Writing for the web isn’t difficult, but it is something you need to get to grips with if you want your content strategy to be effective.
Below is a list of the most important things to think about when writing for the web.
- Important information first
Forget story structures, your readers don’t have time to wade through a load of fluff before getting to the main course.
Kick off with the most important information first by adopting the inverted pyramid method.
The first paragraph or two should contain everything they need to know with a more in-depth explanation coming further down should they want to know more.
- Who’s your audience?
If you don’t know who you’re writing for you won’t know what to write.
Think about whether they’ll be interested in what you have to say. Will it add value to them? Will they want to share it with others?
- Simple English
Please, please resist the urge to write in complex jargon, industry speak and buzz words. It doesn’t matter how educated your audience is, they want to simple language that they can read quickly.
Written in this way your article becomes scanable, helping them pick out the information that’s most relevant to them.
- Simple structure
Keep the structure of your writing simple.
Short sentences and paragraphs will make your article appear readable. Let’s face it, wouldn’t you rather read something that’s split up into lots of small paragraphs rather than a solid wall of text?
- Subheadings
The use of subheadings not only help you increase the SEO value of your article, but they also act as sign posts to your reader helping them find the information they need.
- Bullets and lists
Placing your most important information in list format not only highlights it to the reader, but it also adds a bit of interest to your article.
- Personality
No one wants to read dry, corporate drivel.
Inject your own personality into your writing so your readers can get to know you.
Adopting a conversational style of writing will make it more attractive to readers.
- Links
Links in the body of your article help your reader by directing them to other sources they might find useful. It also demonstrates your wider knowledge.
Summing up
This quick tour of how to write effectively for the web probably hasn’t told you anything you didn’t already know, but it should help reinforce what you need to do.