Tips on creating content for online communications
Description: The following article gives advice about writing online articles with writing for the Community site in mind.
While the principles below are best practice for all written communication – they are particularly important for online communications. Put yourself in your users shoes – the internet is a busy place – lose their attention and they won’t come back!
Think about your own attitude to websites. Typically we don’t read them like a book. We tend to scan a page for information of relevance. Bear this in mind when writing for the web.
1. Keep it simple – follow the Plain English campaign
Keep your sentences short
Prefer active verbs
Hint: read through content and look out for words ending in ‘ing’ - typically these make sentences passive (you will complete NOT you will be completing)
Use ‘you’ and ‘we’
Avoid jargon
Hint: in general you should aim for an eleven year old to be capable of understanding your content
Be clear with instructions
Avoid nominalisations
Hint: the examples below show common mistakes when over complicating language.
We had a discussion about the matter.
We discussed the matter.
There will be a stoppage of trains by drivers.
Drivers will stop the trains.
The implementation of the method has been done by a team.
A team has implemented the method.
2. Hyperlink URLs – make easy click through links
The ‘add link’ icon is vital – never copy and paste links without using the add link tool. It’s this button:
Try to avoid the ‘click here’ syndrome. Believe it or not there is an art to hyperlinking and we are now hardwired to it. See!
3. Use the formatting tools – don’t copy and paste complex designs
The clever Brand Communications team have made life easy for you. The format tool bar means you never have to worry about pantones, font type or size.
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Hint: when copying and pasting information from another website or document, copy and paste it first into notepad to remove existing formatting.
4. Use the media tool – don’t copy and paste images
When you add content you will see a ‘Media’ tab in the left side menu. Add your images here, instead of directly into the body of the text, and your text will automatically wrap around the image.
5. Capture people’s attention – think about your headline
If you want people to do something, be clear about the action in your heading: Share your views – GCSE results
Attachment: