If you’ve heard the phrase “content is king” and don’t know what it means, I’ll make it clear right now. Every single business in this world leverages content to sell its products. Whether it’s text, graphics, imageries, audios, or videos – that is all content.
Products and services are simply the value that businesses offer to clients. However, for those offers to be remarked, they must be packed properly in order to look attractive. Click To TweetThat’s when content kicks. When you look at the biggest brands like Coca-Cola, Walmart, Amazon, or Old Spice, you see excellent marketing campaigns that are targeted towards specific audiences.
For example, Coca-Cola targets the youth generation by developing content that teenagers enjoy. Old Spice has a different style: they create humor and deliver it through exceptional short video ads.
Nevertheless, all these giant companies have understood a very important principle: for their content to be effective, they must focus on simplifying the complex messages behind their words.
Simplicity and a marketing campaign template are key to any successful marketing campaign. Every message that you send towards your audience must be simple and clear. Writing tools can be of great help.
In today’s post, I’m sharing 5 tips to simplify content for your audience. Take some notes and make sure you put these practices into implementation.
Know Who You’re “Speaking” To
There are many types of writing. There’s technical writing, creative writing, academic writing, business writing, copywriting, and much more. When you write for an audience, you’re writing for business purposes, therefore you’re practicing business writing.
While I was in college, there was a frequent need to write my research papers, an aspect that constantly troubled my mind. A key lesson that I’ve learned is that I need to write for the person who will be reading.
Every teacher had different values and perspectives. Therefore, by aligning my writing to every teacher’s specific expectations, I no longer had problems getting As. Before I was able to do that, I had to identify my teacher’s values!
This applies perfectly to business writing. When you create content, you need to predict who will be reading it. That way, you will be able to create a much better rapport with your readers. The best way to do that is to research your audience before you begin writing. That will keep things simple for both you and your prospects!
Avoid Blocks of Text
A block of text is a reader’s worst nightmare. Since most internet users skim content before consuming it, very few will be brave enough to start reading a clogged piece of text.
Take a look at this article. As you can see, I’m separating my paragraphs and I’m keeping my sentences as short as I can. That makes the text easier to read and digest!
Imagine Having a Dialogue with One Reader Only
When you develop content, focus on a reader only.
[box]Speak as if you were having a dialogue with someone face-to-face. Use the word “you”, ask the reader questions, and prioritize the dialogue. If you focus on that, you will be able to create a strong rapport that will generate both interest and attention. [/box]
Once again, you can explore this article to observe and realize that I’m addressing you and just you!
Include Highly Relevant Images and Videos that Speak for Themselves
Complex information is only complicated if the package is hard to decipher. For example, an article that aims to deliver technical or complex meanings can be simplified with the use of images and videos.
A wise person said that “an image is worth a thousand words”. I’m here to say that a video is probably worth a million words, but only if it’s the right video. Many people are visual learners, so they understand concepts by analyzing the visual cues.
Infographics are excellent resources that can replace texts that contain thousands of words. If you want your audience to remember your content, an infographic can put everything in context because it contains both text and visuals.
However, if you dispose of the necessary resources, creating and inserting videos between text and images is definitely an effective way to enhance the power of your message.
Avoid Jargons and Use the Prioritize the Active Voice
If you’re absolutely sure that your readers will understand your jargons, you can add one or two per each post.
[box]However, if you’re not 100% sure that your audience is made of “insiders” who understand complicated terms that you’ll be using, avoid jargons and go for common words. [/box]
Secondly, you should avoid the passive voice and prioritize the active one. The active voice (“Jane ate cheese” is much more digestible than the passive one (Cheese was eaten by Jane).
Takeaways
If you’re a content developer that’s just getting into business writing, your primary instinct would be to create fancy content. As you gain some experience, you’ll realize that simplicity is key to offering your readers a smooth reading experience. Simplicity is hard but definitely necessary. Start leveraging today’s advice and start simplifying your content as much as you can! Paularoloye helps 10x businesses by connecting them with the right targeted audiences boosting their sales and return on investment.
BIO: Robert Everett is a passionate content writer who currently helps students with complicated essay assignments. His passion for academic writing has taken shape while working for Edubirdie, an assignment company that helped him evolve professionally. His future plans are to travel the world as an independent writing freelancer.