Catch more readers! Here are three easy writing tips for churches.

My great-grandmother often said, “You don’t need to tell everything you know.” This is great advice when it comes to writing for your church and for goldfish.

In 2015, the National Center for Biotechnology Information shared that the average attention span of an adult is now about 8.25 seconds, which is slightly less than that of a goldfish. Good thing they told us quickly.

Here are 3 writing tips that will help you catch more readers:

  1. Make words count by counting words
    Increase your efficiency by giving your ministry leaders specific word counts. You may still have some editing to do on that blog post or event listing, but you just empowered your fellow staff and leaders to give you a head start.

  2. Tighten two times
    Rise to the challenge of writing for short-attention spans by keeping your text concise. When you receive copy, tighten it once to remove unnecessary words. Then, make a second pass. With all the courage you can muster, grab your editing machete and hack a clear path for the reader. Talk with ministry leaders about the purpose behind your edits. Your teamwork can help the reader make it to the next step.

  3. Opt for affordable words
    “I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter." --Blaise Pascal, The Provincial Letters (Letter 16, 1657)

    We encourage churches to keep messaging clear, knowing that the average adult reads at about a ninth grade level. Recreational reading—like that novel on your Kindle or in your beach bag—is often written at a seventh-grade level. Struggling to make your copy beach-friendly? Ask someone else to help you edit.

    Or, simplify using this tip: Swap a highfalutin $10 word for an affordable $5 fancy word and keep your language accessible. Like Pascal, you may find that it takes more time to write simply, but your thesaurus will be happy to assist.

Whether in print or online, invite your reader in and offer them a cold drink instead of a Thanksgiving dinner. No need to begin by sharing everything you know. Start with the basics and open the door to the next step.

Get more writing tips from our FREE webinar, Beyond the Date and Time: Writing Content that Connects. Click below to download on-demand! 

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