3. For question #2, explain how your new post successfully addresses the three main objectives of Plain English writing as discussed in class. Provide a detailed breakdown of each objective. (9 Marks)
Find What They Need
Headings
The second post now features clear, structured headings that allow users to quickly locate relevant sections. This helps keep the content organized, helping with the overall follow-through and layout of the content. It also makes it easier for skimmers to identify the content they are looking for. This allows them to go right to the section they are interested in, which can lead to greater engagement. Having a proper heading for your content can also help with SEO. It helps in search rankings, gives the content a category, and helps you reach your audience.
Headlines help with overall user engagement because they provide structure to the content and enable users to find the information they need. Making it easier for readers to find what they need will enhance engagement, as they will be able to locate the information, and it will likely lead to them taking some sort of action.
Bullet points
Bullet points break up dense content and help the readers locate more information quicker[i]. I added some bullet points to the email related to what I do as a photographer. These points convey quick and important information that consumers want to see; I touch on personal shoots, professional editing, and social media-ready content.
These bullets are things that most consumers are likely to want, and grouping them in bullets makes them even easier to locate. Making this information easier to find will help users actually find it. This is important and can help increase my engagement.in the first version, I had the paragraph: “I offer personal shoots, professional editing, and social media-ready content to highlight your car’s best features.” Which I turned into bullets, making it easier to find and read.
F-Pattern layout
The new version was formatted with the f pattern more in mind; I tried to keep as much important information on the left side as possible. This means that placing important details in the first two scans increases engagement[ii]. I did this so it’s more likely to catch the skimmer’s eyes. This, paired with fewer words and unnecessary sentences, will help with overall engagement.
Using the F pattern paired with bullet points, I was able to place important information in more effective locations. I was able to convert two sentences into a heading and three bullet points. This makes it easier for the skimmers to find the more crucial information and makes it more pronounced in my copy. It clearly outlines the information in a digestible way, paired with emojis and bold text to catch attention and emphasize its importance.
📍 Professional Automotive Photography in Windsor
✔ Rolling Shots
✔ Showroom-Quality Stills
✔ Social Media Content
Understand It
Shorter sentences
In the new version, I kept the sentences shorter and removed all the unnecessary descriptive words. Using shorter and simpler sentences helps with overall reader comprehension. This is beneficial because it makes it easier for readers to understand and can enhance their engagement, as they don’t have to think hard about what they are reading.
Readers on the web are different from print readers, and therefore, web content needs to be more concise. Studies show that web readers process information 25% more slowly than print readers, [iii]which means that the content needs to be written differently. Web readers tend to read slower than print readers, so keeping the sentences short and informative also helps readers comprehend the content faster.
Plain English can also help make the content more accessible to people who are weak at English or are not native speakers. Since we are using more common everyday words, it is easier for these people to understand what is being said and can help eliminate some language barrier aspects.
Everyday words
The revised post removes unnecessary words and uses more plain, everyday language, incorporating descriptive words where needed. This makes the content easier to read and understand overall. The new version, with its clearer language, flows better than the old version and makes it easier to skim through and find what you’re looking for.
As part of using more everyday words, I also tried to minimize the use of jargon as much as possible. I did this to help with overall comprehension, make it easier to read, and make it easier to skim through. I didn’t use any super-specific terms related to cars or photography, just to be sure that I’m not confusing anyone less knowledgeable.
Use It to Fulfill Their Purpose
Strong Calls-to-Action
Plain English writing ensures that readers understand the content and know what to do next. Web users don’t want to guess or search for instructions; they need clear, direct calls to action. In my new CTA, I ensured it was concise and direct, giving readers a higher chance of taking action. Direct CTAs put more pressure on the reader to take action and are often more successful; I kept my CTAs direct because those are the specific actions I want them to take when they see them.
The second post ends with a strong, action-oriented CTA, making it easy for readers to book a photoshoot or view my portfolio. I put it at the end so that by the time the readers have digested the information, a CTA may be what they need to take action. I also shortened the CTA in the new version. The old one was too long and had unnecessary words that could distract the reader. I also made the old CTA less direct, and it wasn’t convincing enough.
Directness
I was often vague and wordy in the first version, so in the new version, I was more direct. This shows in my CTA; I was much more direct when I said, “Book Your Shoot Today,” which gives the reader the exact action I want them to take next. I was also more descriptive when talking about my work, whereas I used many descriptive and dramatic words instead. I kept it to the point and stated that my work was “High Quality” and “Professionally edited.”
Being direct is crucial because readers need to know the next step to take, and it should be clear and easy to find, making it more actionable. Keeping the vocabulary simple and direct. Giving them clear instructions increases the chances of engagement with my content and can also lead to them taking it a step further and booking a shoot.
a. Describe one specific technique you used to improve readability in your revised version and explain why it is effective. (4 Marks)
The primary technique I used to improve readability was keeping sentences more concise. I took the extra words out of my sentences to keep them straightforward and easier to read, making the paragraphs quickly reach the point. This version appeals to skimmers more because it follows the f pattern better and is also more concise. The readers now get more valuable information faster and don’t have to read unnecessary detailed sentences. I took some of the extra details and formatted them as bullet points, along with the rest of the content. This ensures the reader still receives all the necessary information, but it is more organized and easier to skim through.
These changes allow readers to skim more quickly while still obtaining the necessary information. Because of this, they won’t need to dedicate as much time to reading and can spend more time engaging. This could keep readers engaged with the content and make them more likely to respond to any CTA.
b. What was the most challenging aspect of applying the F-Pattern and Plain English writing principles? How did you overcome it? (5 Marks)
The most challenging part was ensuring that readers could still find the necessary information while reducing unnecessary words and sentences. Web readers typically have short attention so spans. I had to condense the longer, more detailed paragraphs into a more concise and skimmable one. This was essential for maintaining the F-pattern layout, which follows a reading pattern where users scan the first few words of a line before moving down. In the new version, I ensured that the most essential or eye-catching information was at the start of the sentences to make sure that it would catch the eyes of skimmers still,
I had to ensure that the content was engaging, informative, and easy to find for the reader. It was challenging to do this without making it feel too stripped down or empty. I kept some vivid, descriptive words where necessary to ensure the content remained concise yet visually engaging. I used words like “aggressive stance” for cars and “flawless lighting.” These are words that will grab the attention of the readers or skimmers of the content.
It was also a challenge to take this stripped-down information and make sure it was in the proper spots for the F pattern. It was hard to decide what information to keep and put at the start of sentences and what importance could be more buried in the text. I also didn’t want to bury the information too deep because most readers won’t make it that far. I overcame this by only picking the essential information and putting it in prime F pattern locations or in bullet points.
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