Thursday, October 22, 2009

Use active verbs and simple words in content

You can make your content more effective by following a few simple rules.

Use active verbs. Get rid of the “to be” ones: is, was, will be.

Don’t tell me what is, show me. With specific details. In the simplest language and no jargon.

Let’s see what we can do with a typical mission statement:

“The mission of such-and-such is to foster adult employment development by teaching cooperation in the career environment, necessary efficiency skills, giving leadership-building experiences while ….”

To pare it down, cut the first few words. Don’t bother saying what you’re going to do. Just do it:

“Such-and-such helps adults become productive citizens by teaching them practical career skills such as working in a team, meeting deadlines, learning how to take charge while …. "

To paraphrase the French mathematician and philosopher, Blaise Pascal, “If I’d had more time, I’d have made it shorter.”

For more information, contact Dell Richards Publicity at 916. 455.4790 or visit our website at www.dellrichards.com.