14 Oct Strategic Not Promotional
A study of five different writing styles found that a sample Web site scored 58% higher in measured usability when it was written concisely, 47% higher when the text was scannable, and 27% higher when it was written in an objective style instead of the promotional style….
Objective, Concise, Scannable
Web usability consultants, Jakob Nielsen and John Morkes, wrote an article in 1997 entitled Objective, Concise, Scannable: How to Write for the Web. Nielsen’s research is still relevant to both online and print communications.
Here are two of the most important findings of Nielsen’s research:
People don’t actually read on the web; they speed-read.
In the age of attention deficit, people also speed-read print publications.
People don’t like to read promotional writing. A promotional writing style reduces rather than increases both the author’s credibility and the reader’s interest level.
Strategic communications are meant to inform, educate, and influence audiences in order to achieve specific objectives.
Traditional PR and marketing vehicles might be part on an integrated strategic communication plan but as strategic communications, they need to be objective rather than promotional in both content and style.
Even when the goal is to increase revenue, attract new clients, or promote a new product or service, strategic communications are factual, informational and educational. People are less likely to tune into a sales pitch than “thought leadership” that helps them solve a problem.
