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Use the 10 techniques in the clarity code to hit the bullseye with your readers.
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In my last article, I talked about clarity—what it is and why it matters in content creation. I also provided five questions you can ask if you’re struggling with clarity or want to ensure your piece is as clear as possible.
The goal was to get you started in producing clear, influential content that educates, persuades, and leads to action.
You may be ready for even more clarity if you read that piece. I assure you— your readers are prepared for more clarity now.
To give them the clarity they’re hungry for, put the following 10 ideas to work. By doing so, you’ll create content that builds trust and spurs sales.
1. Define undefined terms and overloaded words
Understanding your audience is the first step to effective communication. Common jargon in one field may be completely foreign in another.
On the one hand, if you’re writing for a specialized audience, like gastroenterologists, you need not spell out or define industry-specific terms like EGD, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. On the other hand, if you’re writing to patients undergoing an EGD, spell out the abbreviation, define it, and explain the procedure in layperson’s terms.
Several years ago, I worked as a development editor for a technical publishing house. That’s where I learned how overloaded words can be a minefield because, in programming languages, the same word can have different connotations.
For instance, “arrays” exist in the programming languages Python and C++, but the word means different things to programmers in each language. Same thing with “variables.” Some languages like C/C++ and Java have strict rules about what variables can be but in others, like Python and JavaScript, you can make variables anything you want.
If a term has multiple meanings that may confuse readers, tell them which meaning you’re referring to—and give yourself one point for content clarity.
A lack of…
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