Assignment Q4

For question #2, what did you do differently from the original post? Please outline, explain and justify what you changed & why. Essentially, what did you learn from this new topic and what did you change and why. (8 Marks)

Based on the original introduction post I created for my business in assignment #1- utilizing the F pattern and this new introduction post which I created utilizing the F pattern, visuals and plain English language in addition to many other techniques we discussed in class- I did the following things differently

What I learned: the importance of writing for the user first using shorter sentenceswith the most important info at the start- to match how readers online “scan” and to avoid walls of words- and keeping the text as short as possible without writing literally less.

What I changed: in my new post I made sure that my overall introduction post format was more audience-focused- to do this I made sure that there were shorter sentences, and that the most important content is at the very start of each point. Additionally, I got rid of all the other extra fluff and mumbo jumbo filler words and un-important information- to streamline the clarity, shorten the overall reader time and also to make my content easier to read.

Why I changed it: I changed/ did this differently in this post because, as learned in class we need to “Keep the text as short as possible- using Short sentences and Short paragraphs” [i] without dumbing it down and removing all unneeded words. Additionally, by doing this we are respecting people’s time and catering to how they prefer to digest content- such as how people engage on social media platforms (where its mainly visuals and quick scannable text). In addition, to make sure that I maintained the right length, I followed these specific elements stated in class materials as market points “Write short sentences. Ideally no more than 15 to 20 words. Keep paragraphs to one topic. Aim for no more than 5 sentences.” [ii]

What I learned: writing with clear language and using my reader’s vocabulary + wrote at a grade 8 level and under for better accessibility- to make it more conversational and also so readers of all levels are able to read my content

What I changed/ why I changed it: unlike in my other introduction post- in this one I made sure that in this introductory post I made sure I spoke with clear language, and that I used fonts that are easy to read- in addition to following these principles “Use system fonts, Use different font sizes, Do not justify if it creates “rivers of white.”, Boxes may or may not be read, Use columns, Never hyphenate, Do not double space., Do not center paragraphs” [iii] – in addition to writing in the pattern to match how people “scan and not read” and so my content is easy to read and accessible to all users. Additionally, I wrote/ spoke directly to the user in a tone that is appropriate for web content, I made sure all my content was “clear concise and correct- in addition to making sure that my content Was written “for a Grade 8 reading level or lower- speaking in a first and second person conversational tone”[iv]– which is important for accessibility and also so it does not feel like we are talking to a crowd and rather directly to the individual reader so that they

feel comfortable when reading it and also to further strengthen that I’m speaking in a conversational tone.

In addition to writing in plain English language and writing clearly- I also made sure I incorporated my reader’s slang/ vocabulary- as this is important – Additionally as discussed in class – “we need to speak in a positive tone when possible and use our readers everyday slang and common, everyday words.”

What I learned: only kept the most important terms/topics/ points and removed the fluff/ jargon- for better readability and clarity

Considering people do not like reading as it is and really just scan- I ensured that I really only kept the most important points that needed to be kept the most important points to get the full message across that I wanted. Meaning I went through and not necessary wrote less or dumbed my content – but rather said what I needed to say without adding extra fluff as I did not want to cause confusion and because we can’t write everything in one single post. This is important because as talked in class and stated in class PowerPoints, we must “Remove content people don’t need- Web content is a conversation with the customer. If material doesn’t belong in the conversation, it doesn’t belong on the web. You are not Santa Claus. You can’t serve all customers. Serve the most important ones. Challenge every word. If you don’t need it, get rid of it.” [v] this has not only allowed me to deliver my main message with less confusion- overall improving my visibility- it also respects my readers time. Additionally, I cut back on the overall time spent writing and reduced the technical terms where I was able to ensure that my content will be able to be read by broad audiences.

What I learned: structured my content in a logical manner

Unlike in the other introductory posts- where I did not follow a specific format other than using the f pattern – I ensured that in this introduction post I organized and structured the information in my content in a logical manner- which as discussed in class is important for readability. To do this – this time unlike in my other one I made sure that I included bullet points, headlines, short sentences that carry important information.

Additionally, this time I ensured I had a strong hooking headline, that would act as a “call to attention” and highlight the main benefit clearly- followed by addressing their problem and them presenting them with the solution “Sauzzy sauce” and also providing them with key product benefits/ the SCAs of Sauzzy sauce in bullet points for better clearly. Last but certainly not least I made sure I had a strong closing with a strong call to cation that relates to what I just told them and tells them exactly what to do next- to encourage immediate action.

This was important to do because as we discussed in class “find their pain point/ problem and then give them the solution” [vi]. Additionally, I ensured I used the correct format to present this information as people need to be told and guided on what to do – as people are lazy. Meaning I “organized information logically, In the right order and In the right format” [vii]– so without giving them step-by-step instructions as this is an introductory post, I ensured I guided them and also gave them a strong call to action to tell them exactly what to do next. This is something that I did not do in my last introduction post however now that I have structured my introduction post properly in addition to all the other improved elements I included- my overall post should be far more readable.

What I learned: A clear call to action is essential for driving user engagement

As we discussed and as stated in class material- people like to be told what to do and we should always give people a call to action/ tell them the next step they should take, whether it’s buying something, clicking something, subscribing for something etc. that’s why in this introduction post I made sure that I had a strong call to action. Rather than saying get Sauzzy sauce at x I this time made it stronger by adding urgency (which makes people more likely to respond) and also by telling them exactly where to go and get it “Don’t wait, get your side of guilt-free full flava dip now while stock lasts and experience the Sauzzy difference: Find it at Sauzzysauce.com” This is important because as talked about in class “The digital user wants to be told what to click, watch, read, learn about, share and understand. And we must include a call to action/ call for attention” [viii] in addition to how in class we talked about we must have a. “clear call to action.” [ix]

What I learned: Active voice and conversational tone

Unlike in my other introductory post, this time to best follow plain English clear writing- I made sure that I spoke directly to the user in an active conversational tone and also used verbs to help inspire action. This is important as in class we discussed that “we must speak as positive as possible and also need to use words that are in the first and second person such as “you” to help with personalization and also so that the reader feels like we are writing just for them and not a crowd. Additionally, I made sure that I used an active and conversational tone to be more engaging and to make the overall reader experience more personalized because as discussed in class we “want to avoid using passive indirect voices and speak directly to the reader.” [x] In addition to this I made sure I included action verbs to inspire immediate action and also encouraged engagement with Sauzzy sauce. Last but certainly not least I made sure I used a direct voice that was easy to understand and made my introductory post more accessible to a wider audience- to help not only make the content more relatable but also to help the content feel more engaging and personalized for them! I made sure I did this effectively in my post because as talked about in class and also stated in class materials to effectively implement plain writing we must use “Common, everyday words, “You” and other pronouns, Write directly to reader, The active voice, Short sentences, Be positive where possible and Write for your reader, not yourself.” [xi]

What I learned: we must write as though reading matters and use it to fulfil our audience/ reader’s purpose

Even though we all hate reading and prefer visuals and videos and talking person to person I needed to make sure I wrote for understanding and wrote as reading is important/ matters. And as it’s a core value of Plain English writing I made sure that I wrote to fulfill my audience/ reader’s purpose.

To do this, I wrote to not only cater to my reader’s reading/ scanning preferences but also to ensure that what I’m writing gives value to my readers. To do this I recognized one of their pain points/ pointed it out to them, and gave them the solution (my brand- Sauzzy sauce). This is important- because, as talked about in class we “ need to know our audience, what they value, how they talk, what motivates them, what their pain points are, what do they know/ need to know etc.” [xii]– or we will likely lose them, the messaging will not resonate with them and it most importantly will have no relevance or value to them- meaning they will not act and that they will likely not remember our business. This means making sure that what I’m writing actually matters to my audience in this introductory post was important because I was not only wasting my time but their time answering by talking about random things that make sense/ or are relevant to them. Additionality because as talked about in class and stated in class materials “A document or website is in plain language if readers or viewer can easily: 1. Find what they need, 2. Understand it, 3. Use it to fulfill their purpose Plain language is appropriate for the medium and is consistent with the way people behave online.” [xiii] additionally, I ensured I stayed on topic and made sure I avoided nominalisations as talked about in class- to keep the ideas clear and simple and the sentences short.

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