We - you and I - often talk about how to write, how to blog. Especially when you want to make the best impression.

Here's what we came up with:

Write me a letter. A short letter from the heart, one meant to really help me.

Write To A Friend

she-explains

Picture someone you like or love.

She has started a business. She relies on you to give her real advice.

There's no faking it this time. No fluff.

You're writing to her: this needs to be for real.

Whether she makes money and earns a living or loses everything ... depends on you.

This time, you're playing with lives.

Write As If It's The Last Time

Write as if this is your only chance to help your friend.

You can't convey all your marketing knowledge, SEO strategies, caveats, what if's, and cool tool tricks in this short time.

Don't try to tell it all: anything important will drown in a sea of information.

Make it matter. Make your words matter. Make your message matter.

Write What You Know

Write what you know about things you know. Don't fake it.

Remember the last time you heard someone fake it on something you know all about?

Don't be that douche.

Pick One Thing

Focus on one single thing within one single topic.

Don't stray.

Find the heart of your post and stick to it.

Take what doesn't belong away and use it for another post.

One post: one idea.

Keep It Simple & Short

Hey, my mom wont let me swear so that's what I say KISS stands for -- and I'm sticking to it 😉

Your friend isn't a professional; you are.

Talk straight. Say what you have to say as cleanly and simple as you can.

If you can say what you have to say without the need to define words, then you know you're done.

Tell Me How To Do

Make what you write actionable.

Everybody says make a business plan but how do I do that? How do I make my business fantasy a business plan?

Don't tell me what to do; tell me how to do it.

Every douche can say "market on Twitter" or "get a Facebook page". Only you can say how to do what so that it really happens.

Don't Make Me Look Stupid

I'm learning, just like you.

Don't write how astounded you are at how many people don't get it. That's me you're talking about. Your wife. Your husband. Your friend.

The reader isn't stupid: she's your manager.

Don't Set To Impress

Forget about impressing other professionals: it doesn't happen.

Don't worry. It's not you; it's them.

Forget about rockstar fame: it's fake.

Keep writing and you will impress. With a post you thought least likely to do so.

Question: what's your guiding principle to make it matter? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

About the Author: Ruud Hein

I love helping to make web sites make it. From the ground up if needed. CSS challenges, server-side scripting, user and device friendly JavaScript tricks search engines have no problems with. Tracking how the sites perform and then figuring out how to make that performance and the tracking better. I'm passionate about information. No matter how often I trim my feeds in my feed readers (yes, I use more than one), I always have a couple of hundred in there covering topics ranging from design to usability, from SEO to SEM, from life hacks to productivity blogs, from.... Well, you get the idea, I guess. Knowledge and information management is close to my heart. Has to be with the amount of information I track. My "trusted system" is usually in flux but always at hand and fully searchable. My paid passion job at Search Engine People sees me applying my passions and knowledge to a wide array of problems, ones I usually experience as challenges. It's good to have you here: pleased to meet you!