{"id":19351,"date":"2009-06-25T11:30:03","date_gmt":"2009-06-25T10:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.corporate-eye.com\/blog\/?p=19351"},"modified":"2009-06-25T11:24:50","modified_gmt":"2009-06-25T10:24:50","slug":"writing-content-with-clout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.corporate-eye.com\/main\/writing-content-with-clout\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Content With Clout"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rob Ashton explains why it\u2019s vital that your web writing gets straight to the point. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ever seen the TV game show Supermarket Sweep<\/em>? The premise is pretty simple. After answering a series of questions, the contestants are instructed to find certain groceries in the supermarket. Not surprisingly, no-one methodically paces through the aisles. With the clock ticking, they race around frantically searching for visual clues that point to their prized items. <\/p>\n

\"Red<\/span>Browsing the internet is much the same. Studies have shown that we adopt the same \u2018search and seize\u2019 approach when looking for information online. In fact, only one in six people actually read websites sentence by sentence. Instead, most people scan the text for keywords, bullet points and subheadings. <\/p>\n

Some studies have even shown that people read only the first two words of headlines before losing interest. And it\u2019s generally a given that you only have a maximum of 10 seconds to impress your readers before they click to another page or site. <\/p>\n

The key is to make your writing as direct as possible. As any Twitter fan will know, if you can\u2019t say it in 140 characters or less, it simply isn\u2019t worth saying. Apply that principle to all your web-based writing and you\u2019ll be onto a winner. That\u2019s not to say that you can\u2019t elaborate on points, make explanations and create coherent arguments. It\u2019s just that long rambling sentences are best left to novelists or poets. When it comes to the web, short and sweet is best. Prune through your writing and cut out any meaningless words. And rearrange your sentences so that they\u2019re as punchy as possible. <\/p>\n

The tips below will help you to create a high-impact writing style<\/strong><\/p>\n

A clear focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Know your audience. Ask yourself who you\u2019re writing for and what information they want to read. Then focus on one main message per web page. If you\u2019re not sure what your main message is, write down the headings who?, what?, where?, when? and why? Then brainstorm your ideas to help clarify your thoughts. <\/p>\n

Create powerful sentences by speaking directly to the reader. Use words such as \u2018you\u2019, \u2018we\u2019, \u2018us\u2019 and \u2018our\u2019. And use the active voice as much as possible. For instance, \u2018we formed the company in 1999\u2019 is far more effective than \u2018the company was formed in 1999.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ready, aim, fire! <\/strong><\/p>\n

Break up the information into digestible chunks and keep your paragraphs short. Use subheads and make sure that, when combined, they tell the story of your article. Bullet points are also a great tool to use when writing for the web. <\/p>\n

Remember that bullet lists always need an introduction (like this one). They are good for:<\/p>\n