The Power of the Written Word

We all hear a lot about writing style as Affiliate Marketers and this is understandable as usually words are our first means of communication. Video and sound normally follow after we have gained the attention of our target audience by using the written word. So our writing style will determine our "first impression" as seen by our readers.

First Impressions

As all those who research these things will tell us, we only have eight seconds or less, in which to create a good first impression and this will make our reader decide to continue reading our message or leave it there. The first few words are obviously critical in this respect and they should be chosen very carefully.

Commonly used words and phrases

It is not just the words, it is the style of them, too. Using words like “isn’t” instead of “is it not”, “they’ll” instead of “they will” and “you’re” instead of “you are” etc. are ways to put more information in front of the reader within that eight seconds but is it what the reader wants?

When these shortened versions of frequently used phrases are used, they must be correct. There is no room for writing “your” instead of “you’re” because it means something entirely different and it shows your command of the English language needs improvement!

So, make sure you know the differences and the meanings of these shortened versions by not using them at all or by making sure they are correctly used. The moment I see a misuse of one of these words, it irritates me, I quickly lose interest and I am sure I am not alone.

Who do you want your readers to be?

To gain appeal from the widest number of readers modern terms or slang should be avoided, unless you are trying to introduce some humour into the message. Even so, this should not be done at the start. To attract a younger reader the current popular trending words can be more freely used. This choice also applies to the subject matter. If your words are describing a serious matter then the words chosen should be the same.

Modern newly created words and slang generally indicate light heartedness and are associated with youth and fashion but use them with caution. The use of grammatically correct traditional words usually indicates impartiality and seriousness. Always ask yourself the question, will my readers understand my writing? And, do not forget they are not “your” readers until you have made them so; many will never read your writing again.

Keep your readers interested

Assuming your first impression makes the reader continue reading, what more do you want you reader to do? The need to keep readers’ interest is an ongoing need and it should never be underestimated. The more the reader is engrossed in the content, the more he or she will want to read on. This is the point where the writing style can be more relaxed in as much as the factual content is the priority, or this is the point where the need to want to continue is created.

To Be Continued - Part 2