Making long-form content readable

Making long-form content readable


Many people will say that writing long-form content is a ‘no-no’, however, sometimes it is the only way to discuss a particular topic.

There are a number of do’s and don’ts you can practice to make your long-form content is as readable and as engaging for your audience as possible. Consider the following:

Do’s

  • Use a headline that relates exactly to the content you are discussing. If the content you are sharing is relevant, then there is no need to manipulate the audience into reading it by using misleading headings. Make it clear what the content is about, and you will attract the people that find value in your content.
  • Numbers and lists work for breaking up content. While it may be necessary to write long-form content, it’s not always necessary to present it as an essay. Consider using numbers, point form and/or lists to break up the wordiness of the content and make it more readable.
  • Similar to above, using subheadings to break up large paragraphs of information is ideal for making content more digestible.
  • Using visuals to illustrate specific points is ideal. Visuals may include images, photographs, graphs and charts, videos, infographics, etc.

Don’ts

  • Don’t babble. If you’re content is 2000 words long, every word of that should be necessary. If you could say what you mean in 1000 words, then using 2000 will just bore your audience.
  • Don’t use too many links, especially if you are linking to content that is saying what you are, in less words. Links should support what you say, but not say it better.
  • Don’t have spelling or grammatical errors. This looks unprofessional and will cause browsers to leave your page.

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