It’s all in the words, they say. Words can turn you content from drab to fab, make people notice your businesses, positively impact your marketing and drive customers to your door.
Plus engaging content is highly impactful when it comes to conversions.
However, while attention grabbing words are important, quality copy is even more vital. The basic principles of good writing still apply no matter the type of content you are developing. These are the tried, tested and refined methods — the very basics.
Below is a list of 7 basic principles of good writing that you should keep in mind:
Write vividly
Which is to say that you should use specific nouns and verbs when writing content, as opposed to lengthy strings of wanton (and unnecessary) adjectives and adverbs. Your readers are interested in content, after all, Try not to bring too much stuff and fluff into it.
Keep it short
Almost everyone is busy these days, and most people barely have enough time to read. Don’t burden your customers and readers with lengthy blocks of text. Use short words, short sentences, short paragraphs and short pages — keep it concise, keep it succinct if you desire maximum impact.
Important things first
This point builds upon the previous one, in the sense that you want to place the most important information near the beginning. Make it a habit to stick the weighty words at the start of sentences and paragraphs. In fact, start with them if you can.
Skip the jargon
Like it or not, but experts is a subjective word. A person might be great at one or two things, good in a few others, but that does not make him or her an authority on everything. Point being, use ordinary language that everyone can understand, rather than compiling a gobbledygook of terminology.
Proofread your text
The best way to check your content for grammar and flow is to read your text out loud. It is by far the easiest way to find mistakes. Also use your word processor to check for spelling and typos. A site full of errors gives your visitors an impression that you’re sloppy. Yikes!
Have others read what you write
Now this is a pro tip. If you wrote a lot of content for your online business, there may come a time when you will get too close to your writing. Have someone else do the reading and ask for their feedback for accuracy, clarity, omissions and oversights. Every once in a while, that is.