Plain Language Now
Action Packed Writing
When you repurpose print material for the Web, be sure to write action-oriented content, include accessible and interactive features and avoid PDFs.Repurpose Print Material for the Web
Want to repurpose your office’s informative brochure for the Web? Great idea!After all, our society loves to repurpose: the long article that becomes a brief but hilarious Tweet, the beloved coffee mug that becomes a pencil holder or the awful fruit cake that becomes your least favorite cousin’s holiday gift.
But remember the following before you strip the words from your print material to post them on your Web pages:
- Keep content actionable – Print materials are ideal for storytelling; their multi-page formats allow for great detail and background information. However, Web content should be more action-oriented because readers normally want to complete a task or find specific information. Encourage readers to scroll to other sections as well as signal what information comes next.
- Include interactive features – Unlike print materials, Web content offers more opportunities to interact with your readers through multimedia. To increase interaction, include links with clear descriptions, videos with captioning, and relevant images with your text.
- Avoid PDFs – As tempting as it possibly is, resist the urge to post portable document files (PDFs). Many readers dislike PDFs and will opt to skip them. So, take the valuable time to rewrite your content in a Web-friendly format with descriptive headings, easy-to-scan paragraphs and everyday wording.
Summary
When you repurpose print material for the Web, be sure to write action-oriented content, include accessible and interactive features and avoid PDFs.Plain Language for Scanners
Research shows that most readers only scan Web content. Learn how to write for online audiences.How to Write Effective Web Content
How do you know when you’ve read effective Web writing? Well, it’s the same experience as when you eat a plateful of spaghetti: You don’t need to consume all of it to be satisfied.Research shows that most readers only scan Web content. But you can still offer them a satisfying experience even if they don’t read line-by-line or word-for-word.
To create effective Web content, follow these recommendations:
- Place the most important information at the top – Often, Web readers are on a mission to complete a task or find specific guidance on which person to contact or how to solve a problem. So, give crucial details at the beginning of your Web page then provide background information. PlainLanguage.gov explains this journalism model known as the Inverted Pyramid.
- Write reader-friendly content – Use plain language techniques to create content that is easy to understand. For example, consider a format of short paragraphs for readers to scan. Also, choose informative headings and everyday words to communicate a clear message. Got a good, but lengthy, story to share? Either, save it for Thanksgiving dinner (when you have a captive audience) or think twice before you post it online; your readers might not make it to the end. For more tips on user-friendly content, check out Usability.gov’s “Writing for the Web.”
- Follow federal standards – Keep in mind federal standards and approval processes as you create content that is not only engaging but also accessible for every reader. Your content’s accessibility depends on several key Web elements, including alternative text, file names, links and visual aids such as images, lists and tables. For more resources on how to meet accessibility requirements under federal law, visit our agency’s Section 508 page. Or learn more about our video series titled “How to Make an Accessible Document in Microsoft Word.”
Summary
Offer your readers a satisfying experience by writing effective Web content. Be sure to put the most important information up front, use plain language techniques and follow federal standards for Web writing. To increase effectiveness, organize information or tasks based on your audience’s goals, and write Web content with your readers’ interests in mind.A Closer Look at 'Listicles'
Are you familiar with listicles? (If your answer is 'Yes, a listicle is a combination of a list and an icicle,' please keep reading for clarification.)A listicle is an article that you write as a list. This format is popular on the Web or in magazines because it allows a writer to quickly gain readers’ attention. It’s also convenient for writers to create during tight turnaround times.
As far as plain language, listicles typically use many tools from our agency’s Plain Language Tool Kit, such as white space, concise headings and everyday words.
Check out my example below.
Top 5 Tips for Writing Listicles
- Choose an appropriate number of topics (preferably an odd number – 5, 7 or 9) for your title, and consider title words that show significance, for instance “Top 3 Articles on Commercial Space Launches” or “The 11 Greatest Aerospace Pioneers.”
- Decide which type of listicle works best for your audience: random (a group of info with no formal structure), thematic (topics grouped by theme) or ranking (items presented in order of importance).
- Create relevant and engaging content for each item in the list – interesting tidbits, unique perspectives, or significant but lesser-known facts. Such content is important if you want readers to view your listicle as more than entertainment.
- Base your tone (humorous or scholarly) on your audience.
- Keep content easy to scan. Otherwise, your readers may move on to a different listicle – “The Ultimate 7 Celebrity Baby Names.”
Documents in Pieces
Use the following plain language techniques to create an effective document with multiple sections and pages.Sometimes our work requires us to write lengthy documents. After all, long documents, such as regulations and policy, serve worthwhile purposes...They just don’t make for the best vacation reading.
Use the following plain language techniques to create an effective document with multiple sections and pages:
- Organize your document to suit your readers – Sure, you had to write the full document, but that doesn’t mean your audience needs to read all of it. Create a well-organized, detailed table of contents so that readers have a clear roadmap of how to navigate your document’s numerous pages. For more guidance, read Section 3.b. “Organize to Serve Your Readers” of Writing User-Friendly Documents.
- Divide your document into short sections – Short sections should include informative headings and subheadings that guide your readers to important information. Be sure to choose the type of heading that works best for your audience: question (Need to look up an N-number?), topic (N-numbers), or statement (How to look up an N-number). Also, add white space (space that separates pieces of text from each other or from the sides of the page) to present your content in a clean, uncrowded way. The Plain Language Tool Kit offers “Format Tools,” such as short sentences and headings, to maximize your content’s effectiveness in short sections.
- Use visual aids to break up text and highlight key content – Tables and lists often are popular ways to communicate key points or steps. They’re easier for readers to scan because they use fewer words, and they present complex information in a simple format. With tables and lists, your audience can better identify related items or understand the chronological order of steps to a process. You also can use these aids to show which guidance applies to which audience (for example, instructions for pilots versus instructions for mechanics).
Summary
Yes, you shouldn’t write a long document for length’s sake. But when it’s unavoidable, consider your plain language options on how to write a lengthy but effective document. If you use format tools and visual aids, you will lead your readers to the information you need to share as well as the content that best suits their interests.Simple is Better
Often, a business email is a simple, more efficient way to communicate than a letter or memo. However, the impact of its message can be as far-reaching as any formal correspondence.Plain Language and Business Email: A Simple Message for Meaningful Results
Often, a business email is a simple, more efficient way to communicate than a letter or memo. However, the impact of its message can be as far-reaching as any formal correspondence.So, before you hit “Send” or “Reply,” keep in mind the following:
- Start with a strong “Subject” Line - To motivate readers to open your email, choose a subject line that is concise and reflects the general content of the message. For example, use “Your Edits to Aviation History Article – Due 3/30/16” instead of “Edits.” The GovDelivery Infographic “From Inbox to Outcome: Create Emails that Make a Difference” recommends a subject line of 8 words or less. If you need word suggestions, refer to PlainLanguage.gov’s list of “Simple Words and Phrases.”
- Write a clear message - When you exchange dozens of emails with coworkers to clarify an issue, you defeat the main purpose of email: efficient communication. To increase clarity, use concise wording, short paragraphs and bulleted lists (or a numbered list if you describe the steps of a process). David Shipley and Will Schwalbe, the authors of “Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home,” recommend that you state your request for information or action early in the email. Never assume your reader will read to the end, particularly because more people view emails on smartphones and tablets.
- Be appropriate with your wording - Emails are like hot air balloons: You never fully know their final destination. The person who receives your email could forward it to someone without your permission. Or, as a searchable record, your email could be released due to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Simple solution: Stick with the wording you use in front of your spiritual guru or your grandmother. For more information concerning FOIA and email, read “FOIA Tip: Disclaimers May Not Offer the Protection You Might Think.”
Summary
Don’t underestimate the power and reach of your daily business emails! For meaningful results, simply include a strong subject, clear message and appropriate wording.It's Different Online
Plain language writing for the Web: It's more than just the words you use!Plain Language Writing for the Web: Know Your Audience
If you want your Web content to suit the public’s needs and interests, then before you write, use these tools to learn about your readers:- Avoid assumptions - Your Web content won’t be that useful if you write about meat, and it turns out your readers are mostly vegetarian. Spare your readers that disappointment. As Janice Redish advises in her book “Letting Go of the Words,” gather information about your audience’s questions, tasks and stories. That way, your content will deliver the answers and outcomes your readers expect and will also reflect their experience.
- Test your content - Friends don’t let friends post weak Web content. Share your draft content with members of your target audience to learn whether it meets their needs or captures their interest. In its section “Identify your users and their top tasks,” PlainLanguage.gov also recommends that you communicate with your readers and ask them what they want.
- Use analytics - Well-meaning spouses and guilt-ridden children lie. Numbers usually don’t! Web analytic tools are online, and some are free such as Google Analytics. Analytics offer key info about your Web content, like which pages your readers find the most popular or frequently download.
Summary:
Plain language and clear, usable Web content depend on more than just the words you use. To meet your readers needs and interests, always know your audience, field-test your content and use Web analytic tools. As a result, your Web content will work for and appeal to a wider audience.Writing for the Web
Are the plain language tools you'd use in your documents the same tools you'd use to write your Web pages?In our fast-paced society, time is as valuable as a vintage handbag or a classic pocket watch. Use these tips to help your readers quickly navigate your Web content:
- Less is more – When your Web content is concise, your readers can easily find information and quickly complete tasks. Plain language experts often say “focus on topics, not stories,” and “provide information, not documents.” For example, if the topic of your Web page is bicycle injuries, stick to that point. Don’t include stories about your own love for bikes. Save those for your online dating profile.
- Use clear verbs – When writers add “ing” to clear verbs, they unfortunately create words like “avoiding, caring and seeing.” Look at what happens when you remove that “ing” from those three words to create the clear verbs in this sample:
- How to avoid stress
- Care a little less about everything.
- See the first point.
- How to avoid stress
- Cut the jargon: Use everyday words – Even if you write for a technical audience, use words everyone can understand. As readers scan your content, they should have more interest in, not questions about, it. People should be able to understand your Web content the FIRST time they read it.
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