Ideally, dot-point lists should not be longer than around 7 items. That's because the average person (you and I) can hold between 5-9 items in our short term memory. If a dot-point list has more than 7 items, then readers:...
Blog: Content writing and content strategy insights
Posts tagged "Writing"
Tip: Put the main message first
Put your main message or a summary of your document first, after the headline. In fact, the very first 6 words should give a strong clue about what's in the document. Assume other people will read only the first line...
Tip: Write quotable headlines
Headlines always matter, whether in a printed article, a document on your shared hard-drive, a blog entry or any other web content whatsoever. Others will re-use your headline, whether you like it or not: on another web site in a...
Tip: Convert policy to instructions
Far too much policy is dumped straight on the web. Policy is often legitimately complex. Policy is always hard to write and usually hard to read. People need instructions or procedures more often than policy. Consultation policy documents need to...
Tip: Keep formatting simple in emails
Beware of using fancy formatting in your emails. (Except for the very occasional use of bold, maybe.) Don't decorate your text: just say what you mean. Emphasise your point by saying less: then your point will be noticed. Leave text...