14 simple writing rules that got me 43k+ followers

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Before we go into today’s writing rules, I want to give you something important if you want to grow your audience online:

2 weeks ago, I was celebrating the 40,000 Followers mark on Thread - so I decided to gift you my revamped “Magnetic Writing Course” - you can find it here:

You’ll get the exact tactics, post examples, and templates I use to grow on social media as a writer. FOR FREE.

In all honesty, this is a course other creators would charge you 100s of $ for (And I’ve seen some of the Threads courses out there, they are a disgrace. Heavily overpriced. No value).

So enjoy and let me know what you think. And if you have any follow-up questions regarding the course, please feel free to reach out to me 🙏

But now to the writing rules:

I’ve been writing online for 15 months now. And when I look back at how I wrote a year ago, I cringe horribly.

No literally, it pains my eyes.😅

And at the same time, I’m incredibly proud of myself because every time I cringe at my past self, I remember that cringing is a sign I've grown.

In life, business, and writing - the same rules apply - If you consistently put yourself out there and dedicate yourself to learning and evolving every day - you will grow.

It’s a law of nature. It’s inevitable.

So when I started, I wrote posts nobody read (like literally, I was a blogging into the void).

- 0 Followers
- 0 Views
- 0 Likes

(It was a painful first 6 months of my writing journey 🥲) But now I’m at 43,000+ Followers on Threads. And in the last 30 days alone, I got:

- 7305 New followers
- 4,200,000 Views
- 133,000 Likes

How? I mastered 14 simple online writing rules.

I’ve researched, read, and listened to all the rules - I promise you, the ones I present to you here are all you need. So let’s get into it:

Here are my 14 Writing Rules:

Print them. Memorize them. Pray to them.

( kidding - implementing them would be enough actually. But printing them out doesn’t hurt. 😉 )

1. Space out your sentences (press "enter" after 1-2 sentences).

People don’t like to read big chunks of text. It’s bulky, hard to read, and often gets skipped.

Split the text into small paragraphs to make it easier for the eye.

2. If you can't keep your sentences short, use dashes "-"

Sometimes it’s hard to keep a sentence short. Whenever this happens, use dashes so the attention of the reader doesn't get tired.

(just make sure to use the short dashes “-” instead of the long ones “—”, cause long dashes are taken as a sign it’s written by AI… 😅)

3. Cut your writing by 20%

Keep your sentences as short and impactful as you can. This is by far the best writing advice I ever received.

In your final edit, ask yourself: "how can I cut down my word count by 20% without changing the meaning of what I'm saying?"

It makes your writing clear, precise and powerful.

And trust me - there's ALWAYS a way to shorten your writing. Look closer :)

4. Remove unnecessary filler words!

People use many unnecessary words. And as a rule of thumb - don’t use adverbs. You use them to put more weight into your sentences, but you end up making your sentences less powerful.

Here’s a list of words you should avoid:

A bit, A lot, Often, Might be, In a sense, Kind of like, easily, usually, instantly, normally, generally, extremely, completely, Really, Basically, Literally, Actually, Just, Very, Quite, Somehow, Maybe, Probably, Mostly, Essentially, Somewhat, A little, In a way

5. Use bullet points and lists that imply that something comes next.

This is one of the best ways of keeping people engaged! Bulleted lists always work when it comes to readability and keeping the readers’ attention.

Make use of them!

(btw, you are seeing an Ad now. I want to keep this newsletter free for my readers, and ads are a simple way of monetizing without requiring you to invest in anything. So just experimenting for now. I will only include ads that I believe are useful for you. If that’s not for you, no worries, feel free to ignore)

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6. Use statistics, numbers, and other pattern interrupts

Those pull readers out of their mindless scrolling and make your Thread more compelling (people love statistics and numbers).

7. Insert a picture whenever it fits the context

I use them a lot when I write about an authority figure or want to show off my metrics or results (e.g. famous people, your metrics, screenshots of client results, etc…)

8. Write below a 5th-grade level (nobody likes to think too much when reading).

Replace complicated words with ones that are easier to understand.

And use the Hemingwayapp in your last edit! It will literally tell you when your writing is too complicated.

9. Limit the use of words like “really, that, very, there”

Often they are unnecessary and limit the weight of the sentence.

10. Use the words “you” and “your” to make your writing feel personal.

Speak to your audience directly. Replace “we” with “you”. Speak to only one person in your content and the reader will feel spoken to.

11. Use active voice, avoid passive voice.

Don’t say:

“I’ve been attacked by a white shark,” say “ A white shark attacked me”.

Trust me on this one.

12. Don’t use “thing” as a descriptive word.

Remove “things” from your vocabulary. Ask yourself: What’s that “thing you’re talking about??

13. Never use a complex word when a simple one will do.

I see too many people use complicated words to sound smart.

Don’t.

The magic of online writing is to be able to articulate a complicated topic into simple words. It makes it easier for everybody involved.

So in the words of Albert Einstein: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

14. Limit words that end with “-ing”.

There’s a reason why you don’t see the ending “-ing” in poetry. They say “I walk” instead of “I’m walking”. It’s because it looks better and creates more depth.

So don’t be rigid on your high school English teachers’ grammatical rules and follow the writing tips of poetry.

That’s it.

Follow those and I guarantee you - your writing gets better INSTANTLY. Now with these tips in mind, go look at something you write. I guarantee you will cringe.

And what did we say at the beginning of this mail? CRINGING IS GOOD!

Now you’re equipped with the material you need to write content that ACTUALLY gets read.

Any questions left? Any writing you want to share with me for feedback? Reply to this e-mail and get back to me. 🙂

And oh, as I said in the beginning - if you want access to all my viral posts for you to replicate, get my Magnetic Writing course below:

With love,

Heythem