There are many tools that we can use to improve our writing ability. And we should take full advantage of them, especially when they are free for us to use.
There are endless ways to improve your writing, from Masterclass writing tutorials to character count tools. And we want to focus specifically on why using character count tools will drastically enhance your writing ability and communication style.
One of the most significant flaws in our society today is our inability to appropriately communicate and understand each other. But what if you could train yourself to say precisely what you want to say in a way that is clear and easy for others to understand?
That is what the aim of character counting does. It opens a whole new world of possibilities for you to challenge yourself to say a lot in just a short couple of lines. We live in a world where quality is more important than quantity. And that is precisely our belief when it comes to writing. Why waste paragraphs of fluffy content when you can get your readers engaged and understanding your writing in just a few sharp and short sentences?
So we have explained why character counting is essential, but how exactly does it work? And in what particular ways will it benefit your writing?
We have rounded up all the various ways character counting tools will improve your writing and make your content better than ever before.
1. Training You to Write Reader-Friendly Copy
Readers today, especially in the online world, have a very short attention span. So it is a lot to ask of them to read endless paragraphs without any end in sight. Instead, the online reader wants short bursts of exciting content that get them engaged and thinking. The character count limits on many social media platforms, especially Twitter, are designed to do just that. They encourage writers to condense their thoughts, opinions, and ideas into a few simple sentences that speak volumes to a particular topic. A character counter tool will force you to get into the mindset of writing for your readers and think about what words you want to use to convey your ideas.
2. Write Better for More Platforms
Not all online platforms are created equal. Copy that will work well for Twitter will not necessarily work the same way for Instagram, Facebook, a conciseor even Google SEO. But with character counter tools, you will get insight into how your copy will perform on various platforms. It will also allow you to easily adjust your writing for the different character count requirements of each to say the same thing but in a slightly different way. This will elevate your writing skills and allow you to speak to a broader audience.
3. Fix Your Grammatical Errors
No matter how well-versed you are in the grammar world, you are bound to make a grammatical error now and then. That is simply the risk you take when typing with a keyboard rather than the traditional pen and paper. But a character counter will not only tell you how many characters you have written but point out any grammar errors you may want to review. This is a foolproof way to ensure that the writing you post online is both engaging and grammatically correct—saving you the drama of getting told off by one of those grammar geek gangs on the internet.
4. Learn to Say More with Less
We have already alluded to this one before. But by focusing on your character count, you will become acutely aware of every letter, number, punctuation mark, and space that you use. This will help you focus on excluding any repetitive fluff and articulating your points in your writing. It will also help you find new and creative ways to say what you want without saying too much. It is undoubtedly a skill we could all benefit from learning how to do better.
5. Have Your Writing Perform Better
A character count tool will help you write better, but it will also help your writing perform better online. Especially if you are writing for a blog post or website, copy that abides by the character count algorithms of Google is more likely to be exposed to more people. And the more people that read your content will naturally inspire you to push your writing to the next level as well.
With so many benefits from character counting, why not use it with all your writing?