Have you been trapped in one of those meetings where someone just goes on and on and ON until you think your head will snap off your neck from fighting sleep? Long and dense blog posts are the written version but readers have the option of leaving the meeting. How do you keep them from bolting?
You write for your audience. For example, my goal is to help professionals communicate effectively. Since this post is about writing, I could say this:
- Identify information readers will need and make that information easily accessible and understandable. User-centered documents must be usable, so consider how the document will be used rather than just how it will be read.
Boring! Did your head start to hurt?
Or this:
- Write what your clients want to read and give them useful information.
It’s the same thing in short easy to read words.
If you write for professionals, dive right in to the technical subjects and go heavy on the arcane details. This audience looks for a thorough treatment of the subject and will assess your authority based on the content.
But, if you want to reach clients, keep it light and short. You can explain in more detail when they ask. As the expert, your job is to translate the technical information for your clients.
Neither is wrong but each speaks to a different audience. So, who do you write for and how’s that working? Leave a comment or send a note and share your thoughts.
Image: Creative Commons
I sometimes write just to hear myself talk. It helps to clarify my thoughts.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You’re right, writing can clear your head and help you see how things really are.
For a business blog, that might be better left off the page though.
Pingback: The Naughty Word of Blogging « The CPA Writer