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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING INSIGHTS

| less than a minute read

Why it pays off to use plain simple language in your copy

There is a common misconception that using plain language in your copy dumbs down content and therefore offends the intelligent readers, especially in the professional and academic world. In fact, using longer, more complicated sentences and fancy vocabulary might in fact slow down your readers. What's more, having considered our attention span is now officially shorter than the one of the goldfish, readability and speed really matters if we want to keep our readers interested and glued to our content.

Admittedly, if you an expert in a specialist subject and, day-to-day, you operate mostly in a specialist language, trying to explain a complicated concept in a plain language can be challenging. But it is important to always keep in mind that our readers can be new to the subject and might get lost if we overload them with a plethora of technical jargon.

The video for Nielsen Group quickly explains how using plain language in your copy can improve the user experience. In short, when writing your content keep these main points in mind:

  • choose language that is easy to understand 
  • remove branded and technical phrases
  • use short sentences and bullets 
  • break down your copy with meaningful headings 

It will benefit both your readers and also your SEO ranking

Good communication has strong business value. Organizations with clear writing styles are perceived to possess greater transparency and credibility than companies that don’t. Plain language removes barriers between you and your readers. It sets your organization apart from the competition, resulting in increased conversions and loyalty. Forget conventions of technical writing. Push aside reports and articles that are traditionally written. They tend to be verbose and difficult to understand. If you think clearly, you will express yourself clearly. Your audience wants easy-to-read content that allows them to get the gist of the message efficiently. No one has ever complained that a text was too easy to understand.

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Tags

ux, user experience, copy writing, simple language, best practice