The American society teaches that more is better and you are not going to single handedly change that. Instead, go with flow -- use illusion and write long emails, long articles, and long sales letters...BUT before you do, make sure there are six questions that are answered in first ten seconds of your copy.

The questions are: What? Who? When? Where? How? Why?

"What" always needs to come first in every story. "What" must also be part of headline, subheadline or graphic and needs to dominate your marketing piece. It needs to be simple, fresh, and catchy (not tricky). It must convey what reader will get for continuing.

"Who" identifies your business. It must tell reader who is telling story and it must do so at least twice in your marketing piece. If you use your logo as your "who," it must fuse with "what" element of ad. "Who" means more than a name or a logo. Some logos seem to speak to designer, but mean nothing to reader.

If your logo doesn't automatically deliver meaning, then only use it to build your brand. Remember, however, that branding is a time and dollar intensive effort.

"Who" can be conveyed through pictures. A good picture of you, your employees, your office, or your events create a personal connection with your reader. If you offer workshops or seminars, use those pictures. People are more likely to believe a photo than a piece of artwork. If you have been in business for a while, say so "since 1982" counts.

Longevity builds points in trust category. Be sure to identify with your name and weave that information throughout entire piece. By time you are done, your piece should be so closely identified with you that it would be impossible for someone to pirate your words or logo and put them into their marketing piece.

As a writing coach, I frequently work with independent professionals who have great ideas for promotional articles, but no idea how to start writing them. Here are first three of six essential steps to help you get clear about your subject, kick-start your process, and ensure your article is ready to go.

1.Have something you really, really want to say. It seems obvious, but before you write, make sure there's a point you want to make, a story you want to tell, advice you just have to give. You've got to be a little bit burning to write, or your message will ramble, you’ll be bored, and there'll be no connection with your reader.

Before you write, see if you can state kernel of what you want to say in one sentence. If you can make it intriguing, all better:

"Here are six guaranteed ways to kick-start your writing."

"Here's why my divorce was hell and how you can avoid that experience."

"The best way to have a tidy office is to get rid of your office."

If you can't state your premise in one sentence, either you're not clear on your message or you have more than one topic. Take some time and get clear on that single thing you want to say. We want one topic in depth, not skimming surface of several.

If you're stuck on your article, or getting bogged down or confused as you write, you can be sure you need more focus. So take a deep breath and put your article away until you can state your one-sentence premise.

2.Create an outline. I used to be one of those "jump in, bang ahead and follow your nose" type of writers. And guess what? Every time I tried to write, I'd run out of steam. I'd lose focus, so I wouldn't finish; or, if I did finish, I'd have to edit a huge, rambling mess. Ugh. The whole process took weeks and was extremely discouraging.

You see, I was writing fiction, and I had this idea that it was more "creative" and "artistic" to just jump in. Making an outline seemed so predictable and dull.

My awakening came when I began writing non-fiction articles. Here's why: I had to communicate a message, and communicate it clearly. I had to write coherent, logical paragraphs, in strong, simple language. And I couldn't take weeks to write every article, or I'd be, well, pretty darn old before anything was ready.

So, give me predictable and dull (for process, that is—not results!). Starting with an outline frees up my energy and attention for actual writing and saves me one to two complete days of editing per article.