Guidelines for effective online writing-
Know your audience
To succeed at any kind of writing it is essential to consider your audience. This is especially the case for readers seeking to make links online.
As you plan what you might write, consider the following questions about your intended readership:
• Who are they?
• When, where, and how they will access your article or blog?
• Why will they want to read it?
The answers to these questions will be different from one reader situation to another, but there are common themes.
The people who read your work online are likely to be similar to you in many ways, working (or aspiring to work) in the same industry or a related one.
Some may be more experienced than you, but all will be in search of helpful news or insights about professional issues.
As for when, where and how they are likely to access your post or blog, it will most likely be on the move on a smartphone or tablet, in a hurry. This explains Twitter’s popularity, and makes a compelling case for blog posts or articles being as concise as possible.
Your audience’s motivation for reading your work will be a search for new information. Help them find what they are looking for with a meaningful title, helpful tags or keywords, and a clear structure.
Make it easy to read
People read online differently from how they read print. Eye-tracking studies reveal that readers skim and scan websites, actively searching out information, rather than using the more linear methods associated with reading printed material.
Make it as easy as possible for your reader. Use short sentences and paragraphs with meaningful subheadings. This is especially important for longer pieces.
Ultimately, the length of your article depends on what you’re writing about, but remember your readers will usually be in a hurry, meaning 500–1000 words is as much as they will be prepared to read.
Select your fonts and colours carefully – Sans Serif fonts are easier to read online and you should always try to get a good contrast between the text colour and the background. There’s some great advice on WordPress’s The Daily Post blog.
Write in a way that will connect with your audience and keep them engaged with relevant information. You want your readers to keep coming back and subscribe.
Include pictures
Pictures can also break up text and make it easier to read. A good picture can illustrate your theme and really help to catch your audience’s imagination.
If it isn’t an image you have taken yourself, get permission before you use it if it is protected by Copyright law or follow the applicable conditions if it is covered by Creative Commons.
Pick a title to entice readers
Your title and opening lines need to grab your audience’s attention. The title is what will make visitors decide if they will continue reading.
Captivating titles asking questions, making promises, or heralding useful lists are popular.
Making it discoverable
Including one or two carefully selected key words in your title can also make you easier for search engines to find.
You can use free web tools to analyse which terms feature most frequently in searches.
Choosing the right words in your blog or article title and body text will help you connect searchers to your site by the process known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Select the words on the grounds of being simple and relevant to your subject matter.
