When I read emails, letters, websites, and resumes, I click-through them quickly. I am deciding when to continue reading and when to move on to the next item.
I recently learned some things about effective writing from Internet expert Noah Kagan. Although Noah is writing about effective website design, the points he makes apply to any writing. Here are three things that I learned.
1. Reduce the information that you present to your readers.
When you go to Noah Kagan’s business website, AppSumo, you see three things.
- The name of the product
- A benefits statement based on the purpose of the product
- A call to action to subscribe to the website newsletter
- A picture of Noah
- A benefits statement based on what the website has
- A call to action to subscribe to the website newsletter
Simply stated, on the landing page Noah has reduced the reader’s choices to one thing: subscribing to his newsletter. If you leave the website at that point, Noah has already shown you what he most wants you to do.
To apply the same principle to business writing, limit the subjects in a letter or email to one or two subjects. Word your business writing to create a response from your readers. Record your readers’ contact information and response so that you can use this information to build your understanding of your reader and to build your business.
2. Put the action step at the top. On membership sites, you obviously see a sign-in link and a registration form on the front page. You have probably already noticed this layout on LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Tumblr.com, or Twitter.com.
Perhaps not so obvious is that shopping websites use the same method of putting registration at the top of the page. You see the sign-in or registration link next to the shopping cart at the top of the page. When you register, you give the website your email address. The next time you go to Amazon.com, Staples.com, Walmart.com, Dell.com, or Store.Apple.com/us, you will see what I am describing.
In having you register and sign in with your email address, you are creating actions that create an email from those sites. These websites are doing the same thing Noah is doing in making it easy for you to subscribe to newsletters. Later these sites collect your information for payment.
For business writing, use the top of the first page for the most important information.
- State the purpose in the first sentence.
- Display your email address as an email address not your name.
- Put your contact information at the top.
- In the case of a resume, stick to one page.
3. Create stickiness. Stickiness is anything that makes a reader want to read more either now or later. Noah creates stickiness through signing up subscribers on his landing page and sending updates to those readers. The stickiness that Noah creates is the same email stickiness that membership sites and e-commerce sites create when you register with those sites. To create similar stickiness, try these suggestions.
- Get to know you readers’ interests and write things that they want or need to know.
- Ask a question in the first sentence or the last sentence. The question creates a reason for the reader to respond to your email.
- Ask your readers to do something.
- Write letters that are simple and easy to read.
For more ideas from Noah Kagan, subscribe to his newsletters. I do.
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