In the early years of marketing, writing use to just be writing. You\’d pen a couple sentences, edit your work, and then publish. The online world though has created almost a completely new genre of writing. One that has very specific goals: capture the audience\’s attention quickly, keep the audience engaged, and prompt the audience to take further action. While this new style may have you scratching your head, following some simple guidelines can get you on the right track.
Want to create better content? Follow these 5 rules of successful online writers:
1. Shorter is Better.
Sentences need to be short and sweet to be effective. Unless you are covering a complicated topic, the article needs to follow this same rule. When in doubt, end the sentence and move on to the next to add additional thoughts.
2. Follow the 4-Sentence Rule.
Keep your paragraphs to four sentences and you will enjoy a much more engaged audience. That fifth sentence can add some serious weight to the content.
3. Keep the Words Simple.
Avoid the use of flowery language, jargon, or overly-technical terms. You want readers to enjoy visiting your site; not feel like they are studying for a test.
4. Subheaders are Important.
Subheaders are a great way to break up the content into easy-to-digest pieces. It also allows the reader the opportunity to quickly see what the article is about.
5. Write to Your Audience.
You need to know who your audience is, what they are interested in, and what they want to read about. Only when you can answer these questions can you begin writing content that gets read.
It is also always a good idea to add an open-ended question to the end of your article. Ask the readers what they think. This helps keep the relationship between and your readers flowing. If you need help with your online marketing campaign, contact our team at GMS. We have a skilled team of writers with experience in creating content for all of our client\’s online needs.
Contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation