This NYT feature entitled Writing in a Nonstop World, reminded us that content development in startup marketing is fast, furious and almost never done. Here are a few tips that we like to share with our startup clients:
Subheads tell their own story – In today’s ADHD world, the 10-15 page white paper is a thing of the past. Even blogs are getting shorter. (most industry pundits recommend 500 words, though we often see blogs closer to 300, like this post.). Which means that subheads have to do more of the work, both in orienting the reader and boosting your site’s SEO.
Most of us don’t read, we scan –We recommend organizing your content into small paragraphs with subheads that work hard to deliver or reinforce the key takeaway of the copy below. The visual presentation of a series of short paragraphs is far more inviting that one large block of text. And each short paragraph gives you the opportunity to insert a subhead. We like to see a string of subheads that, when read together, are able to tell their own story. In other words, assume your audience scans, so be sure to give them takeaways in your choice of subheads.
Headlines matter more than ever – This article analyzes what words and phrases used in headlines can increase the viralty of your content. You can make your content even stronger with a well-crafted headline that grabs your reader. And for startups that are comfortable exhibiting a bit of an attitude or “cheek” in their content, headlines can be a great way to grab the reader and connect with them in a tone that reinforces your brand.
Great visuals propel content – Strong icons, diagrams and visual support can boost the consumption of your content. (Even on Twitter – check out this article on virality of content.) We recommend that startups be sure to include in their content plan the resources to ensure that your visual support can strongly build content and reinforce your brand.
