The words you choose have the power to shape perceptions, build trust, and establish authority. Writing from a position of strength is essential for crafting content that resonates with your audience and solidifies your brand’s credibility — empowering your brand. Yet, many people unknowingly undermine their writing with phrases like “I believe” and “I think,” which can convey uncertainty and weaken the impact of their message.
The Pitfalls of Tentative Language
Let’s explore why adopting a strong writing style matters for your brand and how you can cultivate this skill.
Undermining Authority
When you use phrases such as “I believe” or “I think,” you inadvertently signal to your audience that you lack confidence in your ideas. This tentativeness can undermine your authority, making your content seem more like a personal opinion rather than a well-researched and authoritative statement.
Diluting Your Message
Tentative language can dilute the strength of your message. Instead of presenting your ideas as solid and backed by evidence, you present them as mere possibilities. This can lead to a lack of clarity and conviction, causing your audience to question the validity of your points.
Losing Audience Trust
Readers are more likely to trust content that is presented confidently and assertively. When you write from a position of strength, you convey competence and reliability, fostering trust with your audience. Conversely, hesitant language can make readers doubt your expertise and the value of your content.
Why Strong Writing Matters for Your Brand
Building Credibility
For a brand, credibility is everything. To establish yourself as a leader in your industry, your content must reflect confidence and authority. By eliminating tentative phrases and presenting your ideas assertively, you demonstrate that your brand is knowledgeable and trustworthy.
Enhancing Engagement
Content that is written with strength captivates readers and encourages engagement. When your audience perceives your content as reliable and insightful, they are more likely to share it, comment on it, and return for more. Strong writing helps create a loyal following that can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and influence.
Differentiating Your Brand
In a crowded marketplace, standing out is crucial. Writing from a position of strength not only sets your brand apart but also helps you carve out your unique voice. By clearly and confidently expressing your brand’s values and expertise, you differentiate yourself from competitors and establish a distinctive presence.
Strategies for Writing with Strength
Be Direct
Instead of using phrases like “I believe” or “I think,” state your ideas directly. For example, replace “I believe this is the best solution” with “This is the best solution.” This approach communicates certainty and authority.
Use Active Voice
Active voice makes your writing more dynamic and engaging. It emphasizes the subject of your sentence and creates a stronger connection with the reader. For instance, “The team completed the project” is more assertive than “The project was completed by the team.”
Support Your Claims
To write from a position of strength, back up your statements with evidence. Whether it’s data, expert opinions, or case studies, providing proof adds weight to your arguments and enhances your credibility.
Refine Your Tone
Adopt a tone that aligns with your brand’s identity. Whether it’s professional, enthusiastic, or conversational, ensure your tone is consistent and reinforces the strength of your message.
Writing from a Position of Strength: A Guide to Empowering Your Brand
Businesses and professionals aim to exude confidence in their audience. From doctors giving advice to patients to retailers persuading customers, language choices influence the level of trust people place in the words. My clients work with me to improve the tone of their writing — especially when they aim to persuade someone to action. In these instances, I search for two frequently-used words believe and think. Finding them in client’s text has become part of my editing process as a VA web content writer.
Using Believe in a Statement
When someone says, “I believe that…” the phrase infers opinion. The word believe is based in faith, not fact.
- be convinced by
Using Think in a Statement
Similarly, using think in a sentence implies that you do not know. The word comes just to the edge of confidence but, ultimately falls short. Saying “I think…” does not create authority.
verb
1. particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something.
2. direct one’s mind toward someone or something; use one’s mind actively to form connected ideas.
Similar:
- believe
- be of the opinion
- have as one’s opinion
- be of the view
- be under the impression
- expect
- imagine
- anticipate
- surmise
- suppose
- conjecture
- guess
- fancy
- conclude
- determine
- reason
- reckon
- figure
- opine
- ween
- deem
- judge
- hold
- consider
- presume
- estimate
- regard as
- view as
- ponder
- reflect
- deliberate
- meditate
- contemplate
- muse
If you want to create confidence in what you are saying, search for these two words in your text. Remove them from your sentences.
How to Fix It
When you remove these commonly-used phrases, your statements sound more confident.
| I think Coca-Cola is better than Pepsi. | Coca-Cola surpasses Pepsi in terms of taste and style. |
| I believe you’re looking for Professor Wu. | If you need assistance with Chemistry, Professor Wu outranks her colleageues. |
| I suppose the green shirt matches the brown pants. | The green shirt coordinates with the brown pants. |
Obviously, this tactic doesn’t apply to areas where you can’t express an answer with confidence. There may be instances where you are truly unable to assert fact or where confidence is inappropriate. In those cases, you may still improve the sentence by using different phrasing.
| I think 30% of people are nearsighted. | At this time, the DMV reports that 20% of people are nearsighted. |
| I believe polar bears are the most popular animal. | Anecdotally, many people like polar bears. |
| I suppose pizza costs $2 per slice. | I’ve seen pizza slices priced between $1 to $3. |
You can correct this by using the “find” function in any word processor. Then, revise the sentence to remove the offending phrase.
Write Better
Ultimately, you can improve any piece with a series of small edits. If you want to exude confidence on a topic, avoid these two phrases and their derivatives. You’ll find that your sentences carry more authority.
Writing from a position of strength is not just about choosing the right words; it’s about conveying confidence, authority, and trust. By avoiding tentative language and embracing assertive communication, you can elevate your brand’s content, build lasting credibility, and engage your audience effectively. Remember, your words have the power to shape perceptions—use them wisely to empower your brand.
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