Author: Michelle Troutman

Michelle Troutman has spent more than a decade crafting attention-getting newsletters and other content for service providers. She specializes in creating standout e-newsletters for law firms and economic development organizations. Her marketing and business administration background and education enhance clear and persuasive copy that speaks to the right clients. Through features in publications like "Attorney at Work" and "Law Fuel," and her e-newsletter and YouTube channel, she inspires service professionals to create engaging content. She enjoys helping businesses that sell their expertise reach their ideal customers.
bullet points, writing advice

5 Ways to Write Bullet Points Effectively in Business

A green target with bullet holes in it.

How do you write bullet points to “fire off” each thought precisely? It’s easy to spray too many or leave behind gaps like holes in a target. That’s why certain rules of engagement help you write bullet points that land faster and hit harder.

The modern form of bullet points took shape when the 1950 New York News Type Book described them as typographic devices for use alongside asterisks, checks, and other marks in ads. The term “bullet point” later appeared in a 1983 issue of “Datamation” magazine.

Since then, bullet points and slide decks have gone together like peanut butter and chocolate — getting to the good stuff without the fluff. Here’s how to write bullet points well in business communication.

5 Steps to Write Bullet Points Precisely

1. Single Bullet Point Theory

Keep to one idea per bullet. Ideally, every dot connects under a common theme, so you’re not firing thoughts at random.

2. Keep Them Concise

A survey found the most important parts of writing bullet points well are simplicity and organization, which convey information quickly and reinforce crucial concepts.

Like Dirty Harry, did you fire six shots, or only five? In writing, your bullets should add up. And don’t waste them on meaningless words, leaving your readers wondering which points you’re trying to make.

Aim for eight or fewer; more than ten in a row can be harder to read. To improve scanning, consider using a numbered list instead — especially for step-by-step content — or break the bullet points into two columns.

More rules of engagement:

  • The 7×7 rule: use no more than seven words per line and just seven bullet points.
  • Slides: use only three points per slide to convey one concept clearly. They’re ideal for breaking up items in a series.

Example:

Before:

  • Increase sales, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

After:

  • Increase sales
  • Reduce costs
  • Improve customer satisfaction

3. Align Consistently

Unless each bullet is a full sentence, you don’t have to capitalize the first word or use periods. But a capitalized opening word often looks cleaner. Choose one style — full sentences or short phrases — and stick with it.

4. Get Set

To hold interest and avoid repetition, begin each bullet with an action verb.

Example:

Before:

We do a lot of things for start-ups:

  • We launch new products
  • We handle customer complaints
  • We’re in charge of quarterly reports

After:

How we help start-ups run efficiently:

  • Launch new products
  • Resolve customer complaints
  • Prepare quarterly reports

5. Aim for Precision

Think of each bullet as a short headline. If you’re writing for the web, add SEO keywords to your bullets, which can enhance your search appeal.

Bullet points look like mere dots, but they’re your secret weapon for getting to the point. When they’re clear, concise, and consistent, your message stays on target. Ready? Aim, then fire off each of your thoughts.

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

How do you write bullet points effectively? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

QUOTES

“Most speeches are like Texas longhorns — a point here, a point there, and a lot of bull in between.” ~ Anonymous

“Bullet points are not just decorations. They are promises — each one a commitment to say something that matters.” ~ Seth Godin

electronic newsletters, email announcements, email blasts, email marketing, email newsletters, emails, enews, enewsletters

5 Types of Email Marketing That Get Replies (& Writing Tips)

An open red mailbox with multiple hand-drawn email envelopes flying away from it, illustrating different types of email marketing.

Different types of email marketing spark curiosity in different ways, building trust through regular updates. For instance:

  • A newsletter keeps your name in clients’ inboxes through sharing your latest blog or news, even when they’re not ready to buy.
  • A promo email barks, “3 seats left!” when they’re filling fast.
  • A drip sequence answers leads’ objections one message at a time — until the next step feels obvious.

Based on 2024-2025 data compiled by Perplexity, these are the most common types of marketing emails service providers send.

Each video takes an in-depth look at every step in this blog with even more tips for enhancing your email engagement.

5 Types of Email Marketing (With Tips and Examples)

1. Educational Emails: Newsletters That Inform and Promote

What they are: Thought-leadership content:

  • news
  • reviews
  • tips
  • blog posts
  • guides
  • case studies

Subject line example: How to improve your business’s online security.

Stats:

Newsletter example: Calm’s monthly Calm Down newsletter

Writing Tip: Break up text for scannability. Use bullet points, subheadings, or short paragraphs for quicker reading:

✅ Write clear, specific headlines. Summarize the key takeaway.
✅ Keep sentences short — 12-15 words max.
✅ Summarize content and link to the full article.

More in-depth business newsletter writing tips to boost your email success.

2. Promotional Emails: Writing That Sells

What they are: Emails that feature product or service sales, discounts, or events; product launches (drip campaigns/automated emails).

Subject line example: Get 25% off your next purchase!

Stats (from Sender):

  • 75 percent of marketers send emails highlighting specific products or features.
  • 72 percent send sales or promotional emails.
  • 71 percent send event announcements.

Email Example: Calm’s 50 percent off a one-year subscription

Writing Tip: Lead with benefits, not features: don’t describe; persuade in concrete language that “shows,” rather than “tells”:

❌ Our latest software update is here!
✅ Save time with our automated productivity tools!

3. Transactional/Behavioral Emails: Writing That Confirms

What they are: Order confirmations, loyalty rewards, password resets, abandoned cart, or appointment reminders.

Transactional emails are more personalized, sent in response to a user’s action. They often focus more on customer service, though they can sell subtly.

Except for product or e-commerce offers like courses, professional service firms rarely use them.

Stats:

  • Automated emails account for 46.9 percent of email sales (Omnisend).
  • Most transactional emails have an average open rate of 80-85 percent. They tend to be higher because people view them immediately or revisit them (Mailgun).

Email Example: RocketLawyer’s nudge to finish completing a bill of sale.

Writing Tips:

✔ Make every word count. Use clear, concise language to help users get the message quickly: “Your order has shipped!” versus “We wanted to let you know your shipment is on its way.”
✔ Use the recipient’s name.
✔ Add subtle cross-sells (e.g., “Need help with more legal documents? Explore our custom estate plans.”).

4. Relationship-Building Emails: Writing That Connects

What they are: Client success stories, holiday greetings, customer appreciation, or welcome emails designed to strengthen bonds.

Example: “Thanks for being a loyal client! Here’s a small token of appreciation.”

Stats:

  • 79 percent of marketers use welcome emails, and 62 percent use onboarding or “post-purchase” emails. (Sender)
  • Welcome emails achieve an average open rate of 83.63 percent (GetResponse).

Writing Tip: Add personality, yet write in your brand’s voice: “Hi, [Name]! We’re thrilled to have you — here’s what you can expect in your inbox.”

5. Survey and Feedback Emails: Writing To Request Information

What they are: Customer satisfaction surveys, net promoter score surveys to measure loyalty, or open-ended questions.

Example: “We’d love your feedback — share your thoughts and help others!”

Stats: The average email survey response rate is roughly 24.8 percent. (FluidSurveys).

Email Example: LegalZoom’s simple survey reminder.

Writing Tips: Keep it concise. Data suggests that if a respondent starts answering a survey, drop-off rates increase sharply with each extra question (up to 15). (SurveyMonkey)

Make it easy and enticing.

  • Easy: Use simple, conversational language and provide a clear call-to-action like “Take our 1-minute survey here!”
  • Enticing: Show a benefit, like “Help us improve to serve you better.” Adding a small incentive (e.g., a discount or giveaway) can also boost responses.

With shifting social media rules, algorithms, and ownership, more businesses are focusing on emails. Why? Regardless of your email platform, you own your subscriber list and can take it anywhere. And especially if your emails are set up properly and well-written, you have more control over who gets your messages.

Now that you know the top types of email marketing, once you have subscribers, don’t procrastinate — start creating! See how your emails can spark interest in your products and services.

See where to put your e-newsletter content–save time and gain results

grab my easy 5-step business e-newsletter template

Which types of marketing emails have proven most effective for you? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

QUOTES

“Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches—at scale.” ~ David Newman

“Good marketing emails are like good conversations: relevant, engaging, and worth responding to.” ~ Unknown

relevant content, writing advice

5 Secrets to Creating Relevant Content That Wins Business

What is relevant content, and why does it matter?

Relevant content nets reactions, replies, and connections. But finding the balance between promoting your expertise and speaking to your audience’s needs isn’t always easy. If your content marketing yields no results, it might be time for a refresh.

Here’s how to refine your content for better focus and impact.

How to create relevant content that doesn’t just interest your audience, but stands out and hooks them.

5 Ways to Develop Relevant Content for Business Success

1. Balance quality and consistency – You can feel pressure to create engaging and useful content regularly — even if you reuse, recycle, or use AI. How do you keep the content treadmill turning? And how do you produce quality content to serve your audience and your business goals?

Burnout can occur on both sides: from creating content to flooding your readers with too much. The solution? Less is more: favor quality over quantity.

  • Curate, don’t create: summarize or link to useful resources, like the latest industry news or trends.
  • Craft content for “micro-moments” when consumers search for quick answers or solutions through focused content snippets: FAQs, short videos, or concise blogs or emails.
  • Create less frequent, well-researched content rather than cranking out posts that add to the noise.

HubSpot reports that eight in ten content marketers agree that creating higher-quality content less often is more feasible.

2. Balance timeliness with timelessness – Keep content fresh by aligning it with trends, seasonal shifts, or industry news.

National day calendars exist for a reason. 🙂 To boost the impact, sync your content to what’s happening now. Recycle familiar topics to suit certain themes or timeframes, like posting tax planning tips or goal-setting topics by year’s end. This is among the easiest ways to plan.

A balanced scale with a tall stack of papers on one side and a glowing lightbulb on the other, symbolizing the balance involved in creating relevant content

Search research can help you whittle down keywords that can influence your topics. And you can narrow your focus and find your “when” through exploring what your readers share or discuss or have gravitated to before.

The evergreen can later become trendy, too. For example, probably because of the title and keywords — not the content depth — an ancient blog on personalizing content is now among my most visited pages.

I haven’t changed it since I published it, but plan to refresh it soon. It’s probably because, in the past few years, “personalization” has become a marketing buzzword.

3. Balance the timeworn with the unconventional – Dare to do something different, whether you lift a dull tone or present content in a new format.

Beyond text, interactive and visually rich formats give your audience something to explore, making the content more memorable and shareable.

But it’s not about showing off creativity. Make your audience think by presenting information in a way that surprises or entertains.

Example: Rather than covering a common topic, a café offered “101 ways that puppies are enjoying a puppuccino,” which became a top performer.

4. Balance tone and personality – Most business content blends in. Dare to be memorable: mixing humor, alliteration, or rhyme with practical advice turns dry topics into page-turners. It’s OK to have some fun once in a while — or more often.

Example: “7 Estate Planning Myths That Could Cost Your Family Big — Are You Guilty of #3?”

While creativity helps gain attention, ensure your ideas truly match your business goals and voice. If you’re doing something different, have a good reason. Otherwise, you could lose credibility. Avoid creating “beautiful illusions” that attract attention yet fail to spark growth.

5. Balance depth and brevity – Ensure short content packs a punch like espresso, while deep dives stay rooted in the bigger picture. Though your audience might crave detailed insights, unless your research shows otherwise, their attention spans can be limited. Provide enough details to establish your authority and deliver value while you keep your content digestible.

Concise content distills complex ideas into clear, actionable insights without oversimplifying. To convey depth without dumbing them down, use:

  • examples
  • data points
  • analogies
  • bullet points
  • subheadings

For in-depth pieces, keeping a clear thread to broader themes is challenging. Ensure each piece, regardless of its length, is useful and fits a larger, cohesive narrative about your brand or industry.

Example: the “pillar and cluster” content model

The key: a content strategy that’s expansive and focused, letting audiences dive deep into subjects they care about while providing enough variety to sustain curiosity.

For relevant content, balance creation with moderation. Assess its performance against your business goals regularly and adjust your strategy to establish thought leadership, improve performance, and evolve with your audience and your market.

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

How do you create useful and engaging content? What do you think of these tips? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

QUOTES

“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” ~ Steve Jobs

“Keep marketing simple. When it comes to content, cover the intersection between what your audience needs to know and your organization’s expertise. This expertise you’re sharing needs to relate to what you actually offer as a business. Make it entertaining and that’s the trifecta.” ~ Brian Honigman

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 mean you’re 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.

Forget filler content. In this playlist based on this blog, learn to create content that doesn’t just look good, but performs through enticing people to act.

Tips for Creating Engaging Content

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 like:

🔹 Case studies. Let data and results speak for you.
🔹 Sharing before-and-after transformations.
🔹 Using analogies and metaphors to explain complex ideas.

The key is to “show,” not “tell” in a way that fits you and your brand.

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.” And a well-placed visual can be worth a thousand clicks.

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 return for an encore.

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.

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.

This short video series based on this blog shows you how to create content that reflects your voice and actually gets read. Learn how to align your message across platforms, write for people (not just algorithms), and make your content easier to scan and understand.

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 – Ever wonder why you can recognize some brands instantly in every piece of content they create? 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. Rescue your readers with clear, organized, user-friendly content. 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 performance.

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