In an ocean of content like the Internet, how can you be more effective with your writing so that people read you? That was the question that led me to work on my writing skills. Today I’ll share with you how I improved my online writing in 4 simple, yet powerful steps. When you put into practice the recommendations in this blog post, your messages will be able to reach your audience more directly. Shall we begin?
Step 1 Acceptance
Is writing the same as ‘ writing for the Internet’? The answer is a bold no You have to accept it, you have to stop holding on to all the college essays you wrote really well, your collection of poems, and the writings you never showed to anyone. Believe me, it’s for your good. Let’s take a closer look at why online texts need to be written in a specific way to be engaging and readable.
- The amount of information displayed on the screen is ever-increasing It’s not about reading shampoo instructions while you’re in the bathroom, we have too much to choose from and that means we can quickly abandon text that doesn’t interest us.
- Our digital behavior is not the same as our offline behavior. While browsing, we look for quick solutions, ideas that get to the point,t or, any information that will solve a problem as quickly as possible.
Once I changed this mindset, I started to study other ways to optimize my writing. Among them, is the next step.
Step 2 Write, write, and write.e
Beyond trying to make writing a habit – which I highly recommend – I am referring to the act of writing many versions of your texts before settling on the final one . I know we don’t always have all the time in the world to create multiple versions of the sametext but stick with me. This is a way to gamify practice and refine your writing. Yes, it’s like a game: with each new version you write, you unlock levels of creativity and style. This is great for getting rid of your “commonplaces” when writing. Those phrases you always use because they’re the first thing that comes to mind. The idea is to let your imagination run wild and write until you have as many versions as you consider necessary for your goal. Once you have them, you’ll choose the most effective one for your text. This practice works for headlines, email subject lines, calls to action, and copies of all kinds! Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
Step 3 Map out your reader’s path
You’ve seen it before: an online text must solve a problem and get to the point So how do we get the reader to this point? I used to go around in circles with my texts too. If I was going to talk about ‘ how to take photos of your product for Instagram ‘, I would start with the origin story of the social network and a lot of information that diluted all the attention I got with the title instantly. Your text must have a coherent order between one idea and another, always seeking to solve the problem that the person came to solve.
If possible, try to make the reader want to read the text as they go along. This is not as easy as it sounds, but some practices can help you:
- Give the first two paragraphs the importance they deserve. As they are the first thing the user sees, they serve to set the stage and answer a question, despite not fully developing the solution.
- Use turning points to connect one idea to another. Phrases like ‘but…’ and ‘however…’ keep the reader’s attention.
- Analyze your text once you have it. Make sure that each idea moves forward and doesn’t stagnate or go backward Above all, they make sense when you put them all together.
Step 4 Understand that rhythm is not just for music
If reading has a time, it also has a rhythm. This is a key factor in keeping the reader engaged. When you don’t take this into account, boring texts come out. Of course, everyone has their rhythm and style when writing, so I invite you to experiment with yours, I still do!
Here are some tips for your experiment:
- Combine short and long sentences.
- Don’t be afraid of breaks. Try them!
- Rely on punctuation marks to keep your sentences flowing.
- Read your texts out loud. Take note of what you can improve.
What was the last thing you read that you enjoyed while you were writing it? It probably had a good pace.
Go on an adventure!
How I improve my online writing? By writing and publishing. Now it’s your turn! Don’t be afraid to try or make mistakes. Write about what you’re passionate about, take note of where you need to improve, share your content with your friends or family, andd ask for feedback. Your best writing is yet to come.