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News & analysis on digital marketing & analytics
Readability: It’s More Important Than You Think
It turns out it’s not what you say, but how you say it – and who you say it to – that really matters.
At last week’s NEOUPA readability presentation, Angela Colter discussed the importance of readability in today’s content. She emphasized that if you can’t create copy that is clear, concise and enjoyable to read, no one is going to pay attention to it. She also pointed out that people can read and understand every word in a paragraph, but have absolutely no idea what it means.
Seems fairly obvious, right?
Well, to a certain extent readability really is common sense. If you’re writing copy for a particular audience, you need to make sure it’s not only engaging, but also intellectually appropriate and relevant to their area of interest.
Despite how simple this rule sounds, many online marketers don’t pay attention to it. They either talk above their audience, or they just talk in circles. Either way, readers lose interest quickly, causing the information – and the website it’s on – to lose its purpose.
Bottom Line: If you really want to speak to your audience, you need to write using plain language.
What are the Plain Language Guidelines?
Plain language? You may think that sounds like another way to say boring, but that’s not the case. When you write in plain language you aren’t writing dull pieces no one wants to read. You’re writing clear, concise copy that is easy and enjoyable for readers to follow. You aren’t making them work to understand your message. You are using direct language to answer their questions, solve their problems or describe how your product/service will benefit them.
In other words, you’re giving them exactly the information they want, right when they want it.
The federal government thinks plain language is so important they’ve dedicated an entire website to it: plainlanguage.gov. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has their own document too. Plain language is synonymous with clear communication, which is exactly what you want between your company and its target audience.
How to Communicate Effectively with Your Audience
It’s important to keep in mind that not every audience will understand the same kind of plain language. You may write a clear and fantastically concise piece about medical malpractice, but if you present it to a room full of preschool teachers the effect will be lost.
Your audience should dictate the writing you produce. If it’s not readable for them, there’s no point in writing it. Be sure you aren’t confusing readability with the “dumbing down” of content, however. Readability isn’t about making something less sophisticated; it’s about making it appropriate for the audience who will be absorbing it.
Angela presented some helpful readability tests marketers can use to see how readable their copy truly is. You can access these resources at her website: angelacolter/readability. She also wrote a helpful article about the value of testing content that can be found here.
So the next time you sit down to write something for you or your clients’ website, take a few minutes to think about the intended audience. Ask yourself what information would be most helpful for them, and then present it – in the most clear, concise and readable way possible.
*Image provided by kaburke10 on Flickr.
Our Email Marketing Secrets Revealed!
Want to know the secret to successful email marketing? The kind that generates crazy amounts of conversions and revenue? Our VP probably won’t be very happy if I give it away, but I’m going to do it anyway.
Constant testing and optimization.
What? You thought there was more to it than that? Yes, of course our team stays on the bleeding edge of email marketing technology, but technology is only part of the picture. The rest of it is creating tests. Big, huge, crazy tests!
What is a big, huge, crazy test? It’s one that challenges the status quo and forces you to think outside the box. It’s one that is an order of magnitude different from your last campaign. It’s one that will either go big, or go home.
These tests aren’t all sunshine and rainbows, because to be honest, some of them fail. But that’s why they’re tests and they only run on a small portion of your database.
The real magic happens when you have the perseverance to execute multiple big tests to find the crazy new strategy that engages your subscribers like never before.
Dare yourself to try something crazy. Design a big, huge, crazy test for your subscribers next week. And if you just can’t find the time or inspiration, give me a call at (216) 369-2220 x247 and I’ll think of something for you.
Category: Email Marketing
The State of Video on the Web – Technically Speaking
For the sake of Internet video content producers this time around as opposed to web video consumers, we wanted to provide our readers with an interesting and challenging article from the friendly folks at www.net.tutsplus.com. If you want to know how Flash-based video is doing in the light of the HTML5 video element, this is the article for you. If you want to watch a Justin Bieber video instead, we suggest you visit YouTube for the next few minutes.
And if you want to learn more about Fathom’s Internet video marketing services, click on the link and contact us for more information. We are here for you.
4 Proven Email Marketing Tactics
As with other types of online marketing, it’s easy to get caught up with new trends. For example, maybe your email marketing campaigns have gone overboard with social media integration. It may seem like a great idea at first, but have you analyzed its effect on your conversion rates and email marketing revenue generation?
Take a step back from all the hype and review 4 proven email marketing tactics that will boost email marketing revenue and conversions.
- Optimize the text version of your emails to include more relevant content by using personalization along with solid segmentation. This will make it easier to get the same success from your Facebook and mobile subscribers, and in turn, get your messages to the customers that buy through growing channels.
- Keep offering free information through newsletters, blogs, and emails. Use twitter and Facebook when appropriate to increase the reach of your acquisition campaigns by showing others the value of subscribing. Give these blossoming customers exclusive incentives.
- Routinely analyze the behavior of your loyal subscribers. They can be an excellent barometer for the overall health of your email marketing and give valuable insight on what new trends may or may not be worth exploring.
- Utilize automated messaging. Implement shopping cart abandonment emails to capture lost conversions. Follow up instantaneously with lead form submissions with a quick thank you and details of when you will contact them.
What other tactics do you consistently use to generate more revenue with your email marketing?
Category: Email Marketing
Internet Marketing 2011 Trends: Geo-Location Marketing
Is it a game, a marketing strategy or both? No matter what it is, FourSquare is rising in the ranks as a popular social media outlet and marketing tool. Many restaurants and retail stores are using this and other geo-location services through Facebook, Gowalla, etc. to dramatically increase sales, while others are counting these location-marketing attempts a flop. What is the secret to success, and should you be paying attention?
http://vimeo.com/19224845
