The key to great writing? Assume nobody cares...

Nobody seeks out advertising. People see it as deceptive and manipulative – a way to make us buy stuff we don’t actually need. That mental barrier is exactly what any aspiring writer needs to keep in mind.

Once you’re aware that nobody is interested in what you have to say, once you start from that mindset, you have no choice but to raise your game.

First, you’re forced to simplify what you have to say. You have to distill its essence while making sure that it is perfectly clear and instantly understandable.

Next, you have to make your message compelling – whether it’s by making it entertaining, intriguing, informative, or all three.

Applying this strategy to everything you produce means understanding that reading and writing are, essentially, part of a simple transaction…

If the reader is going to give up their most valuable assets (their time and attention), they expect to be fairly rewarded.

Recognizing that nobody wants to read your work allows you to cultivate empathy. You start flipping between your own perspective and the perspective of a complete stranger.

Learning to view your work through this third-party lens is invaluable. It will save you from catching “Client’s Disease”: a condition in advertising where you assume that everyone else will love what you’re working on because you love it.

Examine everything you create from the point of view of someone who has no time, no patience, and no trust. Being able to win this person over is the key to successful engagement.

Bottom line: The only way to stand out and cut through the noise is to aim for the hardest-to-please audience imaginable. This will force you to hone your work with such rigor that failing to give the reader a good return on their investment becomes all but impossible.