🧑‍💻 How to Write Digital Content

Good morning.

Tomorrow is the last day of January. I hope your year is off to a strong start and you are still making progress on new habits and commitments. Progress over perfection. Ten minutes a day.

I’ve been feeling like it’s June, so I think that’s a good sign. 💪

— Gordon

Executive Summary:

• Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want

• 4 Big (And Easily Fixable) Digital Writing Mistakes

• Gordon’s digital writing tech stack

Everyday Insights 👀

Keeping you in the know.

• Born Connected: The rise of the AI generation [Qustodio]

• Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want [Harvard Business Review]

• What You Need to Know About Gmail and Yahoo’s Big Changes for Newsletters [Inbox Collective]

4 Big (and Easy to Fix) Digital Writing Mistakes

Writing online isn't as easy as it looks.

The goal of writing content is to build trust by sharing actionable content with readers.

I am beginning to develop new writing habits. It only took nine months, two courses, and back-to-back immersive digital writing cohorts. 🙃

I had to undo what I learned growing up.

Digital writing contradicts traditional writing methods, leading to common errors.

For anyone wanting to grow their business or build a personal brand, content creation is key.

There are four big (and easy to fix) mistakes most people make.

Fixing these mistakes will help you build an audience and impact more lives.

Mistake 1: Being Clever and Not Clear

Fight the urge to be clever in your writing.

Subtle humor or wit is great (I know I love it), but it requires context that your readers often won't have. This lack of clarity limits or eliminates the impact of your message.

Define your target audience and the specific problem that your content solves.

Mistake 2: Writing Long Paragraphs

Shorter paragraphs are more effective for digital writing.

Human attention spans are now less than goldfish. It's critical that you format your posts for scanning.

You have about 1.5 seconds to capture a reader’s attention.

When a reader sees a big block of text they will feel a slight sense of overwhelm and move on from your content.

Each paragraph should be 1-2 sentences to keep readers engaged.

Aim for more whitespace in your posts, and you'll 10X your engagement.

Mistake 3: Not Investing Time to Craft a Very Specific Headline

The first step in content creation is to meet your audience where they are. The second step is to write a headline that stops the scroll.

When writing content, invest the majority of your time to write a clear and specific headline.

A great headline should identify the WHO, WHAT, WHY, be crystal clear, and “twist the knife."

You "twist the knife", by listing more outcomes or benefits to the headline.

For example:

How Recent College Grads Can Buy Their First Rental Property To Live On Passive Income

becomes…

How Recent College Grads Can Buy Their First Rental Property To Live On Passive Income, Travel The World, And Retire Early

There is one exception to this rule. YouTube and newsletter titles/subject lines should be under 56 characters. Data shows that shorter is better.

The 32-character email subject line for this email is:

How to write digital content

If this wasn’t an email and was a blog post or Twitter thread instead, it would be:

4 Big Mistakes New Digital Writers Make And Can Fix To 10X Their Engagement

The headline should grab attention (stop the scroll), identify the intended audience, and promise (or hint at) a benefit.

Nail the headline first and create the content second.

Mistake 4: Writing at A Postgraduate Level

In college, I had a knack for using the thesaurus to elevate my writing assignments and term papers. It worked well too. A+ every time.

Unfortunately, most people read below an 8th-grade level. Using complex language in digital content has the opposite effect.

Write at a 5th to 8th-grade reading level to make your content easier to read and understand.

I use the Hemingway App to check my writing's readability and simplicity. It also ensures my writing is confident and free of adverbs.

This can improve the reach of your content and make it more accessible.

These four small mistakes can make a big impact on how many people stop to consume your content and find value in it. Implement these easy fixes over time, and you will see your audience and engagement grow.

ONWARD TOGETHER.

In The Weeds 🌾

Gordon’s digital writing tech stack.

• beehiiv—The Newsletter Platform Built for Growth*

• Hypefury—Your personal assistant to grow & monetize your 𝕏 (Twitter) audience*

• Typeshare—The Digital Writing Platform*

• Hemingway App—The Hemingway App makes your writing bold and clear

*Disclaimer

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