Wordsmith Online

What are you trying to say?

Ever wonder why your wonderful writing fails to retain its readership?  Ensuring your message is communicable can directly impact and transform your sites statistics.

Concise and easily conveyed; that’s what your message should remain throughout any piece of work, otherwise, you might as well say nothing at all.

So, just what is a writer’s most common downfall when it comes to producing high-impact work?  The majority could perhaps argue that it lies within the striving for word count compatibility; and rightly so perhaps.  If you’re 200 words through an already explanatory article and you’ve 200 more words to find, the danger you face is that of falling into the trap of cramming ‘filler’ content into your work, of depreciating any true value your article holds.

Along with common issues such as grammar, punctuation, mundane content or estrangement (baffling readers with the overuse of ‘big’ words like estrangement), another thing to try and avoid are complicated sentences like the one I’ve used to create this entire paragraph, or worse.

I like to work every word of every sentence, sometimes needlessly or impractically, but I always keep one thing in mind… engage the reader throughout.  If the content and its construct engage the reader, then you’re halfway there.   Get the message across just as effectively and by the end of your article, your readers will feel a sense of obligation unto themselves, to return to your work and the sense of gratification they’ve attained from it.

Remember, even factual pieces can be well presented without being lacklustre or conventionally restrained.  So, stand out from the crowd, express yourself and your message, to attract a greater readership and to project a more influential image of yourself and your work.

Words like wordsmith, writer, journalist, author and other such proper sounding titles, exude grand images of literary professionalism, authority and ultimately, superiority, but anyone who loves language could be, fairly or otherwise, categorised as such.  Clearly conveying your message in as concise a manner as possible is crucial, especially if your readers are going to get the message.

Put the hurt on...

A few extra minutes spent shaping an article can leave your readers with a greater sense of appreciation which ultimately, can lead to a steadfast readership.

Your audience can extract much more from your work if you choose to put the hurt on.  It’s big, it’s clever and it’s good mental exercise to extract every last morsel of vitality from your work.

Here are a few examples of putting the hurt on…

• Invention – when done considerately, this method can further pinpoint your intention, meaning or emotion.  A clear example of an invented word would be scaremongery.  A clear example of splicing words would be banoffee.
• Embellishment – an easy to read passage is easier to absorb… FACT.  It’s not necessarily the most satisfying though, i.e. “the band played all night” attracts little attention when compared to “tirelessly, the band played on into the early hours”.
• Composition – play with words, with their place or value in a sentence and don’t be too afraid to incorporate some subtle complication into the flow e.g.  “The band played all night and despite the earlier promises of banoffee pie, the canteen staff enjoyed their scaremongery and lied to the band, claiming it had all gone” or “the dedicated band was subjected to the lies and scaremongery of the mischievous cook, who’s promised banoffee pie was prepared yet hidden”.

So… what of that title and it’s somewhat ambiguous meaning then?   ‘Putin the hert on the ritten werd’ just doesn’t cut it and can gain no justification, agreed? I believe that ‘putting the hurt on’ is a fantastic and simple way to empower your work.

Are you getting your point across?

Audience identification and target marketing:  Making the acquaintance of your audience and understanding its general mindset can be priceless.

Creating the world’s snazziest website and filling it with impeccable copy is a great start for sure, but if nobody visits for a read, why bother at all?

Keep your readers at the helm of your work, so as to shape a more customised and attractive piece.  In/exclusion of particular information and its presentation can prove to be vitally important, so try to consider who might read your writing and what they’ll value most.

Outside of the usual applicable concerns such as net surfing habits or spending patterns, your readers vary in age, race and gender, occupation, class, location and religion and numerous other aspects.   What do they want from you, why are they interested?  What have you got to hold their attention and what goals do they have?

It’s never easy and it’s certainly no exact science, but focus is vital to the realisation of your goals, be it selling, create a readership, attract newcomers or simply to acquire feedback.  Your game plan is every bit as important as the needs of your audience and without it; you could be relying on luck.

If your work is diverse, follow the same path into different, separate websites of your making.  A website that strays from its main topic is bound to lose readers who visit, hoping for a constant feed on their chosen topic of interest.

Simplistic phrases and terminology, absorbable content and neat layout are great attributes for a website, but it always helps to have a FAQ/help section too.

The pulling power of presentation...

Propel your presentation to make it an effective power point for your output.

Few techniques can allure an audience like presentation does.

Before a single word is read, this underestimated and often overlooked application can make a world of difference.

Presentation can improve with the proper application of some key ‘tools’…

• Title – THE ‘header’ and focal point of your audience. This is the only part of your writing that will often be seen before your actual piece e.g. in a list. Sub-headers are also useful for brief elaboration.
• Illustration – Another important focal point which should strikingly capture the essence of your piece.
• Spacing – The space between each line and between each paragraph can dictate the readers all important absorption level and, by default, their retention.
• Font – Actual font type and size can easily attract or deter readers. Suitably sized, simple fonts are a proven must for larger pieces, saving larger eye-catching fonts for intermittent impact.
• Paragraph size – Content can be accentuated with concision; the larger the paragraph, the more dilute your point becomes.
• Colour – The application of colour can be effective when used in moderation.
• Numbering/Bullets – Ideal for… well I’m sure you get the idea from this!

Human nature dictates that if we don’t like the look of something, we’ll instinctively move on, deterred perhaps by our preconceptions. When it comes to the written word, there is no truly applicable attribute e.g. morbid curiosity, to undermine this all important fact.

So, if it’s easy on the eye, it’s all good… time to focus on the writing itself!