They say content is king. Well, if you want an approachable ruler, you had better make sure your content is the best it can be. When writing for an online audience, there are certain rules you need to respect.
Whether for your company’s website or blog, your content needs to be appealing. Your target audience has the attention span of a toddler in a circus, so your message needs to work fast.
I’m here to help you figure out if your content is helping or hurting your business. This list is more than a suggestion, it’s a set of guidelines you need to be using.
Your business will improve if you apply the following advice to your online content.
Write for Fifth Graders
Your content should be easy to read for anyone who comes across it. This includes short sentences and paragraphs. The words shouldn’t be difficult to pronounce either. If your audience has to struggle to read your message, they’ll move on.
Break up that Text
Do you know who likes to read long blocks of uninterrupted text? Me neither. You need to separate your content with compelling subheadings and lists. Don’t let quotes or statistics scare you away either.
Picture Perfect Posts
Speaking of too much text, you should be using images to give your audience’s eyes a rest. Pictures also help provide support for the topic you’re writing about. Depending on the image you use, they can add personality to your content.
Headings – More than Bold Text
The headings and subheadings of your content needs get a response from your audience. Which would you rather read:
Small Business Content Tips
or
The Top 5 Proven Ways to Instantly Improve your Content
The second headline tells readers what to expect and how it can help them. The value in the content is relevant and sharable. The best headlines are a mix of dramatic and realistic. If you browse through our blog, you’ll find that all of our content has titles that engage readers.
Match your Tone
Your content’s tone needs to be consistent across your website and blog. While the latter should be more conversational, your audience needs to recognize your voice. Whether through the layout or structure, there has to be uniformity.
These are just a few tips for improving the content on your website and blog. I haven’t even touched on social media content yet.
For more advice on content creation and writing for online audiences, take a look at our other posts. If there’s a topic you’d like us to talk about, send us a message on Twitter @AFT_Media or head to our Facebook page.