Writing great blog content is deceptively difficult. People read differently online than they do offline, and that presents unique challenges when you’re trying to grab a reader’s attention. It’ll take time and practice to hone your skills, but here are some tips and guidelines to help guide your way:

  • Write like you’re talking to the reader one-to-one. Use conversational pronouns (“you”, “us”, “our”, “we”), contractions (“can’t” instead of “cannot”), and simple, familiar words (“buy” instead of “purchase”).
  • Break content into chunks, keeping paragraphs short and using lists and bullets when you can.
  • Put the most important information first, followed by the details.
  • Many people only read headlines, so keep them simple and descriptive.
  • Don’t assume your readers already know the subject or have read related pages. Don’t use jargon, explain any technical terms, and if you have to use an acronym, write it out.
  • If you can say it with fewer words, do it. Cut down on adjectives and adverbs, and delete any redundancies (“refer back” should just be “refer”, and “actual facts” are simply “facts”).
  • Don’t say “click here” for links—make the link text an action like “Download the guidelines for 2015”.
  • Keep verbs in present tense, and stick to active voice to avoid confusing the reader. Unsure of the difference? In active voice, the subject performs the action (“Congress debated the bill”). In passive voice, the subject is acted on by the verb (“The bill was debated by Congress”).

Check Daily Writing Tips’ blog on writing in plain language for more tips.