The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published a fascinating article about the way people read web content. Among some of the findings:
People tend to read in a pattern similar to a capital letter “F” – they’ll read the first couple of lines vertically, but as they continue, they begin to scan vertically, “the lower-right corner of the page largely ignored.”
Readers’ eyes mostly jump around the page, looking for keywords, bullet points, and changes in typeface.
When reading e-newsletters and news feeds, “The subjects usually read only the first two words in headlines, and they ignored the introductory sections. They wanted the ‘nut’ and nothing else.”
What can we learn as writers and ... Read more »
I just came across a great article on the IABC site about the importance of simplifying the English language when communicating with non-native English speakers. This seems particularly relevant for global companies, whose workforce may all speak English but wouldn’t necessarily know all the complexities of it. It’s also another great reason to eliminate corporate speak from your written materials.
http://www.iabc.com/cwb/archive/2005/1205/worldenglish.htm
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Here at Brilliant Ink, we’re busy creating our next client offering: a series of writing workshops designed to transform the American workforce into better, more articulate writers. We’ve been discussing our favorite writers and what qualities distinguish them from others. Here are the qualities I most admire in my favorite writers:
· Simplicity – I’m a fan of tight, simple prose. No offense to great writers like Don DeLillo or William Faulkner, but run-on sentences just aren’t my thing. “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite books, primarily ... Read more »
I first read the following article written by Kim Perez for the Bulldog Reporter site back in July, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. She makes a great case in favor of hiring skilled writers to develop your materials. Enjoy!
If You Don’t Love to Write — Don’t Bill for It
By Kim Perez, PR Consultant, Writer
Novelist Isabel Allende shared this anecdote at a recent book signing in Pasadena, California: At a cocktail party, ... Read more »
On behalf of all business writers worldwide, I’m taking back the word 'tactical.
Ever noticed how some words have a negative connotation, even if by definition they’re fairly neutral? Over time, we’ve changed the way people think of these words by the way in which we’ve used them. Lexicographer Sol Steinmetz recently published a book about this phenomenon, titled “Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning.” For example, Steinmetz describes the word “nude,” which began life as an old legal term meaning “void, unenforceable” (how it became a synonym for “naked” is a whole different discussion).
In business, we’re constantly reengineering and redefining terms, not always for the better. Take the word ... Read more »
