How to Simplify Your Content
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When you’re writing an article for a blog or a website, your goal is not to win a Pulitzer. Your Shakespearean writing style won’t make the sale. It won’t get you subscribers. It just won’t.
Simple content sells.
That simple truth has been proven and preached my online marketers since the stone age of the internet.
“But, why do I have to simplify my content?”
Simplify Your Written Content
Ok, there are two main reasons why you should make your content simple. The first one is to save your readers’ time. Writing stuff that in hard to understand makes people double take what they’re reading. Why do you want that? It’s better to get your point across as quickly as possible.
The second reason is to cater to scanners. Those looking for specific information won’t read — they scan. Simple and concise writing structure makes it easier for these scanners to get what they want. Once their eyes spot that specific information, they have an incentive to finally read the rest.
Now, do you know how to simplify your content?
There are a couple of simple ways to do that. Let’s tackle them one by one.
Write short sentences and paragraphs
A huge block of text is hard to read when put on paper and it gets harder on screen.
Many people browse the internet using their smartphones. While phone screens can get as large as 6-inches, they’re still tiny compared to a notebook.
Reading on a tiny screen requires more concentration compared to reading on a large computer monitor. Help your readers by keeping everything short and simple. You owe them that much.
If you have a sentence spanning three lines, break it in two. Have a paragraph more than five lines long? Break it too.
Break down a complex idea into simpler parts
Let’s say you’re writing about cryptocurrency. Don’t start by explaining the hardware people need for mining. All that talk about GPUs, AMD vs. NVidia, hash rate, and so on will only confuse people who are alien with the concept of cryptos.
It’s better to start with what cryptocurrency is and why it’s not a stupid idea. Or talk about why it IS a stupid idea if that’s your point of view.
Once you get the basics out of the way, you can start explaining the nitty-gritty of cryptos chopped in parts such as the economics, technology, mining, development, etc.
Use simple analogy
An analogy works well when everyone understands it. If you can’t come up with a good one on your own, picking one from a movie is okay too.
“Isn’t that plagiarizing?”
No, it’s not. Quoting interesting bits from movies is fine — legally and ethically. So if you’re writing about everyday life and how things can get unpredictable, slip in a quote from Forrest Gump:
“Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get.”
Even without a lengthy explanation, most people will get what you’re talking about.
Okay, that’s all of our easy tips for making your content more simple. Do those steps and you will have better reader experience.
One last thing: make sure you check your content for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Some people consider grammar mistakes as minor faults while others tend to be harsher. Play it safe and always double-check your work.
