Read It Aloud
As children we are encouraged to read aloud. It helps them learn new words, bond with the person who they are reading to and is a great opportunity to practise phonics.
Then we grow up and who wants to be seen reading aloud in a public space?
But when you are writing it will help to read back, aloud, what you have put on paper. It may be a press release, a blog, an article, a report and especially a script for a video.
For one thing, we often write in more formal language than we speak. Fine if it is meant to be a formal report and that is what is expected. Although even then I disagree as it can sound full of hot air with ten words being used where one would do.
We use the word “that” far too often in written language…I remember being told off by my journalist lecturer about “that.”
When you are trying to convey a message to an audience – internal as well as external – why make it hard on them by being wordy.
For me, reading aloud is a verbal spell check. You’ll be surprised how many typos and spelling errors, badly phrased or overlong sentences you will pick up. Try it and let me know.