The stats add to the pressure; the average reader looks at a web page for 15 seconds, 55% of people spend less than that on a page – time is a commodity that’s of limited availability in our current society, how do we grab our audience’s attention and keep it? (if you’ve got this far I’m doing well, you’ve done approx 21 seconds, stick with me a while longer).

 

“The best online writing is purposeful, intelligent, original, conversational and authentic.’”

Dynamic Digital Content, Anna Kiernan (published in YCN Magazine)

Dynamic Digital Writing

Last week we attended a Dynamic Digital Writing workshop with Stranger Collective. I could write you a really long blog post on what we learnt, but one of my first notes from the day was “If you can say it in less words then do” so i’ll attempt to keep this post short.

I thought I’d remembered the basics from A-level English, but in all honesty most of the time when I have to write anything outside of the day to day – I’m winging it.

One of the biggest things I took from the course was that winging it is not always going to produce the right outcome or desired results. I actually need to spend more time thinking about what I’m writing and who it’s for before I put pen to paper, or more commonly these days finger to keyboard.

 

“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; you just need to share your unique perspective on why the wheel is important”

pageonepower.com

What became apparent to me during the day was that although I had an idea of how to write, I was completely failing to consider my reader and why they would want to read it; what I want them to take away. It’s less about the functionality of a product or service, but what the reader benefits from buying it. What about your product will change their life. It’s an interesting angle to remember when sitting down to start writing something you want people to read and share.

I won’t tell you the details of the course, I don’t think Stranger would thank me for that – but what I can tell you is that it’s a great course that will set you on the path to becoming a better, more interesting writer. It’s a day out of the office well spent networking, revisiting old skills and honing new ones.

If you’ve made it to the end, thank you. Something obviously went in last week!