Listen, if you do ANY digital marketing whatsoever, people will read what you have to say more often than they hear what you have to say.

Think about it.

?Even if you’re a heavy IG Story user, I bet you still add text.

?Even if you meet a referral in person, I bet they still go to your site to book.

?Even if you’re a YouTuber, I bet you scrutinize over your captions.

Your written word matters.

You don’t need to be Stephen King or Toni Morrison to be a good writer.

In fact, I’m going to share a simple secret that will uplevel your writing in a way that almost feels too easy:

?Invite your audience to devour sentence after sentence by learning how to master the adverb.

Adverbs are necessary and can be fun. But, we tend to be lazy with how we use them. I have beef with 3 uses in particular:

Vague adverbs. We already know specificity > vague.

• She was very passionate.
• She was fiery.

Boring adverbs (think: really, very, literally).

• This kitchari recipe is really delicious.
• This kitchari recipe will blow your mind.

Redundant adverbs.

• “You’re wearing that?” she sneered, critically.
• “You’re wearing that?” she sneered, as she gave me the onceover.

I’m not anti-adverb. I am, however, all about the tips & tricks that will make you a better writer. Better writer = more clients to support!

LOL – a little your/you’re humor

Now, step into your reader’s shoes. Which paragraph feels easier to read?

PARAGRAPH A:

You’ve been working really hard on feeling amazing in your body and living holistically. You diligently work out. You eat healthily and even practice your mindful eating habits. You live slowly and mindfully. So, why does it feel like nothing’s working?

PARAGRAPH B:

Your vision board has been peppered with images of a strong body and clear skin for months. You prioritize whole foods, your daily gym sesh, and your gallon water jug. Hell, you even took advice from your Yogi BFF and started taking deep breaths before each meal. So, why does it feel like nothing’s working?

Obviously, paragraph B, right?

If this doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t sweat it. I struggle with this, too.

Here’s how we’re both going to tackle our next writing project:

1. Write your draft.
2. Edit it down.
3. Paste it into hemingway app.
4. Notice the blue highlights (aka adverbs).
5. If what you wrote rocks, leave it (remember: we’re not anti-adverbs).
6. If it could sound better, swap it out for a power verb or a descriptive phrase.

Power Verb examples:

?She quickly ate her lunch while looking intensely at her laptop.

?She consumed her entire lunch while glaring at her laptop.

?She heavily poured the oil onto her body.

?She doused her body in oil.

You can practically feel the word-induced power pose, can’t you?

If this was helpful, reply and let me know so I can do more.

xo,

Rachel Jeffries Murphy