Concise text – the triumph of reason or a complete failure?

Translators Family blog: Concise texts

Concise texts: guidelines and rules

We deal with the written word on a daily basis: we run our blog or write client social media posts, we create texts for work, or write a diary.  So, let’s figure out what kind of texts will spur a person to take action? From liking to conversion. To make the text succinct, answer these questions.

Whom am I writing for? 

Example: You are blogging about technology and have decided to do a review of the latest Apple presentation. If your audience is techno-geeks, they probably know already which models of iPhones will come out this year. But they might be wondering which will be Siri in the following Apple models. 

 

What texts are already written, and how will mine be different from them? 

First, avoid generalities and trivial examples. Moreover, focus on unique information that only you can give. Thus, if the topic is so popular that it’s hard to say something new. But you emphasize the pitch: let your material be the quickest and easiest way to understand the problem. Or at least the most fun.

 

Some facts about engagement

Bu the way, the auditors from Deloitte have calculated that in 2020 the average person spent 3 hours 51 minutes on the Internet on a weekday and 4 hours 22 minutes on the weekend. It’s important to remember that people spend most of their time working and communicating rather than reading blogs. By posting an article, you’re fighting for attention with work correspondence, a new post by Elon Musk, and the latest episode of Law & Order. So, look at what’s going on in the world and think about what to focus on to get the reader to choose you today.

 

Think of a principle by which you will structure the information

Books in the library can be arranged alphabetically, by the era in which the authors lived, and even by the color of the covers. The same rule applies to the information used in the text. The principle of its organization can be: 

  1. Chronological (before/after, from origins to the present) 
  2. Problematic (highlight the main problems and categorize the answers)
  3. Dramaturgical (plot, climax and denouement) 
  4. Following a chain of reasoning (each succeeding paragraph is an answer to a question the reader has while reading the previous one)

 

As you work on your article, keep a few thoughts in mind

First of all, you’re not writing an encyclopedia or a doctoral dissertation – you don’t have to tell the reader everything you know about the topic. 

Secondly, life examples, historical anecdotes, and vivid images are more interesting than complex definitions and abstract descriptions. Wrap what’s complex in what’s interesting, just like wrapping candy in wrappers. 

Besides, your readers traverse through your text like climbers on a rock wall: clinging to small pebbles to get to the top. Try to keep it intriguing to keep them interested in climbing up, and don’t make the “pebbles” too tricky and slippery, or your climbers will fall off.

 

To conclude

So, text written with soul is always remembered, as it encourages interaction, sells, and builds loyalty. Work on your formula for succinct text and discover that letters can be free sales tools that are always at your fingertips. Or you can turn to us – Translators Family team knows how to do concise copywriting in any language.