Article Marketing: Creating Content That Is Easy to Read

In the five centuries since Caxton set up his printing press we have become accustomed to reading the printed word off a physical medium such as paper. Caxton's printing press was revolutionary. For the first time books could be mass produced. In recent years there has been another revolution in the mass dissemination of the printed word that is having a profound effect on article marketing.

The quiet revolution

In recent years there has been another, quiet, revolution in the mass dissemination of the printed word. Digital media is fast overtaking the printed book, magazine or pamphlet as the medium of choice for authors. The amazingly successful "Fifty Shades of Grey" was published on Amazon's Kindle.

Much of what many of us now read is not from printed books or magazines but is read off a computer screen, smartphone, tablet computer or eReader - even if these devices try to emulate the "feel" of reading a printed book. Five hundred years of conditioning is not quickly changed!

The stark reality is that most of us now use a mobile device to consume data and content from the Internet and even to read books. A Kindle (and any of its rival products) and even a smartphone can hold an entire library.

A new style of writing is required

We have been taught to write and lay out essays, articles and letters for the medium of paper. That style is, however, not suitable for a visual display unit (VDU), which requires an easier to read style. This article explains how to develop such a writing style suitable for VDU screens of all sizes.

Your prose must be easy to read

It might be stating the obvious, but when creating content, your prose really must be easy to read. That statement covers:

The language you use;The layout of your article; andUse of emphasis (bold).

Language

When creating your content:

Use simple languageUse an active voice.Short sentences are easier to read from a VDU (especially the small screen on a smartphone) than long complex sentences.Write to express not to impress.

Layout

Your content will be easier to read if you use:

Serif fonts, which are the easiest to read on a small VDU;Black type on a white background or as near as the screen permits;Short paragraphs;Upper and lower case not capitals;Relevant sub-headings;Bullet points; andlist items.

Format of your content

Your content should have:

A beginning - your introductory paragraph should clearly and concisely state what your article is about;A middle - get to the point; say exactly what you need to say using simple language in an active voice, but be concise. Use shorter sentences to help the reader follow your train of thought; andAn end that makes sense to the reader.

Proper grammar and correct spelling are essential. You must proof read and spell check your article.

Use of emphasis

Judicious use of emphasis - bold - to create an on page summary of the key points of your content was pioneered in the Bum Marketing Method. One of the underlying principles of this system was to guide the reader to speed reading their way to the resource box. A key element of this system is that the articles were written primarily to be read off a VDU.

Italics and underlining can be used in a similar way, but be judicious in their use.

All this was before the explosion in the use of mobile devices for consuming information from the Internet. Nevertheless, used carefully, this is an excellent way of getting your message across on the small screens used in tablets and eReaders and especially in the even smaller screens on smartphones.

Great content alone is not enough. If you want your article stand out from the crowd and be noticed it must also be easy to read, especially on mobile devices such as smartphones.

Robert Reddin is a published author. He teaches article marketing and content marketing from novice to top ranking expert author from his membership website. This article has been derived from one of his lessons. http://article-marketing-tips.biz/

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