Nicely Said: Writing for the Web With Style and Purpose (Voices That Matter)
Nicole Fenton
Language: English
Pages: 127
ISBN: B011T7NA5Y
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Whether you’re new to web writing, or you’re a professional writer looking to deepen your skills, this book is for you. You’ll learn how to write web copy that addresses your readers’ needs and supports your business goals.
Learn from real-world examples and interviews with people who put these ideas into action every day:
Kristina Halvorson of Brain Traffic, Tiffani Jones Brown of Pinterest, Randy J. Hunt of Etsy, Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom, Mandy Brown of Editorially, Sarah Richards of GOV.UK, and more.
Topics include:
- Write marketing copy, interface flows, blog posts, legal policies, and emails
- Develop behind-the-scenes documents like mission statements, survey questions, and project briefs
- Find your voice and adapt your tone for the situation
- Build trust and foster relationships with readers
- Make a simple style guide
“Writing is a skill that will hugely benefit anyone’s career, and luckily, it’s a skill that anyone can learn. Nicely Said is a wonderful guide to writing clearly and concisely for the audience you’re trying to reach. Whether you’re a professional or just getting started, you’ll find a ton to steal from here.”
- Austin Kleon, author of 'Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work!'
"Between them, Kate and Nicole have written for many of the web's most valuable and respected companies. Their commitment to clarity and kindness is the result of their experience, and it makes them extraordinary teachers."
- Erin Kissane, author of 'The Elements of Content Strategy'
writing is waiting for the right words to come to mind. Keep at it. Stay in your chair, and be kind to yourself as you work through drafts. Don’t try to write and edit at the same time. The first draft is usually the most painful, but don’t be discouraged by that. Writing is a process, and like anything worth doing, it takes time. Switch it up. Depending on what you’re writing, it may be easier to start on one piece than another. If you’re stuck, try switching over to a different page or
newsletters, offer a discount or surprise gift to thank your subscribers. Remember the little things, too, like signing your name at the end of your emails and thanking people for reaching out. Ask for feedback Ask your community what they want to hear from you. Request feedback casually when you meet people at events, or email readers you know. You may want to send out a simple survey through a service like SurveyMonkey or Survs. Think about exactly what you want to learn from your readers.
divides these messages into three categories: rational, emotional, and reputation-based.2 Let’s look at possible secondary messages for Shortstack. 2 Erin Kissane, The Elements of Content Strategy (New York: A Book Apart, 2011), 29. Rational messages These messages appeal to the reader’s rational mind. Focus on practical, everyday needs, like solving a problem, or saving time and money. Here are two copy examples with those messages: We handpick every book so you don’t have to. Free
subscribers to stick around. Meanwhile, his opponent’s unsubscribe message said this: Thank you! You have been unsubscribed from this publication. When people say they don’t want to hear from you again, it’s probably not a good idea to thank them emphatically. This message lacks empathy and comes off as tone-deaf. Even if you don’t give readers an option to change the frequency of emails, you can still offer them other ways to keep in touch. Photojojo, a company that sells
voice, refer to your voice and tone guidelines and talk about it together. Show them what works If a writer is having trouble applying a style decision, suggest a few options that work and explain the structure behind them. Maybe a sentence is too long and clumsy unless you go with a dependent clause. Or maybe you need to use the passive voice here to make it softer. Help your team understand your larger goals for the content; those guiding principles are more effective than telling them to