Create content with these tried-and-true guidelines to reach your target group.
Start with user needs
- Ask yourself: Who is going to see this page? What do they need to know? What are my main call-to-actions I want them to find?
- Help people find the information they need quickly and easily. Guide them through the process.
Do the hard work to make it simple
- Use plain language and simple sentences.
- Choose clarity over cleverness.
Build trust
- Talk like a person.
- Tell the truth.
- Use positive language and concrete examples.
Start small and literate
- Make sure your content works for users. Don’t be afraid to scrap what’s there and start over.
- Write a draft, test it out, gather feedback and keep refining.
- Test images to ensure web page compatibility.
Address the user
- Refer to the primary user as you whenever possible. For example:
- You can email us at websupport or find us on Twitter.
- Learn more about setting up your MyJacks account.
- If you’re writing text for multiple users—such as students and parents—address the primary user as you.
- Refer to secondary users by their roles or titles.
Include only relevant content
- Every piece of content needs a job. Content should fall under the purpose to: persuade, inform, validate, instruct or entertain.
- If it’s not serving one or more of these purposes, is the content necessary? Can the text be condensed? Can images or multimedia be removed?