While many web writers are new writers in general, many more have spent their careers writing for print media. The leap into cyberspace writing with all its different “rules” can be very unsettling and challenging. In the virtual world writers have some seven seconds to hook their reader who is quickly determining whether or not this particular content is worth bothering with. Writing content that is eminently scannable is the challenge for writers who are coming from print media. Writers must reach out to their readers quickly, telling them exactly what they came to find out in the most engaging, concise manner possible. The most successful web writers will not only coax their readers into reading the content from start to finish, but to interact with the story as well. While audience interaction is not particularly new—think Dickens and his serial stories—this interaction must be used to entice readers to stay put and to return for more.

Slant Your Writing to Your Audience

Although new web writers may believe that creating content which is as generic as possible is the best way to appeal to the most people, those same writers must learn that appealing to the right audience is much more important than appealing to every audience. Of course, slanting your writing to your particular audience means you must know who that audience consists of. Are you writing to parents of teenagers, to baby boomers, to the over-seventy crowd or to tech-savvy twenty years-olds? Each of those demographics will read content from a different background with a different perspective. One style of writing will not work for web writing, so writing style must be adjusted to meet the needs of the targeted reader.  The web writer must address the specific needs of each audience in a different manner, taking their unique perspective into account and adjusting the writing style accordingly.

Become a Conversationalist

Writers for the web who can write as though they are having a conversation with a dear friend are largely the most successful. Think of content as a method of communication and pretend you are having that conversation with a member of your audience. When you think in this manner, it becomes much easier to build trust with your audience as well as ensuring that audience is receptive to your message. While many web writers are hesitant to encourage feedback, fearing negative comments, remember that without feedback you may not be able to see how your content actually affects your audience. Feedback gives you the message that your audience is finding value in your content, and what better gift could a writer ask for?

All web writing must take into consideration the short attention span of the web reader. Short paragraphs with short sentences are crucial, and headlines and subheads which quickly tell the reader what is coming are essential. Web writing is considerably different from print media, and adjustments will need to be made for a successful web writing career however once you’ve successfully implemented the different rules of web writing into your style your success is on the way.