Three principles will take you a long way towards writing clearly: Use short words Use short sentences Use short paragraphs. Judgement is always required, but the three short rules are an excellent starting point. When in doubt, keep it short....
Blog: Content writing and content strategy insights
Posts tagged "Tips"
Tip: Use lists of 3-7 items
Ideally, dot-point lists should not be longer than around 7 items. That's because the average person (you and I) can hold between 5-9 items in our short term memory. If a dot-point list has more than 7 items, then readers:...
Tip: Put the main message first
Put your main message or a summary of your document first, after the headline. In fact, the very first 6 words should give a strong clue about what's in the document. Assume other people will read only the first line...
Tip: Don't use apostrophes to make words plural
When you make a word plural by adding s, don't use an apostrophe. CORRECT: words, apples, peas, the Joneses, CDs, 1950s. See? It's wrong to write apple's, pea's, CD's, 1950's or PC's. That apostrophe is just downright wrong. People rudely...
Tip: Use the magic word "You"
You is a powerful way to communicate clearly. When a sentence starts with you, that sentence will most probably be easy to understand. Better still, you sentences are easy to write. It’s hard to get into a tangle using the...