When people start writing online, they use a familiar way: they do it as their English teacher taught them.

The only problem is that this way is usually wrong.

Grab attention and inform

You see, our teachers taught us to use the greatest variety of vocabulary possible in a proper academic style. That’s how you could get an A+ in your essay and impress your teacher.

But online writing is all about simplicity and getting your message across.

Your sole purpose is to grab attention and educate, entertain or inspire your audience.

There are two steps to follow to achieve that:

· Be clear

· Persuade your audience

There is no other way.

The internet is a vast place with billions of users fighting for attention. You need to think a bit like a marketer or a salesman to convey your message. That’s the only way to make your audience stop scrolling and read what you have to say.

So, when writing online, use these five tips that can help you write with more clarity and purpose:

1. Adapt your style and tone according to each type of content and medium

That’s the first step to follow, and it’s often overlooked. There is no “one size fits all” rule when writing online. First, you need to consider what type of content you want to write about and for what medium.

These are some different content type examples:

· Blog posts

· Articles

· Newsletters

· Website content

· Product descriptions

· Social media posts

· E-books

Not all of them follow the same rules. For example, if you have happened to read some of my articles or movie reviews, my writing style and vocabulary are not precisely the same as here.

Sometimes, you need to adapt your style and tone according to each genre or format of content.

2. Don’t use long sentences and paragraphs

Despite the differences in each content type and medium, there are certain rules of thumb to follow.

One of them is to avoid writing long sentences and paragraphs.

This is an example of a really long sentence that attempts to convince you that big chunks of text are useless and a complete waste of time because, as you know, no one is going to read this monstrous thing without getting a headache or maybe even trying to stick a pen in their eyes to relieve themselves of this torture once and for all.

Long sentences and paragraphs are exhausting for the reader. Please avoid them at all costs when writing online.

Instead, write short sentences and paragraphs that are easy to read. Like this one.

People’s attention span is limited. So, don’t force them to go back to remember what you wrote at the beginning of your sentence. You risk losing their attention.

3. Write like you talk at a family dinner

Keep that in mind: Your English teacher is not here, and you don’t have to impress anyone anymore.

When writing online, you don’t give a speech at the Parliament or in front of the Nobel prize committee.

Instead, imagine you are at a fancy restaurant with your family, having a nice dinner. The way you talk there is close to the way you should use when writing online. Simple, conversational and not pretentious.

Online writing sounds more like a casual conversation rather than a well-prepared speech.

4. Get to the point and cut the fluff

The amount of written content generated daily is so vast that it’s impossible to calculate.

People are fighting for attention and to get their message across to their audience.

That means that no one wants to read extensive, time-consuming posts online.

You may be the best writer out there, using the English language like Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens or Mark Twain combined; if you can’t get to the point as fast as possible, your audience will skip your post.

So, avoid lengthy introductions and cut the fluff.

5. Minimize jargon

When you write a technical paper for a specific audience, it’s okay to add technical terms and jargon words. But most of the written content online is addressed to a broader audience.

That means specialized terms or expressions used in specific industries or fields can be difficult for people outside those industries to understand.

So, try to minimize jargon, use clear and simple language whenever possible, and explain any technical terms you use.

Examples:

· Instead of “the company has a low ROI”, write “investors do not make so much money from this investment”.

· Instead of “the company has a strong brand equity”, write “the company has a strong reputation and is well-known for its products”.

That’s how you make your online writing more accessible and engaging for your audience.

Recap

In summary, these are five rules to follow when writing online:

1. Adapt your style and tone according to each type of content and medium

2. Don’t use long sentences and paragraphs

3. Write like you talk at a family dinner

4. Get to the point and cut the fluff

5. Minimize jargon

That’s all for this week.

Thanks for reading.