The Best Write Answer

December 03

ONLINE TIPS
The landscape of writing has changed.  We all know that.  But it seems that very few know how to navigate the new terrain.  The first thing to do is to realize where we are right now.  Long feature articles in print magazines still have a place in this world, but the fact is that most of what we read these days is online.  And "long" is not a friendly word for today's online readers.  Short, pithy, relevant, and honest-- that's what we need today.

1)  Short -- Studies have been done showing that online reading has actually rewired our brains.  We just don't have the capacity anymore, let alone the patience, to read long wordy copy.  Get on with it, or your readers will click away in a heartbeat.  Use sub-headers and bullet points to divide your writing into smaller, easy-to-read and easy to skim "packets".  Your readers will appreciate it!

2)  Pithy -- Given the fact that copy needs to be short, what you say needs to get to the point and mean something.  No more time for clever, flowery sentences that take the reader on a journey.  Make it short and make it meaty.

3)  Relevant -- Since online readers lack the patience they had in the good old days of print media, you've got to make your message not only be short and pithy, but it has to mean something to each individual.  If it's not relevant to their needs, wants, and desires, they will leave and never give you another thought.

4)  Honest -- We all know by now that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.  And your readers know that, too.  Don't blow a lot of air up their undies with over-stated claims and hyperbole.  Unless you ARE the best, the most trusted, the most effective or whatever the claim is, don't say it!  And never promise what you don't or can't deliver.  If you ever lose your readers' trust, you will seldom have a chance to regain it.  Worse yet, dishonesty gets talked about, and you don't need that kind of bad publicity.

Master the art of online writing, and you'll be far ahead of the competition. But if you can't or don't have time, don't risk losing visitors to your website.  Hire a professional writer -- it's worth it the cost and will keep your visitors engaged and ready to hear more from you.

www.BestWriteAnswer.com




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