Writing for the Internet - Freebie Friday
Apr 4th, 2008 | By jen | Category: Featured ArticlesIt’s no secret that information is “where it’s at” on the Internet. Whether you’re a surfer looking for answers or the one providing them, the critical element for connecting reader and writer is well written content.
That’s not to say that what you read or write has to be grammatically perfect. In fact, writing for the Net is probably much easier than any writing class you have taken academically. And reading online is easier as well. Grammar is still important, but effectively communicating is what will connect a surfer and an information provider.
Today’s Friday Freebie is for those who are writing content for the Internet. It doesn’t matter if you are writing Web site content, blogs, posting to forums or social networking sites, you’ve got to be able to communicate… and quickly. People scan everything online so whatever information you are providing has to hold their attention. That might sound like a challenge and sometimes it is, but there are some key things that will help you.
For one, if you know your subject you’ve won half the writing battle. So let’s say you are doing a product review or recommending something. The only way you can write effectively about it is to research or use it, right? Second, if you can teach yourself to write as if you are talking to a person sitting across from you, you’ll be on your way to writing well for the Net. (Visualizing this person is even better).
Try this exercise when you sit down to write your next piece of content. Depending on the topic, picture someone who would appreciate hearing what you have to say. For example, let’s say I wanted to tell a small business owner in my home town why I think he needs a Web site. Right away, I would envision an actual person I know who owns a small business and doesn’t have a business Web site. See? First battle won!
Continuing with this example, I need to be knowledgable about my topic. Since I work online, I understand the importance of having a Web site for any business, not just a small home town business. I also feel like I know a great Web site solution for small business owners. So, I visualize this small biz owner and start writing my content. As I write I keep bringing myself back to a visual image of this person, what his body language might be saying, what questions he might be asking, what concerns he may have, etc. Then I write to answer all those the best I can in a conversational style which will hopefully help him understand. And that’s all there is to it!
But… if you’re like me and you want to learn more about writing for the Internet, check out today’s Netwriting Course and of course, it’s free. After all, it IS Freebie Friday here on CM. 
Great post Erin, but I must somewhat “disagree’ for lack of a better word…
“Grammar is still important, but effectively communicating is what will connect a surfer and an information provider.”
If the grammar (and spelling) is not right, you will not BE effectively communicating. People may not take you seriously, may not read much, and may not even return if they see it too often.
Even if English is CLEARLY not one’s first language, if your site is in English, you should at least try to have someone proofread.
Now, your business partner will be one of the first to acknowledge the fact that my instant messages leave a LOT to the imagination LOL, and even sometimes comments, but when it comes to web copy, blogs, articles and so forth, you really need to do the best possible job on it.
I see your point, Dennis. But I don’t think we disagree really. I was in no way suggesting that grammar was not important, only that the rules are a little more relaxed now when writing for the Internet. For example, Jen and I read Alice Seba a lot. She provides a lot of great info and resources for moms who are Internet Marketers. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and misspellings in her posts and even in some of her resources. But does that stop people like me from reading her stuff? No, because she effectively communicates, knows her stuff and I can overlook the occasional grammatical error.
I agree that spelling is a no-brainer. It takes two seconds to look up a word on dictionary.com and will make a difference in visitors staying “with you” in your post, article or Web page. And yes, I definitely think proofreading is a must both by you and if at all possible by another person.
Thanks for commenting, Dennis. It helps bring clarity to others who may have interpreted my post similar to how you did.
It’s all important when writing for the Net, but in my mind the bottom line is communicating effectively.