Write better online posts

Guidelines for effective writing on blogs and websites

While not specifically an emerging technology, writing about emerging technologies is becoming more and more important. To paraphrase Marshall McLuhan, how you write conveys information just as surely as what you write.

Below are some of the main points from the article from ReadWriteWeb:

Best Practices For Writing For Online Readers

By Dave Copeland / March 16, 2012 1:00 PM

I have less than 30 seconds to capture your attention with this post, so here goes: if you read some, most or all of the next 750 words or so, you will know how to write Web copy that is more useful to readers of your blog or Web site.

I can talk for hours on the subject, but if asked for the most effective ways to get online readers to read what you write, I would offer these strategies as the most important, which are backed up by eye-track studies as being an effective way to get your message across to online readers:

1. Write compelling but clear headlines: Don't get cute. Online and in print, the headline is almost always the first thing readers look at. Make sure it is clear and gives a good idea of what the post is about, while still leaving the reader wanting more.


2. Write in the active voice: Effective online writing is all about getting to the point, and on a line-by-line basis, the most effective way to do that is to use the active voice, which naturally lends a sense of urgency to your writing. The easiest way to do that is to start each sentence with the subject, immediately follow that with a strong, active verb, and then follow that with the direct object. Avoid adverbs: they're a telling sign that you chose the wrong verb.


3. Online writing is visual: Long, dense paragraphs turn off online readers. Create white space in your copy by keeping paragraphs short and using bulleted lists when appropriate. Use bold text to accent key information and use block or pull quotes to draw readers into the copy.


4. One main idea per sentence: Keep sentences on point. Avoid multiple clauses and phrases, and lots of information stops and commas. Make sure each sentence has one idea, and not much more than that.


5. No sentence without a fact: Every line you write needs to move the story forward. If a sentence doesn't have a fact, cut it.

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