2. Tone – Show respect or consideration for others and their views; reflect that through being open to feedback without blaming or criticizing.

  • Negative: I can’t finish the report today.
  • Positive: I’ll finish the report before 5:00 pm tomorrow. Does that work for you?

Avoid overusing apologies or the passive voice.

When appropriate, consider cultural sensitivities in your correspondence, too. Americans tend to be more direct than other cultures.

Rewrite a passive email or memo to be more assertive and reflect on the changes. Generative AI can review your tone, but it sometimes prefers politeness to directness. Find wording that balances both.

3. Problem-Solving – Handle conflicts directly and constructively through suggesting solutions that address needs or concerns. Encourage collaboration to reach a resolution.

  • Example 1: I understand we see things differently; let’s explore a compromise.
  • Example 2: I understand the deadline was hard to meet. Let’s discuss how we can prioritize tasks to stay on track.

Assertiveness in business communication is about respect, not confrontation. Use neutral or positive language to avoid blame or negativity and set boundaries. Stick to the facts without attacks.

  • Polite, but passive: I’m following up on my prior message. No worries if you’re busy. Hope you’re doing well.
  • Assertive and polite (and suggests compromise): I’m following up on my prior message. If it’s a busy time, that’s understandable. But I’d appreciate finding a way to communicate more consistently. Would you be open to scheduling a meeting?

If tensions could rise, to prevent misunderstandings, consider speaking rather than writing.

4. Precision – Prefer concrete to vague terms. Avoid jargon or industry-specific words that could confuse your audience. Instead, use plain language to ensure clarity.

State your expectations clearly to avoid confusion while you set boundaries and requirements. Precision removes room for interpretation.

  • Vague: If you could send the files when it’s possible, that would be great.
  • Precise: Please send the files before Tuesday. Thanks.

Break down complex requests into manageable parts.

Example: To finalize the presentation, please confirm your edits to slides 4 and 7 by 5 pm.

5. Purpose – Writing with intention means every word serves a goal through:

  • Subject lines that communicate the purpose behind your message.
  • Using every word to guide the reader toward the next step. For a compelling call to action, add clear benefits to frame your message around your reader’s needs.

Example: Instead of “Please confirm the meeting time,” say, “Confirming the meeting time ensures we’re prepared to move forward.”

Assertive communication in business isn’t just about getting results — it’s about being direct with respect for yourself and others. Understanding what assertion is in writing helps you make statements that remove doubts about their meaning. When you perfect an assertive tone in writing, your words not only stick like snowflakes, they foster trust and collaboration.

Start small: revise one email today to reflect assertiveness. See how a more precise and purposeful approach improves your writing and your professional relationships.

Discover how to reach clients who value and respect you and your business

get my checklist to create content to reach the right clients

How are you assertive in your business communication? Please share in the comments.

Quotes

“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” ~ Alexander Hamilton

“To be passive is to let others decide for you. To be aggressive is to decide for others. To be assertive is to decide for yourself. And to trust that there is enough, that you are enough.” ~ Edith Eva Eger, “The Choice: Embrace the Possible”

newsletter writing, newsletters, writing a newsletter, writing advice

5 Steps to Write a Business Newsletter Readers Will Remember

A hand holding a smartphone with a large "newsletter" envelope icon on the screen below smaller icons.

The “news” part of the word “newsletter” implies they bring timely updates for fresh and hopefully, interesting content. But how do you write an engaging one?

My writing and e-newsletter creation processes keep evolving, but I’ve found an easy formula. If you want to write a business newsletter, check my simple steps below.

And for more in-depth advice on this and other parts of e-newsletter creation, read How to Write a Business Newsletter: Examples, Format, and Strategy.

In this series of five videos, see how to write your emails to boost your results.

1. Just jot – Whether you put pen to paper, type in plain text, in the template, or a document, don’t judge, and don’t edit, especially while you’re crafting. Swat that inner critic away until you’re done.

But follow the 5 Cs of Professional Business Writing.

You don’t always have to write from scratch, either. If you curate content from other sources like articles or a lead magnet (a landing page, blog, etc.), it’s often easier to copy and paste into your newsletter template.

Other writing notes:

  • E-newsletter archives or blogs: To optimize them for search, consider adding SEO keywords to:
    • your headers
    • meta description
    • page URL
    • body copy
  • Remember scannability: Bullet points effectively break up the text. A single-column format can look appealing, however, to reduce scrolling, consider splitting longer text into two columns.
  • Formatting: Follow AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) or the inverted pyramid style of journalism, with the most important information at the top.

2. Describe hyperlinks, alt-text, and photos – The classic command “click here” is easy to write, but can be clearer. Outside of calls to action, challenge yourself to write hyperlink text that describes where you’ll take readers. It can also improve accessibility, enhancing understanding for people with visual and cognitive impairments (and their screen readers).

Example: Explore more tax savings plans.

While drafting alt-text descriptions for images, avoid phrases like “image of” or “picture of.” Prefer a clear statement that shows readers the content. See 5 Ways to Write for Accessibility and Readability.

Photo captions should give just the facts: the names of people (with their titles), places, or things shown.

3. Calls to action – CTAs persuade readers to act, often to click a link at the end of the text, though they can emerge earlier.

I’ve crafted CTAs that stress a benefit and urgency to emphasize what readers will get. But as Nancy Harhut says, that advice is old hat. Instead, be more specific through action verbs and clear benefits.

Example: Learn More (old way) vs. See How it Works (new, improved way)

To consider the benefit, ask three essential questions:

  • What’s the reader’s pain point?
  • What’s the immediate benefit?
  • How can I make it specific and tangible?

4. Headlines – When I started Five-Minute Business Writing Tips, I’d write the headline first. But as I’ve learned, when you write a business newsletter, to capture the core message, it’s better to wait until you’ve finished a draft.

If you’re stuck, test common lead-generating formulas. Analyzers from Sharethrough or the Advanced Marketing Institute offer insights into attention-getting styles. Numbers, the 4Us, and “how to” are among my favorite approaches.

AI can spark ideas you can polish into catchier and more creative subject lines.

Strive for clarity, specificity, and attraction. Seek to hook honestly, not through “salesy” or misleading clickbait.

5. Preview text – Consider it the expansion or “other half” of a headline. Preview text summarizes your email content while it adds context and intrigue. Tease it without giving away too many details.

You may recycle another subject line you rejected here. Like the main attractor, aim to turn heads. If you have a newsletter/blog, like I do, you may reuse or rework the web page meta description into the preview text.

Discover how to reach clients who value and respect you and your business

get my checklist to create content to reach the right clients

What are some of your favorite newsletter writing techniques? Please share in the comments.

Quotes

“The best newsletters feel like they’re written by a human, not a corporation.” ~ David Ogilvy

“A newsletter is a conversation, not a lecture. Make it personal and authentic.” ~ Chris Brogan

business writing, writing advice

The 5 Cs of Professional Business Writing

A hand highlighting passages in an open book with a large yellow highlighter, a good way to focus on where to improve for more professional business writing.

Is your business writing professional — does it stand out or fade into the background, failing to reach your readers? If not, it might be time for a refresh.

I’ve done that. Especially since the advent of AI and its generic phrasing, I felt my writing was wordy and lacked luster. So, I’ve been sharpening my writing pencil ever since. Editing tools have helped me polish my phrasing. I’ve also chiseled away at my weaknesses.

Refreshing my writing has helped me boost my subscriber base and gain more work. It can help you keep readers hooked and ultimately, attract customers.

So, let’s brush up on the basics. Ready to stifle the yawns and add some “oomph” to your writing? See these effective business writing examples.

Watch these five videos on the 5 Cs to learn effective professional writing: how to make it easy to understand, engaging, and error-free — sharpen your skills and make every word count.

1. Clear – Vague copy is as foggy as a smudged windowpane; professional business writing shows a clean view of every detail. It contains the information essential to readers.

Suppose you’re emailing colleagues about a deadline update. Instead of saying “The deadline has been changed,” be more direct and specific:

Example: We’ve moved the deadline for the earnings report to next Friday, March 1st, at 5 pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time).

One way to assess clarity is to check the readability level. This metric corresponds to grade-school levels, increasing with longer words and sentences, To address the average reader, some grammar experts suggest you write at a sixth-grade level.

Measure it with:

2. Concise – Give only the information a reader needs to know. Trim the fat. To stay concise, be precise.

Essentially, slice away passages that detract from the meaning of the work, are vague, or repeat similar information. Write in plain English — like you speak — free of jargon. Compare these two sentences:

Example: In order to process your order, we need more information.
Revised: To process your order, we need your shipping address.

Strunk and White: “The Elements of Style”: Every word or sentence doesn’t have to be short, but every word must “tell.”

3. Correct – Accurate and professional business writing:

  • Meets basic grammar rules
  • Contains proper spelling and punctuation
  • Is fact-based

Beyond that, views on style vary. Depending on the style you prefer, you may format words or punctuation differently.

Example: The term “health care”: some organizations don’t place a space between the words (“healthcare”).

Minor differences like these can shift meaning and clarity in your writing.

Regarding facts, generative AI can “hallucinate,” or make up information and sources. Imagine the trust you lose when someone discovers your statistics are backed by thin air. Whether or not you use AI, verify any data — ensure every fact and figure is correct and credible.

4. Courteous – Friendly writing feels like a warm handshake, setting a polite tone. Whether you’re rejecting an idea or confirming a meeting, aim to reflect respect and professionalism. Avoid slang.

Example:

“Dear Tyler,

Thank you for meeting with me yesterday to discuss the Tech5000 project. I enjoyed learning more about your vision and goals.”

When your writing reads like a conversation, it’s more likely to connect with people.

5. Complete – Some stories, like “The Dark Tower” by Stephen King, end on a cliffhanger, without telling the entire tale to keep readers guessing until the next installment. You can leave your audience hanging by mistake when you omit necessary details.

Give all the details to get your point across. If you don’t, you can leave your readers with questions.

Close the loops through answering:

  • Who?
  • What?
  • When?
  • Where?
  • Why
  • How?

Example: “We’ll follow up later.”
Rephrased: “We’ll follow up with the revised project outline by Monday, March 18, at 4 pm. Please let us know if you want any changes.”

Discover how to reach clients who value and respect you and your business

get my checklist to create content to reach the right clients

Which of the 5Cs has helped you improve your writing the most? Leave a comment.

“Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.” ~ John Ruskin

“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” ~ Sydney J. Harris