2009

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How readable is your copy?

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | View on own page?

It goes without saying that readability is important when it comes to writing your marketing copy. You want your readers to take on board what you’re saying, retain the information you’re sharing and respond positively to it.

So clear phrasing, simple sentences and avoidance of jargon are essential to getting your points over clearly and making your document easy to read.

It can be interesting to run your efforts through an independent check. There are a number of online tools but one of the most readily available is probably already on your PC (if you’re a Word user that is).

Word’s Readability Statistics can be activated within the Spelling & Grammar check. Go to Tools on the main menu bar, then Options. Click the Spelling & Grammar tab and tick the Show readability statistics box. After every spellcheck a statistics window will then summarise your document, including its readability based on a Flesch Reading Ease score between 0 (extremely complex) and 100 (very easy to understand).

A Flesch score of 90–100 approximates to an average 11-year old’s understanding while 0–30 suggests the document will be better understood by graduates. This article scores 45.6 for example.

Austrian author
Now if, like me, you weren’t previously aware of Flesch Reading Ease, you probably don’t know much about Rudolph Flesch (1911-86) either. Born in Austria, he was an author and readability expert who was one of the first to champion plain English usage in the US. As well as his reading ease test, Flesch was co-creator of the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability test which is also featured in Word’s Readability Statistics. This scores readability on a scale equivalent to a US school grade level.

Even language experts accept that such formulas are only a rough guide. But if you need reassurance that your writing meets the right clarity criteria, then Word’s readability stats are a useful check.

The online Readability Test Tool uses the Flesch tests described here as well as other recognised readability formulas such as Gunning Fog to evaluate your website copy (just enter the URL), or any other text by direct input.

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How to Produce a Customer Newsletter – Part 5: Holding your readers’ attention

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 | View on own page?

To get results your newsletter needs to present relevant content in a style that meets the reading habits of your audience. And it’s the same whether you’re broadcasting a particular offer, or just reminding customers and prospects about what you do.

So how do you go about it? In this increasingly visual-driven age you have to meet the needs of the scan-reader – which most of us now especially when it comes to online reading. As such, we don’t necessarily read every word but look for sign-posts in the layout to tell us we’re in the right place, or that there’s something on the page worth reading.

Pace your reader

First, organise your information so the article’s main thrust is clear at the start and your readers know what it’s about. Write in the pyramid style, starting at the apex (important points first) and expanding outwards with your supporting arguments so the least essential comes last. If you’re editing contributions by others, you may find the real message buried among the waffle so dig deep to pull it out otherwise your readers will give up and miss it completely.

Get your information across in short paragraphs, and keep your vocabulary simple. Explain jargon. Your intention is get your message over simply and clearly in an easy read. You don’t want to bamboozle your readers, or drive them to a dictionary.

Use rhetorical questions to keep your readers engaged. These are the newsletter equivalent of fiction’s page-turners and will grab your readers’ attention as they highlight solutions they may be seeking. Sub-headings, bulleted lists and highlighted keywords and phrases visually break up your copy and make it easier for readers to find information relevant to them.

Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy

When it comes to the story itself, accuracy is paramount. Misspell someone’s name, or get a figure or a fact wrong, and that will be the only thing anyone will remember about the article, no matter how well written.

Check and double check. Ideally have two people proofread everything and be especially careful about headlines and captions.

Finally, when you’re ready to publish, it’s a good idea to read what you’ve written aloud, or have someone read your words back to you. You may be surprised at the difference between what you think you communicated as you wrote, and how it comes across.

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Write your way out of recession

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 | View on own page?

Business is certainly going through a tough time at the moment but one lesson from previous downturns appears to have been learnt – your marketing has never been more important.

And neither have the words that make up your website, newsletters, case studies or news items.

Once upon a time marketing and PR were the first budgets to be cut as companies ran for cover at the first signs of economic trouble. Now entrepreneurial businesses see such times as the opportunity to grab market share and steal a march on more timid competitors.

If your business wants to flourish and buck the economic conditions, then backing your sales efforts with more lead generating activity is a must. That means making a reality of those good intentions you’ve been harbouring. Just like the canny shares investor who buys when the market is low to cash in later on, businesses need to get that website in order, collate their expertise into a vibrant case study library and showcase their industry knowledge and confidence in a white paper.

Trounce the competition

Making worthwhile content freely available in this way will feed the clamour for service, product and market information your customers and prospects generate. As budgets tighten, they’ll be researching more before they buy to ensure their money is well spent. Provide the information they’re looking for to make these important decisions and you’ll be best placed to trounce the competition.

You can make this content available from your website or use it proactively to generate leads. For example, consider an email campaign that uses the carrot of a free white paper on an emerging trend or technology in your industry to drive your targets towards your wider services.

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How to Produce a Customer Newsletter – Part 4: Planning your schedule and managing deadlines

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 | View on own page?

Forward planning your newsletter ensures you won’t struggle for something to say when the next issue falls due. Just draw up an editorial schedule to map out the content issue by issue.

Aim to do this for a period covering at least the next quarter. Check your diary and enter potential articles that tie-in with key cycles in your company’s calendar. Then, depending on the size of your operation, flesh out and confirm the details with colleagues whose input and co-operation you’ll be seeking to make them happen, perhaps in the form of a regular editorial meeting. Build in some flexibility as the newsletter needs to be responsive to shifts in company direction or changes in its marketplace.

Set time aside for articles

You can then start generating articles that aren’t time-sensitive, such as case studies and ‘how to’ pieces and have them ready well in advance. These will also be good stand-bys when a planned story gets pulled at the last minute.

Set some regular time aside to work on this library, say a half hour each week, so you can count on getting the articles completed in spite of busy periods.

Again, it may be appropriate to delegate some articles to those with specific knowledge or responsibilities, or at least have them provide you with input you can edit into the final piece. Guest articles showcasing customers or outside contributors are another useful way of spreading the load.

Managing deadlines

You’ll need to set dates by which all submissions must be written and received – and a final date for the complete issue’s sign-off. Work backwards from your target issue date, allowing time for all the production elements, and set your published deadline a day or two before the real one to give yourself some extra time.

Ensure everyone appreciates that the deadline is exactly that and that articles will appear unchanged unless amendments or comments are in beforehand. Approvers should delegate if they’re not going to be around at the appropriate time themselves and be restricted to just correcting factual inaccuracies. You don’t want them putting their personal stamp on the newsletter’s overall style and tone.

Lastly, one person should have the final say on the complete issue – involving any more will only cause confusion and probably delay you in getting it out.

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