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Using the Inverted Pyramid Style of Writing for Ad Agency New Business

October 26, 2010

The inverted pyramid style of writing works well to produce the kind of content that generates significant targeted traffic to your agency’s blog for new business leads.

I recommend using the inverted pyramid style of writing used by journalists where you place the most important information first with a text. It is a common method for writing news stories but works extremely well when writing for online versus writing for print.

Journalism on the Web is definitely different from print journalism. How most people read online? They don’t, they scan.

Nielsen Norman Group’s research found that 79 percent of their test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word. A newer study found that users read email newsletters even more abruptly than they read websites.) People prefer sites that get to the point and let them get things done quickly.

Nielsen also predicted the use of the inverted pyramid style of writing for the Web back in 1996.

Most readers are impatient and want stories to get to the point immediately. The inverted pyramid style of writing helps compel the writer to get to the point quicker. For this style of writing, you put the most newsworthy information at the top, and then the remaining information follows in order of importance, with the least important at the bottom.

The pyramid style of writing is valued to your readers because they can leave the story at any point and still understand it, even if they don’t have all of the smaller details.

I would suggest actually leading your article/post with what I call the “takeaway or benefit” statement. Simply answer the question, “What is my take away, what is my benefit if I commit to read this article?” You actually lead the story by starting with the conclusion.

“The inverted pyramid organizes stories not around ideas or chronologies but around facts. It weighs and shuffles the various pieces of information, focusing with remarkable single-mindedness on their relative news value.” - journalism historian Mitchell Stephens

6 Comments | Agency Blogs, Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Creating Content | Tagged: advertising agencies, business development, content marketing, Inverted Pyramid, Michael Gass, Mitchell Stephens, Nielsen Norman Group | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Use Brevity for Ad Agency New Business

August 27, 2010

If you want to reach prospective clients online, copy for email, eNewsletters, blog posts, etc. should contain half the word count of conventional text. People read a lot online plus they receive a ton of email. A majority of your readers won’t have time to read your lengthy copy.

The most frequent advice study participants had for newsletter creators was - “keep it brief.”

Nielsen Norman Group ’s research found that 79 percent of their test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word. A newer study found that users read email newsletters even more abruptly than they read websites.) People prefer sites that get to the point and let them get things done quickly

Improve your online writing style from this …

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996, some of the most popular places were Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446).

… to this, to increase readability and usefulness:

In 1996, six of the most-visited places in Nebraska were:

Fort Robinson State Park

Scotts Bluff National Monument

Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum

Carhenge

Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer

Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

Users spend 51 seconds reading the average newsletter. The layout and writing both need superb usability to survive in the high-pressure environment of a crowded inbox.

I highly recommend the Nielsen Norman Group, they are true pioneers in user experience studies that can greatly improve your writing for Web. Check out their online publications, white papers and reports:

Web Usability
Intranet Usability
Email Usability
Mobile Usability

Additional articles that may be of interest:

1 Comment | Agency Blogs, Best Practices, Creating Content, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: email newsletters, Michael Gass, Nielsen Norman Group, writing for web | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

6 Writing Tips to Make Your Ad Agency’s Blog Effective for New Business

April 2, 2010

Writing for the Web is definitely different than writing for print.

Many who are accustom to writing for print have a difficult time writing for Web. In order to write effectively online you must understand how people read on the web.

Nielsen Norman Group ’s research found that 79 percent of their test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word.

On the Web, users are engaged and want to go places and get things done. The Web is an active medium.

Web content must be brief and get to the point quickly, because users are likely to be on a specific mission.

The Web is perfect for narrow,just-in-time learning of information nuggets.

People arrive at a website with a goal in mind, and they are ruthless in pursuing their own interest and in rejecting whatever the site is trying to push.

In print, you can spice up linear narrative with anecdotes and individual examples that support a storytelling approach to exposition. On the Web, such content often feels like filler; it slows down users and stands in the way of their getting to the point.

If you’re smart, you’ll write accordingly: make your content actionable and focused on user needs.

For your agency’s blog to be effective, your text must be scannable. Nielsen offers these 6 tips:

highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
meaningful sub-headings (not “clever” ones)
bulleted lists
one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

Nielsen’s research also found that users detested “marketese”; the promotional writing style with boastful claims. I’ve often said that the moment you start to sell on your agency’s blog is when you will lose your audience.

You need to understand how people read on the web and learn to write for them effectively. Go to Jakob Nielsen’s web site and read this paper. If you look at the top blogs, you’ll find they follow Nielsen’s style guidelines remarkably well.

Helpful resources:How Users Read on the Web and detailed reading behavior in eyetracking studies (please note that this is an older study but provides very helpful and relevant information)

Here are some additional resources for creating an agency blog for new business:

12 Comments | Agency Blogs, Best Practices, Creating Content, Social Media | Tagged: agency blog, Blogs I Recommend, Michael Gass, Nielsen Norman Group | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

How do users read on the web? They don’t … they scan

August 31, 2009

One of the main keys for an effective ad agency blog is to understand how people read on the web.

And how do users read on the web? The answer is, they don’t ... they scan.

Nielsen Norman Group ’s research found that 79 percent of their test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word.

For your agency’s blog to be effective, your text must be scannable.

Jakob Nielsen offers this advice:

highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
meaningful sub-headings (not “clever” ones)
bulleted lists
one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
half the word count (or less) than conventional writin

Nielsen’s research also found that users detested “marketese”; the promotional writing style with boastful claims.

I’ve often said that …

“the moment you start to sell on your agency’s blog is when you will lose your audience.”

You need to understand how people read on the web and learn to write for them effectively. One of the best resources that I have found was Jakob Nielsen’s website. This is very dated material, 1997 but you will find that the top blogs follow Nielsen’s style guidelines remarkably well. How Users Read on the Web