How To Write a Marketing Article for the Web
Tips on Making Internet-Published Text Compelling to Readers
Jun 16, 2009
Any written business communication must focus on two factors:
- The self-interests of the intended readers, to attract their attention;
- The objective the writer wants to achieve.
An article for print media starts with wording that attracts intended readers. It can end with a statement that will inspire the reader to action the writer wants the reader to take; i.e., the objective.
Structure of a Marketing Article for a Web Site
The structure of the article must be different for the web. Most people accessing web content do so via search engines. The lead must state the topic of the article, so that the wording a reader enters into a search engine will contain key words in the article’s head or lead.
People accessing web content want to spend a minimum amount of time reading and will skip or abandon articles of little interest to them, according to research by Dr. Jakob Nielsen, principal, Nielsen Norman Group. It is best to refer to the objective at the beginning; if it is at the end, the reader will miss it if he or she abandons the article and navigates away.
The structure can be similar to that of a business proposal. The objective is stated at the beginning, and the text justifies it, with the objective repeated in a closing summary.
- If the objective is to guide the reader to navigate to another part of a web site, place a link near the beginning.
- An overall objective should be to keep the reader navigating within the site and not to others.
- Another should be to encourage the reader to bookmark and return to the site.
Tips on Writing for the Web
Here are tips from advice given by Dr. Neilsen and Enquiro Research (a firm that studies web usage) and from the experience of the writer of this article.
- Keep articles short. Dr. Neilsen's research shows people prefer 600-word articles.
- Write longer only if essential information cannot fit into 600 words. Dr. Neilsen cites an example of an article about a hypothetical disease caused by any of 4 common foods and 2 rare foods: readers will stick with a long article to learn all risks.
- To explain complicated information, especially in business and technical articles, write short overviews with links to comprehensive articles or white papers.
- Use sub-heads, bullet points and lists. People scan web content in an 'F' pattern, as confirmed by eye-movement tracking studies: they start at the top left, read opening sentences, scan down the left-hand side and read across sub-heads, bullet points, lists and other elements that catch the eye.
- Edit ruthlessly to cut words. Neilsen's research shows an editor can cut 40% of words while removing only 30% of value.
- If an article cannot be shortened without destroying value, break it into 2. In the hypothetical disease example, one article could describe common foods with a link to another about rare foods.
Web Page Design
- The reader’s time includes navigating a site and deciding to link to other articles or pages. Don't waste the reader's time by making it difficult to decide and navigate links. Keep it simple.
- Place small illustrations and graphics at the side where they will be seen by the reader's peripheral vision.
- Avoid large illustrations at the top of the article. They block the reader's flow of scanning text and deter readership.
- A link can be embedded with short text in a graphic, where it will catch the reader's eye.
Marketing Objective
Keep each article short, focused on the intended reader’s interests, aimed at a marketing objective and easy to read and navigate.
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