There'due south something missing from a lot of content.

It's clarity.

Clarity ways making your content like shooting fish in a barrel to empathise. If people can't empathise what you're trying to say, then your content is non useful, right?

On the other manus, if you can produce sharp, clear, intelligent, and like shooting fish in a barrel-to-understand content, it go much easier for people to see the value in information technology. They'll desire to proceed reading.

How practise you make your writing crystal articulate? I've explained 9 unbeatable methods beneath to help yous get started.

→ Download Now: 6 Free Blog Post Templates

9 Unbeatable Methods for Writing With Absolute Clarity

1) Know what you lot want to say.

Clarity goes beyond a few writing tweaks.

It's a whole new mode of thinking. And information technology forces you lot to think near what y'all're writing before you lot get-go spilling words onto the page.

Before you write a word, y'all should know the post-obit:

  • Your subject field. For example, this blog mail is nearly clear writing.
  • Your point. My point in this article is to explain how to write with clarity.
  • Your outline. An outline is the bones construction of an commodity. My outline has 9 points.

Seth Godin is a masterful writer. His manufactures are short because he knows exactly what he wants to say, then writes it. Check it out:

Seth_Godins_Blog_Article.png

The lesson to larn from Godin? The clearest content is content with intention.

2) Know who y'all're talking to.

Knowing your audience is an important feature of good writing. The improve you know your audience, the more clearly you lot tin communicate to them.

Let me improve on this thought. Call back of your audience every bit a five-twelvemonth-old child.

To communicate with them effectively, write the style you would talk to a five-year-quondam.It won't offend them or insult their intelligence. Instead, it will allow them to process your message easily.

Obviously, when explaining advanced topics, you will need to utilize bigger words and advanced concepts. For this reason, you should know what topics and concepts your audience is familiar with, and discuss such topics.

When you write, think to yourself, "How can I assist the user empathize this better?"

Help_the_User_Understand_Better_Tips.png

Image Credit: SlidePlayer

The brief list to a higher place suggests unproblematic ways to help any user empathise your content. People want to understand. They desire to know what you're trying to say. The clearer yous are, the easier it is for them.

iii) Define unfamiliar words.

One unproblematic technique to make your writing articulate is to explicate your terms.

At the beginning of this commodity, I defined clarity. If I had just causeless you knew the definition, the commodity could have been disruptive. Instead, I explained information technology.

If you're going to write an article that focuses on a item discipline or concept, then be sure to explain that subject or concept. That way, readers know exactly what you're talking about.

four) Create a sentence outline.

What is a sentence outline?

A sentence outline is an outline of your article using complete sentences. When your outline consists of phrases or single words, it's not clear or helpful.

Writing full sentences forces y'all to think through what you're saying. Plus, full sentences assist the user sympathise what each betoken is about.

v) Write 1-sentence paragraphs.

Ane thing that I've tried in my writing, peculiarly on my own blog, is creating one-sentence paragraphs.

Here is an example from my article on webinars.

Neil_Patel_Webinar_Article.png

Why do I do this?

Considering it makes content scannable.

Nearly users don't read every word. Instead, they skip unabridged words, sentences, and even sections.

Unmarried-sentence paragraphs cause the eye to

stop ...

read ...

and understand.

It's a simple technique, and it increases clarity.

vi) Make your sentences short.

Brusk sentences are easier to understand.If you try to pack a lot of words into a sentence, you lose clarity.

Quote-Card-Blog-Marketing-Strategy.jpg

Image Credit: Charlie Hutton

What kinds of words tend to pitter-patter into sentences?

  • Adverbs: actually, currently, actually, literally
  • Adjectives: very, existent, uncomplicated
  • Other filler words: perhaps, pretty, now, that, in order, just, maybe

These words just clutter your writing. The result? Your content loses significant and clarity.

7) Don't use long words.

Long words touch on clarity.

Why would you use words similar these?

  • Preantepenultimate
  • Thanatognomonic
  • Misodoctakleidist

To impress people? To flaunt your knowledge? To well-nigh ordinary people, these words mean zilch.

Drop large words from your writing, and your clarity skyrockets.

eight) Leverage writing tools.

Over the years I've come across a couple tools that make information technology easier for me to write clearly: Hemingway Editor and Grammarly.

The Hemingway App is designed to make your writing clear.

Here are the benefits:

  • The Hemingway Editor cuts the expressionless weight from your writing by highlighting wordy sentences in xanthous and more egregious ones in red.
  • Hemingway helps y'all write with ability and clarity by highlighting adverbs, passive phonation, and irksome, complicated words.

Hemingway_App-1.png

The desktop version costs $9.99.

Grammarly is an advanced proofreading software. When I started using it, I found plenty of places where I was using fluffy filler words.

Grammarly.png

Grammarly has both a free version and a paid version with advanced features.

For even more resources, check out this comprehensive list of tools for improving your writing skills.

9) Be consequent.

It's good to exist predictable. In fact, that's why people come dorsum to your site --  they know what to expect and how your content will speak to them.

Consider McDonald's equally an case of consistency. Every time you go into McDonald's, you know how the store will expect, the menu options, how to order, and how the food volition taste. People go back to McDonald's because information technology's predictable.

Your website'south content is the same way. People desire the same experience every time, and then focus on delivering a steady and consequent mode.

Mastering Clarity

Clarity is a lost art in today's content-saturated globe. If you lot can write more conspicuously than most people, then your writing will stand out.

Clear writing is powerful and compelling. Information technology turns heads, changes minds, and encourages activeness. Although, go along in mind that clarity takes practice. If you lot don't get it the get-go, 2nd, or even tenth time, don't worry. You lot will go it.

What techniques do yous use to write with clarity? Share them in the comments section below.

 blog post templates

Originally published Nov 30, 2015 half dozen:00:00 AM, updated Baronial 01 2017