Learning to write effective sentences for the web.

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Sentences are not trivial online.

Communication between people is:

38% tone of voice.

55% body language

?

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Some quick math reveals that only

of communication are the literal words you say (or type).

7% Pro-tip

7% That means

93% of all meaning is stripped away online.

Verbs and Nouns

93% That leftover 7% is pretty damn important.

Pro-tipVerbs and Nouns

So here are some tips for crafting the best sentences you can online.

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Syntax and Grammar

+1LengthThe average length of an English word is 5.1 letters.

Which means 86.23 characters. A little much for Twitter, huh?

An average sentence is 14.3 words.COFFEE

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog and then made a clean getaway.

Syntax and GrammarPro-tip

Pro-tipGood sentences for social media are 10 words or less.

Word choice

Verbs and NounsStudies have been performed that show

verbsbeing more effective at grabbing attention online than nouns.

Word choice

Pro-tipPut actions words and numbers at the beginning of your sentences for the most impact.

3945983745 killed in fluke dental floss accident

Verbs and Nouns

verbsPro-tip

Syntax and GrammarEnglish uses a “syntactic” grammar system.. which is fancy for “put your words in the right order.”

EXAMPLE:“Now save money on marketing by subscribing to Scoop.it for Business”vs“Save money on marketing by subscribing to Scoop.it for Business now.”

Style

Which means 86.23 characters. A little much for Twitter, huh?

Syntax and GrammarPro-tipTry to avoid complex sentences when writing for the web.

Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly — they can confuse your meaning.

Word choiceIn British-English, “a rubber” means “eraser.”

“A rubber” definitely does not mean “eraser” in American-English.

Pro-tip

Word choice“The article illuminated the author’s opinion.”

vs

“The article illustrated the author’s opinion.”

EXAMPLE:

Big difference in meaning for only 2 different syllables.

Avoid Thesaurus.com like the plague and keep culture-specific words to a minimum

Pro-tip

StyleThe editorial style of anything you write for the web should support your

Your voice should shine through in a consistent, meaningful way.

core values and target market.

Would you take them seriously?

EXAMPLE:

We totally lawled about the 2008 financial crisis, guys. It was sooooooo stoopid. #YOLO

Twitter

BloombergBloomberg Financial

Pro-tipDo some market research to decide what type of language engages your audience best. Compile an editorial style guide to keep your voice consistent across the brand.

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