Claire Eagan
Organizing written content for a webpage or publication is relatively easy, as there are only a few tips to remember. Professional writers often end up working with businesses or for independent clients, therefore it would be essential to have some knowledge about that particular client or assignment. The content should reflect the client’s desires instead of the writer’s requests; this is one of the differences between professional and creative writing styles.
The visual aspect of the written content is one of the most crucial parts of writing in a professional environment. The written information will not catch the eye of potential readers unless it is visually appealing and easy to read. Most people will not voluntarily read a long and wordy essay to acquire new information, so it is necessary to know how to organize words so that the important and intriguing information stands out to the reader. It is appropriate to divide written content into short, evenly spaced paragraphs, as this breaks apart the entire block of content. This technique makes it easier for the reader to read through the words smoothly and reflect on the information once they have finished reading. Small paragraphs are good to begin with but can become monotonous if used too often. The following tools should be utilized to further categorize significant information:
- bold print
- italic print
-
headings
- bulleted lists
- numbered lists
All of these tools do not have to necessarily be used at once but it is helpful to use a few when the purpose of the content is to attract readers to the topics being discussed.
Bold and italics make certain words or phrases stand out over the rest of a document and are helpful when the writer wishes to portray high importance. These tools automatically highlight words, making them more memorable to those that notice them. Headings easily break down a document’s entire content into categories and are used as tools to intensify a reader’s curiosity. Headings can conveniently be used for organization or to entice. Bulleted and numbered lists are best used to display words or phrases that are related or words that describe different categories. Phrases can be used in either list but they should be kept short without punctuation. Readers are attracted to lists because they can read them quickly as the information is already broken down to its simplest form.
On websites or documents such as memos, articles, brochures, instructions, etc. the information should always be organized, concise, and easy to follow. Most of these forms of writing are more appealing to an audience when they have carefully placed images that relate to the information being relayed. A lot of times a person is more likely to read a document if they are first intrigued by an image. Most images are followed by captions underneath briefly explaining why it is relevant. Writer Pamela Wilson explained in her blog simplistic ways a writer can compose their writings to get readers to read their content. Another example can be found on a previous memo I wrote for a class which is located below.
