Skip to main content

Inverted Pyramid Layout

Inverted Pyramid Layout

Inverted pyramid layout refers to placing your most important information at the beginning of your writing and your least important information at the end.

This technique is used in journalism, and it is useful for blogging as well. The inverted pyramid helps in the following ways :

  • gaining readers’ attention
  • making readers interested enough to read your whole post
  • providing valuable information even if your readers don’t read the rest of the article
  • being easily able to cut any unnecessary sentences
  • improving your keyword prominence

To use this layout effectively, outline your ideas in an inverted pyramid before you start writing.

Learn More:

Choosing the Right Tone

Choosing the Right Tone

You might think that writing is more formal than speaking, but that’s not always the case, especially in blogging. Unless your client specifies otherwise, you want your blog to sound conversational.

How do you do that?

Here are five tips.

Write Like You’re Talking to a Friend

When you’re talking to your friends, you use the pronoun “you”, as well as contractions, sentence fragments, and informal words. You might also say “umm” and “uhhh” a lot, but get rid of those interjections in your blogging. Think of it this way: write in the same tone that you use with your friends, but without any awkward pauses.

Stuffy: Lots of people want to improve their blog tone. Here are some tips on how to do so.

Conversational: Do you want to improve your blog tone? I’ve got four tips to help you.

Stuffy: Cameras have improved in the last year. Here are things to look for when buying a camera.

Conversational: So, you’re buying a new camera. Unless you’re a photography buff, you’re probably unaware of the latest camera features. Here are some of the most essential features to look for.

What changes these examples from stuffy to conversational? Writing for “you”, asking questions, and using contractions.

If you have trouble writing conversationally, picture a specific person that you’re writing/talking to.

Tell Stories

Stories create a personal connection with your reader. You’re no longer just conveying information, you’re sharing your life. Don’t forget that stories also make great opening lines.

Have a Personality

You’re a real person, so don’t pretend that you’re not! For most blogs, you probably want to seem friendly, humorous, and upbeat. If your real personality doesn’t fit those descriptions, experiment with an online persona; just make sure that your tone is still authentic.

Break the Rules

How do you feel about your grammar? While you shouldn’t do anything too drastic on your blog, you are allowed to break some grammar rules. Sentence fragments and starting sentences with a coordinating conjunction are definitely acceptable.

Example: Today I saw a rattle snake. In my shower.

Example: But you wouldn’t do that.

Be Positive

Has your client provided a call to action for your blog post? If so, your goal is to make readers inspired enough to fulfill that call.

If you think that a whiny, grumpy, ranting, or otherwise negative post is motivating, think again.

Staying positive throughout your post leaves a good impression and might even make your readers’ day.

Try This!

Pay attention to your conversations. If you can remember a conversation almost word-for-word, right it down.

How do you talk?

Do you use exclamations, slang, improper grammar, personal pronouns? Include those in your writing.

Learn More:

Keep It Short and Simple Online

Effective Writing for Online Readers

Writing for online readers requires a different approach than other mediums. If you want to grab people’s attention, you need to go back to the basics.

Every day, a torrent of new blog posts and articles floods the web. Untold numbers of bloggers, brands and marketers, all fighting for our limited attention. Even then, it’s mere droplets in an ocean of content. We’re living in the digital age, after all. The amount of information at our fingertips is staggering.

How do we possibly parse it all? The logical answer is that we don’t — we get good at making snap judgments after spending a few seconds on a website.

If you’re one of the brands trying to break through, you have your work cut out for you, more so if you’re in the business of articles and blog posts. Without writing effectively to online readers, it’s an uphill battle.

Why Keeping It Short and Simple Matters

The best way to grab your visitors’ attention is through an approach we call KISS.

Long ago, it stood for “Keep it simple, stupid.” These days, however, it means “Keep it short and simple,” and it’s the best method for breaking through the noise and standing like an island paradise in the sea of endless content.

Put simply, it’s a focus on crystal-clear communication, short and simple words, succinct sentences and meaningful paragraphs.

Brands have an infinitesimally small amount of time to communicate their message before it’s too late. It’s literally on the magnitude of a half of a tenth of a second. Online readers can sift through two dozen competitors in minutes. Brands that don’t stand out are just another drop in the ocean.

It’s not that we all have short attention spans now; it’s that we’ve adapted to the endless information streams. We started taking shortcuts. For example, there’s a good chance you landed on this page and gave it a quick top-to-bottom before you decided to read.

The problem is that many writers don’t know how to write in a way that reaches people through their rapid-fire filters. Keeping it short and simple is the way.

What Short and Simple Means

You might think keeping it short and simple refers to the length of your articles and blog posts. Were that the case, this article would be a tad ironic, considering it clocks in at over 1,500 words.

Rest assured there’s no irony here. In fact, long-form posts do amazingly well. According to HubSpot, articles in the 2,250 to 2,500 word range rake in the most organic traffic, while those over 2,500 words get the most shares on social media.

No, keeping it short and simple doesn’t refer to content length. It’s the words you choose and your sentence readability. It’s about the flow of your paragraphs from one to the next. It’s how all of it fits together.

Put simply, it’s about great original content that leaps off the screen, snatches people by the collar and pulls them along for the ride.

How to Keep Your Content Short and Simple

Whether you’re a new writer or a talented scribe, the short and simple approach improves your prose on the web. If you’re struggling to gain any traction, implementing these ideas improves your chances considerably.

With that said, let’s dive in and learn how to write for the web.

Short and Simple Words

A stereotype exists of writers who enjoy packing their prose with complicated words. There’s a kernel of truth to it; some writers enjoy demonstrating their vocabulary rather than communicating.

Good writers don’t do this, and you shouldn’t either. Writing isn’t about showing off — it’s about moving the ideas from your mind into your readers’ minds.

“A writer’s style should be direct and personal, his imagery rich and earthy, and his words simple and vigorous.”

— Ernest Hemingway

Keep in mind, Hemingway’s readers weren’t peppered with endless internet distractions. If writing simply was good advice then, it’s definitely good advice now.

If you want to test your words for simplicity, read them aloud. If they flow naturally like a good conversation, you’re on the right track. But keep in mind that the conversations you have online are with people who may not know what you know. You need to choose the words they use, not the ones you use.

Short and Simple Sentences

Simplicity applies to your sentences, too. Remember, keeping it short and simple is all about communication. Shorter sentences are easier to read. They flow better.

Short sentences do require balance, however. Good writing is a bit hard to describe, but look closely and you’ll start to see patterns. For example, no two sentences are the same length. There’s a natural rhythm that passes from sentence to sentence.

And speaking of rhythm, nothing kills it quicker than passive voice. Recognizing passive voice and weeding it out active makes your writing more confident, simpler and more effective.

Active voice is when the subject performs the verb. Passive voice is when the verb acts on the subject. Consider these sentences:

  • Passive: You would be better as a writer with active voice
  • Active: You are a better writer with active voice

The first sentence lacks definition. The verb phrase “would be” is ephemeral. It’s not concrete. The passive voice tells us what would be or could be, not what is.

The second sentence is infinitely better. Active voice is more concrete. No questions, no pies in the sky. You are a better writer with active voice.

Writing great sentences comes with lots of intentional practice. But you can still simplify things in editing. Look for verb phrases to carve out of your prose. If your sentences seem too long, the read-aloud test works well: If it takes you more than one breath to get through a sentence, consider chopping it up a bit.

Short and Simple Paragraphs

If you’ve read this far, you’ve noticed that most of these paragraphs are only a few sentences long. Even single sentences qualify as paragraphs. If the last sentence in your previous paragraph sets up a great transition to the following paragraph, drop it to the next line.

Let it stand on its own in all its glory.

While there aren’t any hard and fast rules for writing paragraphs for the web, the goal is still clarity. Cramming multiple ideas into a single dense paragraph overwhelms your readers. They want clear, undiluted information about your brand, not a philosophical treatise.

Grab the Scanners, Relieve the Readers

A lot of what we’ve covered so far addresses scanners — people who pop onto your site and scroll up and down a few times before deciding whether to stay. Keeping things short and simple helps your ideas stand out more quickly and clearly to these types of visitors.

But not everything we do is for them. After all, the readers are the ones getting your whole message. They’re the ones engaged with your content. And engagement means a higher chance of a conversion. You need to make them nice and comfortable, too.

You do this by providing little rest stops along the way.

In other words, you need to make your content as easy to read as possible. Reading requires mental effort. It’s literal work. Make the people putting in work to learn about your brand more comfortable by:

  • Breaking your content into sections with headers
  • Using brand-appropriate images or gifs
  • Adding bullet points and numbered lists where appropriate
  • Making use of callouts to draw attention to catchy lines

Believe it or not, making things lighter and more digestible makes a big difference in a person’s cognitive load. Pay attention to yourself the next time you’re reading a blog post. You’ll notice yourself loosen a little when you pass a funny image or a few bullet points.

Done effectively, these little pit stops refresh your readers without breaking context. They keep things moving. Incidentally, this formatting helps snag the quick scanners and lures them in.

Everybody wins.

Putting It All Together

Examples help solidify things in the learning process. So let’s take everything we’ve covered and show you what it looks like in a before and after. Here’s a short introduction authored by John Doe, Marketing Intern at Mildly Successful Brand:

I’m been with Mildly Successful Brand for the last two months, trying to help them increase their reach, visibility and user engagement through SEO optimization efforts, a content strategy and social media marketing. So far, our marketing efforts have only produced modest returns, but we’re still learning and exploring new avenues through which we can reach more potential clients and provide demonstrable returns on marketing investments to the business owners. Our content marketing strategy, in particular, is underperforming immensely, and we may have to reduce content marketing spend and funnel our marketing budget into something that produces better returns, such as email marketing.

Ouch, John. From the top, John Doe, Marketing Director at Wildly Successful Brand:

Three years later, WSB is unrecognizable. Feeding off the success of my content strategy, the plucky business morphed into a marketing powerhouse. Last year alone, we grew by nearly 200%. This year, we’re putting our triple-sized marketing budget into:

  • Increasing reach and visibility in search engines
  • Outsourcing our content to increase scale
  • Developing our brand through social media

And I’m the new Marketing Director.

The difference is clear. We’re certainly glad John didn’t give up on his content marketing efforts.

Short and Simple Works

Writing for the web is all about simplicity. It’s about making your ideas crisp, clear and accessible. If you make your readers stop to read the same thing twice, you’re doing it wrong. If they need to reach for a dictionary, you’re doomed. Follow Hemingway’s advice. If he were alive today, he’d write killer web content.

If you’re a brand looking for high-quality content produced at scale, look no further than Stellar. We’ve built a robust network of thousands of professional writers providing top-tier content at affordable prices. You won’t find better quality content at scale anywhere else.

If you’re ready to stand out from the sea of content and tower over the competition, get in touch with us today.

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

If your readers decide that your title is interesting, they might read your opening lines. Once again, you need to make a good impression. Just because they’ve started reading your blog post, doesn’t mean that your readers will continue.

Some of the techniques for writing opening lines, like meeting a need and being shocking or controversial, are used in writing titles too. Other techniques are unique, so let’s look at those.

Ask Questions

Questions engage your readers by making them think about answers. Some questions help readers buy in to your post:

  • Do you want to write captivating opening lines?
  • Do you love chocolate?
  • Have you ever worried about paying off your mortgage?

Other questions leave readers wondering what the answer is:

  • What do karate and content marketing have in common?
  • Is Seattle the best city in the US?
  • How did I lose 30 pounds in 30 days?
  • You can decide whether one question or a series of questions seems more effective for your particular post.

Share Stories

Readers are human and they love seeing the personal and human side of writers. Sharing a story, whether it’s about you, someone else, or is completely fictional, creates a personal connection that attracts readers.

Example: I ran into a tree today. I’m not usually so klutzy, but I was on the verge of a eureka moment….

Example: “You will have an adventurous career”, the fortune teller told me. While I wouldn’t describe my office job as adventurous, today’s guest certainly has an adventurous life.

In the first example, the story continues, while in the second example the story is a single line.

Empathize with Your Reader

Another way to create a personal connection with readers is by empathizing with them. Maybe you’ve identified a need in your title and now you can sympathize about that need.

Example: You’ve just started content writing and you aren’t getting any projects. Trust me, I know how depressing that time feels. But it get’s better.

Empathy makes your readers feel valued. Follow your first empathizing sentences with sentences that promise and reassure your readers so that they know how they’ll benefit from reading your article.

Engage Imaginations

Instead of telling a story about yourself, tell one about your readers. Let them picture themselves in a certain situation, whether that scenario is something that they have experience with or not.

Example: You’ve just won the Nobel Prize for Physics. There’s only one problem: you’ve got lots of speeches and interviews scheduled, and you’re terrified of public speaking.

Example: You’ve done everything right. Your blog is scannable, has plenty of content, and is written by experienced writers. But almost no one is reading it. Why? Oh, I think I know what your problem is! What’s your SEO strategy?

Follow Authorities

Remember how popular numbered lists in titles are? Well, statistics are popular too.

Example: 75% of households in the United States have internet in the home

Quotes are another way of establishing authority.

Example: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” — Ernest Hemingway

When you use a statistic or quote as an opening line, make sure that you’re choosing it because it’s a good fit and not because you’re too lazy to think of your own opening line.

Learn More:

Make It Scannable

Scannable Content: 7 Crucial Elements You Need

Since most readers are actually scanners, how can you make sure that your writing is reaching them? Here are some techniques for improving your scannability.

1. Emphasize with Formatting

Use, bolding, italics, underlining, and changing your font size to emphasize your key points. Your readers’ eyes are naturally attracted to formatting changes, so they’re more likely to read those words. Make sure that you don’t overuse formatting changes. A text in which everything is bolded is equivalent to a text in which nothing is bolded.

2. Break Your Text into Lists

Lists are a handy format for scannability since they break text into small, neat chunks. You can use numbered lists (which make great titles) or bulleted lists. Combining lists with bolded text helps highlight key points while also providing more information.

Example: 3 Reasons to Write Online

  1. Flexibility – As long as you’ve got a computer, you can work anytime, anywhere.
  2. Learn New Skills – As you gain experience with many different styles, your writing will improve. You can also broaden your knowledge of the topics that you write about.
  3. Be on the Leading Edge – With so many companies using content marketing, online writing is an essential part of today’s business world. Being part of this evolving field is always exciting.

3. Tell a Story with Subheaders

Subheaders are the signposts of your writing, telling your readers what’s next. In this lesson, the title, or header, is “Make it Scannable”, and each of the points about scannability is placed under a subheader. By reading the subheaders, you know what each paragraph is about. Copyblogger recommends writing your title and subheaders first. This technique gives you a clear outline of what your key ideas are and makes you focus on what your reader is most likely to read.

4. Relax with Whitespace

Just because you have lots of words on a page doesn’t mean that they’ll be read. In fact, your readers are more likely to feel overwhelmed by reams of text. Adding whitespace — areas with no text — makes your writing feel less dense and easier to read.

5. Entice with Pictures

It’s easier to look at a picture than it is to read a blog post. Once you’ve got people looking at a picture in your post, they’ll likely read the caption too. Include a picture with a deep caption — a caption that’s two or three sentences long and is likely to grab readers’ attention. Also place pictures by your main ideas, so that readers who look at the pictures notice your text as well.

6. Attract Attention with Block Quotes

Adding a border or changing the background colour for your quotes sets them off from the rest of your text. As I mentioned in the formatting section above, readers notice formatting changes, so they’re more likely to read a blocked-off quote.

7. Share with Hyperlinks

Include hyperlinks to other reputable websites to support your claims and to give readers another place to read more about the topic. Also include relevant links to other pages on your website so that your reader can learn more about you (or your client).

Learn More:

Titles

8 Title Hacks That Will Bring Your Blog to Life

The title is the first impression that readers get of your blog post. In the fast-paced world of blogging, an engaging title is crucial if you want anyone to read your blog. Similarly, clients buying blog posts from you will also expect you to provide engaging titles.

There are no rules about writing titles, except how they’re capitalized, but here are some guidelines for creating titles for blogs that readers can’t resist.

1. Keep Them Short and Simple

You know about KISS for posts, the same goes for titles. Your readers will only be engaged if they understand your title.

Once you’ve got some titles that you like, see if there are any words that you can cut out.

Example: Learn to Make a Mouthwatering Cheesecake in Six Simple Steps

  • Improved: Make a Mouthwatering Cheesecake in Six Simple Steps
  • Improved: Six Simple Steps for Mouthwatering Cheesecake

2. Harness the Power of Numbers

Not only do lists improve scannability, they also create powerful titles. Humans are fascinated by numbers, so these titles are inherently intriguing:

  • 8 Ideas for a Cheap Summer Vacation
  • 12 Ways to Beautify Your Blog
  • 10 Facts You Should Have Learned at School, but Probably Didn’t

Titles with a number are a writer’s best friend because they’re easy to write and they’re engaging.

Don’t ruin their effectiveness by using this style exclusively, but don’t underestimate their power either.

3. Attract with Alliteration

Alliteration, using the same letter or sound at the beginning of each word, can be cheesy, but it can also make your titles sound pleasant.

Don’t force alliteration, but if it fits naturally, give it a shot!

  • Wise Words from Women CEOs
  • How Computers Change Careers
  • Extreme Weather: What Scorching Sun and Ravaging Rain Do to Your Garden

4. Meet Readers’ Needs

There are thousands of things that your readers could be doing right now, but they’ve chosen to read your blog.

Why?

Chances are, they feel that your post is meeting one of their needs. When writing titles, focus on what your article gives to your reader.

  • How to Eradicate Spiders from Your House
  • What You Need to Know About Climate Change
  • Preparing for a Hurricane: Ten Tips to Keep You Safe

5. Grab Attention, but Don’t Promise More than You Can Deliver

Shock, controversy, and strong language are surefire ways to attract attention. Just be sure that your writing merits that attention.

If your title is “Use SEO to Rule the World”, but your blog post is about improving SEO rankings, not ruling the world, your reader will be unimpressed, and might quit reading your blog.

6. Be Descriptive

Your readers are unlikely to invest their time in your article if they don’t know what it’s about. Since the point of a title is to describe what you’re writing about, don’t be elusive.

  • Bad: Things I Learned While Travelling
  • Improved: Seven Life Skills I Learned in India
  • Bad: Do You Want to Be a Better Blogger?
  • Improved: How Spicing Up Your Titles Will Make You a Better Blogger

7. Feature Keywords

Having some keywords in your title is valuable for SEO. If you can, it’s best to position your keywords at the beginning of your title.

Don’t write a clunky title just because you want to use your keywords, though.

Example: Our keywords are “pet store” and “Washington, DC”.

  • Bad: Washington, DC Pet Store Gives You the Perfect Pet for Your Washington Home
  • Improved: These Adorable Puppies Are Waiting for You at Our Pet Store

Even though the second title uses fewer keywords, it is a more specific, readable, and attractive title.

8. Take Your Time

You wouldn’t write a blog post in ten seconds, so don’t write your title that quickly either. Think of it this way: your title is the part of your blog that readers are most likely to read.

You want your writing skills to shine in the title so that readers will read the rest of your post. Take the time to write a catchy title; it’s bound to pay off.

Learn More: