The internet is an amazing place. It has provided people from all domains with a platform to share their views and experiences, and made their contributions accessible to pretty much anyone who is interested, anywhere around the world.
Although I commend authors taking the initiative to share their thoughts, many are so focused on delivering content that they ignore the readability of their writings, driving readers away and losing potentially very interested followers.
The good news is that user-friendly writings that would make the audience want to come back for more are not entirely that difficult to achieve. Here are a few tips on getting there:
1. Avoid long paragraphs
Long paragraphs remind me of the dark side of engineering school; engineers wrote the textbooks I had to read. This meant full pages that consisted entirely of a paragraph or two, and a frustrated reader consuming a lot of caffeine while being clueless on where to start.
Even under zero-pressure situations, people are generally intimidated by large blocks of text, and are very likely to skip on to the next article given the slightest hint of a daunting reading experience (especially if they are not being tested on the content the following morning).
2. Show it
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Instead of trying to describe a product or situation, present a photo or screenshot that does it for you. Not only does it make things clearer, it also gives the reader a short break from all the text.
3. Use examples your audience can relate to
Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly are two of the most prominent political commentators in modern American television.
In a debate between the two, O’Reilly referenced “Gerry and the Pacemakers” in trying to make his point to the young crowd at George Washington University. Almost no one understood the reference. (Did you?)
Stewart’s reply was simpler. He referred to Fox News as “Bullsh** Mountain”, and gave O’Reilly the honor of being “Mayor of Bullsh** Mountain”, to the delight of a cheering crowd.
The same goes with writing. Stay relevant to your audience and don’t assume they would hop straight on to Google to learn more about that witty reference from 1962. They are much more likely to search for what Taylor Swift has been up to. If you must use specific examples, describe briefly what you are talking about.
4. Keep it short
The first thing I often do is scroll-down to get a sense of how long an article is. If I find myself scrolling for too long, I probably don’t have the time to read it, and am moving on to another one I could fly through before having to get back to my work.
Not all potential readers behave the same way, but it is safe to say that many would have priorities over reading your work. Keep your article short, to the point, and divide it into several parts if you must.
5. Provide the links
I have recently read a beautifully written blog post that ended with “Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Twitter.” Awesome! I will!
There was a little problem. The author did not provide his twitter handle or a link to his LinkedIn profile. I volunteered to take the extra step and search, but his name was too common and produced more results than I had hoped for. He lost a very interested follower who now cannot recall his name.
(Oh, you can find me on Twitter @nizarsaqqar).
4. Keep it short
The first thing I often do is scroll-down to get a sense of how long an article is. If I find myself scrolling for too long, I probably don’t have the time to read it, and am moving on to another one I could fly through before having to get back to my work.
Not all potential readers behave the same way, but it is safe to say that many would have priorities over reading your work. Keep your article short, to the point, and divide it into several parts if you must.
5. Provide the links
I have recently read a beautifully written blog post that ended with “Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Twitter.” Awesome! I will!
There was a little problem. The author did not provide his twitter handle or a link to his LinkedIn profile. I volunteered to take the extra step and search, but his name was too common and produced more results than I had hoped for. He lost a very interested follower who now cannot recall his name.
(Oh, you can find me on Twitter @nizarsaqqar).