Translate This Site
Login Form
Latest Listings
Home 
Articles Article Writing Writing for the Internet: The 3 Golden Keys
Articles Article Writing Writing for the Internet: The 3 Golden Keys
| Writing for the Internet: The 3 Golden Keys |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Anthony James Goolsby |
|
A lot of beginning copywriters start out by applying their skills to writing for the Internet. You must keep in mind, however, that there are some key differences between writing for the Internet and how one would work with an offline audience. Keep these 'golden rules' in mind while you write and you will achieve great success in your Internet writing. Traditional publishing and writing for the Internet differ in three crucial ways: Audience Format Lifespan These differences are important and must be taken into consideration writing for the internet. Audience Audience consideration is a primary factor when writing for the Internet, just as it's a key consideration for any writer. But while writing basics may remain the same - understanding who your primary audience is, for example - there are some major differences. First of all, your audience is somewhat guaranteed in a traditional publication. Most people, once they have bought a magazine or newspaper are likely to at least give each page a cursory read before setting the item aside. Not so online. When writing for the Internet you must always keep in mind your reader can leave as easily as a click of the mouse. People don't have a lot of time to waste so you must remain on target and highly focused at all times. As the writer, if you do not appear to be delivering good content the reader will simply go elsewhere... fast. Please do not take this to mean you must cater to the lowest common denominator; you don't. Your audience is not stupid. But you do need to know your targeted audience and how to deliver for their wants and desires. Format A second point to consider when writing for the Internet is the fact that some online readers simply skim and don't read every word. Quickly scanning your copy, they will only commit to reading the entire thing if you catch their attention. Therefore you must be concise and clear in your writing. Punchy headlines, accurate subheadings, and solid introductions and conclusions are important to use with "skimmers." An error that new writers might make, is trying to make their articles look like text in a magazine article or a book. However, writing on the Internet has big differences. A reader will actually read the Internet differently from 'physical pages', so different techniques are needed. 'Point of entry' is one of the most important. A search engine can send a reader to the middle or even the end of your document. If you have written accurate and concise content however, a reader and yes, even the 'skimmers' could likely go back to the beginning of your article to read it entirely. There is a way to skip this step though, and that is by splitting up your text into several stand-alone pieces that will fit together as a complete article, or separate documents if looked at the same way. (A good example of this? Did you see how I broke this article into individual stand-alone segments?) Lifespan The last major difference between writing for the Internet and more 'traditional' publications is what I refer to as lifespan. Because the Internet operates with a very rapid nature, people often make the mistake of thinking the lifespan of online content is limited. Nothing could be further from the truth. The 'magic' of the Internet is that content may last for years - potentially forever - which is why many offline publications now archive their material online. But you must be careful. While your writing should always be current, you want to be wary of being too topical. This is a good way to date your material. This is not good. Your readers may be reading your words a long time off in the future and you want it to be as "fresh" as the day you wrote it. By keeping these three "golden keys" in mind when writing for the Internet -- audience, format, and lifespan -- you will find success. About the Author: Anthony James Goolsby (Jim) is a freelance copywriter/consultant and founder of the Ultimate Web Copy Academy. To learn how to write effective copy that gets results, go to his site and get your no-cost e-book, "Is Sales Copy Dead? Internet Copywriting Basics." |
| Freelance writing and editing jobs at Go Freelance. Join today for only $7.00. Write for Discussion Boards: $1200 per week... |
Keywords
article
writing
copywriting
articles
content
marketing
website
make
people
write
time
site
internet
good
business
work
want
need
freelance
information
quality
traffic
search
writer
best
online
read
writers
just
product
money
help
like
important
sales
page
know
copywriters
free
readers
Created with Zaragoza Clouds
Created with Zaragoza Clouds
Who's Online
We have 1 guest onlineLike it? Share it!
