Key Requirements When Writing Professionally For Digital Media
Digital Media
The major digital media for which writing is required are:
Websites : Used to convey company information, advertising, sales brochures/catalogues, promotions, special offers, along with user manuals and tutorials.
E-mail : Any of the above, plus sales proposals, technical reports and newsletters.
Communication in Business
Any business communication must concise and unambiguous. Accuracy is a crucial. Spellcheckers should not be used as the only way of checking documents, but there is no excuse for basic spelling errors. Check grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary yourself. Simple errors can destroy document credibility. Concise writing is difficult:
“The trouble with some words is that they are, basically, overused and unnecessary. To all intents and purposes, they are redundant. The result of their use is that your copy becomes bloated. Look out for them on a daily basis.”
Or,
“Some words are not necessary, even redundant. Use them and your copy becomes bloated. Look for them daily.”
In English, many words mean the same. Include only words necessary to convey meaning, and review your document for repetition within a short piece, finding alternatives. Relevant information must be explained early and quickly. Your audience will swiftly reject anything irrelevant, due to time constraints. Promotional documents must explain the importance of the subject matter to the user as soon as possible.
Poor relevance
“In difficult market conditions, businesses are being forced to extract more value from their existing technology infrastructures in order to stay profitable. This means looking for solutions that can make systems work together.”
Strong relevance
“Today's focus is on making existing technology work harder. X Consultancy has developed five steps to help IT managers do this. They are...”
The second example tells the story in one sentence. Set the scene immediately, enticing the reader further into the document.
If your reader has to guess what you mean, you have failed as a communicator:
“Pedestrians are requested to proceed with caution on these steps during inclement weather.”
“Slippery when wet” would be a considerable improvement. Be direct and get to the point!
Writing for the Web
The Internet is a fantastic medium. Access is virtually universal. Materials can be updated quickly and cheaply. Use the “inverted pyramid” technique, as used in journalism. Start with a summary, thus leading readers to the rest of the article. Keep articles short to maximise readability. Make articles “scannable”, since only about 16% of web users read every word. Highlights will maintain the user’s attention. Well-maintained links to other sites (if used sparingly) give users reasons to come back. Ensure information is current and accurate, since errors and old material damage users’ confidence.
Effective E-mail
Get your own domain name and email account with that name. Every message reinforces your brand name.
Establish a policy, giving employees a guide for email use and limit liability. Visualise how your email looks to the recipient. Name your attachments with care, as they may be saved and searched for later. Ideally, avoid attachments altogether, and paste the relevant text into the body of the e-mail. Messages containing promotional as mild as, “Ask about free shipping” will not be delivered and marked as junk. Do not forward virus warnings - leave it to the industry. Unless encryption software is available, never use e-mail for confidential information.
Conclusion
Concise, precise writing is vital for effective business communications. Digital media, in conjunction with professionally prepared paper-based documents, form a potent marketing and sales tool. Well-designed web pages and properly constructed e-mails provide a perfect complement to printed text.
Tommy Hurley writes regularly on consumer, financial and business topics.
For further information on writing professionally, together with definitions and information surrounding thousands of related words and phrases, see dictionary.co.uk.
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