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)
My new and improved introductory post successfully addresses the three main objectives of plain English writing which are that they can “1. Find what they need, 2. Understand it, 3. Use it to fulfil their purpose.” (Briscoe, W8 – A – Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 8). I know it’s in plain English writing because it’s clear, concise and correct, which is in a nutshell what plain language is all about.
First, readers can find what they need. My revised version includes clear and descriptive headings such as “Made Just for Them”, “Built to Last” and “Lifetime Warranty.” This ensures that my readers can quickly identify what different parts of my blog talk about. We learnt to “use headings, lists and tables to make reading easier.” (Briscoe, W8 – B – Plain Language Writing Tips (W25).pdf, Slide 3). Additionally, instead of putting a bunch of details together, I organized the content logically so that they aren’t looking around for answers and they can quickly scan for what they need. We learnt that it’s important to “stick to your topic. Limit each paragraph to one idea and keep it short.” (Briscoe, W8 – B – Plain Language Writing Tips (W25).pdf, Slide 2). Following this strategy helped me cut out excess information and only include the important details so that people can find what they need without having to question why they clicked on my content in the first place or question if what they are reading makes legitimate sense. My first sentence, “At The Furever Tag, we understand your pet is part of the family”, immediately tells the reader what The Furever Tag stands for and how we emphasize strong, long lasting ID tags. The most important information clearly comes first so that the user can decide if the content I’m providing is relevant to what they need and what they value. We learnt that “people are busy, spending 15 seconds or less deciding whether to engage with a page so you need to get to the point quickly or you’ll find them for the back button before they’ve scrolled below the fold.” (Briscoe, W8 – Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, slide 3). I don’t have long so communicate what I want to my readers so that’s why making the first sentence engaging and relevant was highly important to my decision to reaching a goal in plain English writing. Right off the bat people can find what they need.
Secondly, readers can understand it. My plain English writing ensures that I’m using simple language with short sentences that avoid any sort of unnecessary jargon. We learnt that jargon is “efficient and effective for those “in the know”” but “opaque, confusing and distancing for those who are not (tip: that’s almost everyone).” (Briscoe, W8 – A – Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 63). Knowing this I avoided complex terms that would confuse readers. For example, instead of using technical product descriptions for my tags I said, “Made Just for Them: “Choose from many unique shapes, fun colours and personalized engraving to match your dog’s personality.” I made sure that my sentences only contain what’s necessary to fulfil the user and that they were written with simple words. In class we discovered that it’s important to “use everyday words” (Briscoe, W8 – B – Plain Language Writing Tips (W25).pdf, Slide 3). Using words people may not know can steer them away especially if they aren’t hearing them every day. This is why I used “inclusive language” (Briscoe, W8 – B – Plain Language Writing Tips (W25).pdf, Slide 5) because it’s easy for people to understand, digest and move forward with their reading. The step-by-step instructions also helped because I’m breaking down a process much clearer. We learnt to “put instructions in the right order” because “requirements, prompts, warnings, notes and anything else that someone needs to complete an action correctly must come before the action, field or instruction, not after it!” (Briscoe, W8 – A – Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 46). By using “Customize It – Personalize your tag with your pet’s name, contact information and a fun message” for example, I’m ensuring that the reader knows exactly what to do next, with simple instructions. My post also addresses using an active voice, ensuring that readers can understand my content. For example, instead of saying “Your tag will be crafted and shipped by us quickly and efficiently” I said, “Well handle the rest – your tag is crafted with care and shipped quickly.” We learnt that we need to “write in active voice. Use the passive voice only in rare cases.” (Briscoe, W8 – B – Plain Language Writing Tips (W25).pdf, Slide 2). It makes sentences much clearer and helped me remove extra words.
Thirdly, the reader can use my content to fulfil their purpose. It’s important to make the viewer act without making it a difficult thing to do. We learnt that “web content is a conversation with your customer. If material doesn’t belong in the conversation, it doesn’t belong on the web” (Briscoe, W8 – A – Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 70). This means that If my content cant even fill someone’s purpose it’s not clear, relevant or direct. My blog is because it’s focused on helping the reader understand why they need a Furever Tag in their life. By removing unnecessary details and not overwhelming the user they can clearly take the next step. My step-by-step instructions do a great job at doing this and so does my call to action at the end. The purpose of my blog is to help owners understand why a Furever Tag is the best choice when it comes to a pet ID tag. We learnt that “people don’t read on the web when what we write does not fit their needs.” (Briscoe, W8 – A – Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 33). My instructions are short, clear and written in order so that the user can easily follow my content. I removed complex and unnecessary words to remove any confusing or doubt about my products. It lets me sound confident in my content and knowledgeable about my products. This structure allows my readers to make decisions quickly and confidently without doubting themselves.
Overall, my post does a good job at successfully addressing the three main objectives of plain English writing as it works with the reader and not against them.