Posted by:
TeamOnTheRightTrack
Credit: tckpublishing.com
Hey guys! A
loyal fan of ours, Jane, recently wrote in to us. Here’s her question:
“Hey On The
Right Track, what makes a good digital media writer?”
So, we’re
going to share the tips we have learnt from our Writing for Digital Media
module with you guys to set you on the right track to becoming a good digital
media writer!
There are
many things you should consider when writing for the digital media. While
content is king, follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to
becoming the next popular blogger! I’m sure they will benefit you in one way or
another. Scroll down to find out more!
1) Know your target audience
Before you
start writing, the very first thing you should identify should be your target
audience. What do they look out for? What do they like? Take these into
consideration. Once you know what appeals to them, include all these content
into your article! This will But of course, you will need to do some research.
This will not only attract them, but make them stay as well.
2) Write concisely
One thing we
have discovered from our module is that online readers usually do not read the
whole article. So, write simply. Take a look at this picture:
Credit: www.useit.com
The blue
areas are where readers usually read. So, get your key points there! Put the
juiciest content at the top so that your readers will be able to understand
what the article is about right from the start.
3) Use sub-headers and hyperlinks
Now that you
know how online readers go through an online article, using sub-headers and
hyperlinks as well to help facilitate their reading. One trick is to use your
key points as sub-headers. Your readers should be able to roughly understand
the whole article just by going through your sub-headers. Also, instead of
clogging every detail into your article, use hyperlinks!
They will direct your readers to another webpage where they can see the details
for themselves. This will help shorten your article. Oh yes, don’t forget to
start with a killer headline and strong lead paragraph.
4) Use visuals
Another trick
to shorten your article is to use the power of visuals to tell your story. As
they say, a picture tells a thousand words. It makes your article look good
too!
Credit: Nanette Poulin
Look at this
picture. Isn’t it better to show how a butterfly looks like rather than
describing how it looks like?
5) Use bullet points
If you
foresee that your article is going to be a long and wordy one, use bullet
points!
●
Helps your readers to skim through
the article quickly
●
Keeps your article concise
●
Helps to make your article look
neater and less cramped
6) Be Passionate
It is crucial
for you to have a strong interests on the topic that you are writing about. If
you do not enjoy writing, neither will your readers have a good time reading
it.
7) Be consistent and update frequently
No one likes
to read outdated information. In this era, speed is essential if you want to
capture your audience. So update regularly and as often as you can. The more,
the merrier! Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. You wouldn’t like to read
old blog posts right? So keep the content coming so that it is fresh.
8) Maximise the search engine
There is no
point writing well if there is no one reading it. So, make sure you include
relevant keywords into your article and even your
headlines. Better still if you are comfortable with html codings, do attempt to
use meta tags.
9) Layout matters
The way you
organise your contents matters. Make sure your layout is lively and allow easy
navigation for the audience. If not, they may not even bother to read your article at all
10) Credibility is key
Last, but
definitely not the least, in fact to us
it is the most important tips of all. ensure that you come across as credible.
This can be achieved by ensuring that your sources are trusted. Never forget to
credit/attribute them. Have a byline for your article and don’t leave the
reader’s questioning your expertise. Even better if you can find relevant
partners for your blog!
That’s all we
have! Try it out and tell us how these tips work for you :)
