Any business content you write needs to have a specific purpose in mind. The purpose of content can vary hugely. It can do anything from raising awareness to promoting products, delivering information and providing advice.
The success of achieving your purpose relies on a number of factors – one of which is readability.
Having content which is readable and engaging is vital if you want to achieve your marketing goals. It shapes your messaging and brand image, and influences the level of trust current and potential customers may have in you. In this blog, I explore the concept of readability and pick out some common readability errors which could be holding your content back.
What is readability?
There are many factors that comprise readability.
Some of the most common elements attached to readability include the words you use, the length of the sentences you write, and the number of sentences you use.
Sentence structure, syntax and average syllable length per word are also factors to consider. So if you keep writing words like onomatopoeia and schadenfreude and wheelbarrow – long words with lots of syllables – then you could see your readability affected negatively.
One of the common ways people judge readability is using a readability checker, such as Readable or The Writer. These will give a readability score, which gives you an indication of what your content is offering from a readability perspective.
In truth though, readability is something it is definitely possible to get too granular and complicated with. Put bluntly, keeping your content simple can in many cases enhance its readability.
It’s worth noting that at time of writing, Google says that readability is not a ranking factor. So even if your readability score is pretty low, that doesn’t mean your page will wallow in the depths of search results. But this could change down the line, and even if it doesn’t, having content with good readability is a definite positive.
Common readability errors
With this in mind then, what kind of factors could be holding your content back. Here are some things to consider when settling down to create content for your brand:
Tone of voice
How you say what you say is key when it comes to strong content. Your ‘tone of voice’ shapes the feel of your content and adds to the overall reader experience.
Your tone of voice should reflect two things: your brand ethos, and the topic about which you are writing.
What is your brand all about? Are you fun and chilled? Or an authority which needs to engage with audiences in a more serious way? Considering your brand’s tone of voice can help you write more consistently and effectively. The topic you are covering is also an important element with regards to tone of voice. If you are writing about something fun and relaxed, let that be reflected in your writing. If the topic is of a more serious nature, then the way you write needs to be in keeping with this.
Overcomplication
If you think of content marketing as a form of communication, and you are doing all the talking, then you naturally want to be understood.
This can be tricky however if your industry or topic area is pretty complicated. If this is the case, then looking to keep your content as simple as it can be without losing any expert insight is the best way to go.
Understanding your audience is key here. If you are writing for people that know your topic well, then you can afford to throw a few more technical elements in. But always bear in mind that each reader will have a different background and level of understanding. This means that if something strikes you as wordy, unclear or overcomplicated, revising the copy is a good idea.
Repetition
A common writing mistake is using the same words too frequently within content. It’s an easy error to make, but if you do not amend repetition before publishing, your readability will suffer.
The key here is checking your work. Never rush pushing something live. Always go over your writing to ensure errors such as repetition are not rearing their ugly head.
Layout and presentation
The way your content is laid out is critical. Huge clumps of text, brimming with nouns and verbs, is a good way to put a reader off. Think about how we consume content these days. Social media has reinvented how we read content, with information delivered in a more punchy and precise way than ever before.
Granted, a blog post needs to be longer than just a handful of words. But keeping that precision in mind when writing your content is a good thing. One way to do this is by separating your content with headers, subheaders and imagery where suitable. This breaks the text up in a way which can enhance the overall readability.
Also be sure to use a text style that is the right size for strong readability. Text which is too small or too big is not what you want. Additionally, pick a font that isn’t going to give your reader a migraine.
Length
The suitable length of content is a tricky area. Google has recently said that the optimal blog post length for SEO should be between 2,100 and 2,400 words. This naturally means there is a temptation to blast out 2000+ words and wait for the magic to happen. But if the topic about which you are writing isn’t deserving of a truly long form blog, then be realistic about this.
Readers don’t like waffle. ‘TL;DR’ is a term you may have come across online. It stands for ‘too long; didn’t read’, and is generally used on forums and discussion boards. But while you are unlikely to get such a comment on your blog or website, the same principle can apply. Content that is unnecessarily long and convoluted is going to put readers off. Remember they are under no obligation to finish what they start when it comes to your
content!
Reimagine your readability today
I hope this blog has proven an interesting read, and has given you a few things to consider when looking to enhance the readability of your current copy, and any future content you are planning to write. Feel free to comment with your own content readability tips! If you require content marketing or copywriting support, feel free to contact me via sean@carduelischr.com. Let’s discuss how we can work together to enhance your business.
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