What do you think the average readability level is of the average American?
Said another way – what grade level do you think the average American reads at?
It may surprise you that the average American is considered to have a readability level equivalent to a 7th/8th grader, which is equivalent to that of a 12 to 14-year-old.
Here’s another interesting fact that you may be familiar with: The average human has an attention span of just 8.25 seconds according to recent studies, which is 4.25 seconds less than it was in 2000.
What does this all mean as a business owner?
That communicating via written text has to be done strategically in order to be effective.
Our messaging has to be clear and concise – otherwise it will be misunderstood and/or skipped over entirely.
If you want to be accessible and inclusive, here are some best practices to keep in mind when it comes to your marketing.
1. Avoid using “studly case.”
If you’ve never heard of a “studly case” or don’t know what it is. It’s when you randomly alternate between lowercase and capital letters (like this: How aNnOylnG!). It’s harder on the eyes to read, and assistive technology is completely unable to decipher what it is you’re trying to say. We’ve talked about Camel Case in episode 9 – and that’s the only time when you should be capitalizing letters in the middle of a word.
2. Don't overuse caps (all capital letters)
Full caps can be difficult to read and are sometimes misinterpreted as shouting, especially on social media. The human interpretation aspect aside, screen readers can also misinterpret all capital letters and may spell those words out like an acronym instead of reading them as a word. Our goal is to ensure that all people, including those who use assistive technology, have an equitable experience, so we want to ensure we’re not abusing or overusing all capital letters.
3. Select an easy-to-read font
You don’t always have the opportunity to choose a font, like when you post to social media, the platform sets a default font, but whenever you have the opportunity to select a font you want to choose one that’s easy to read.
There are 3 common types of fonts: Serif fonts, Sans-Serif fonts, and Script fonts.
Script fonts are notoriously difficult to read, especially when you consider that cursive isn’t regularly taught in schools anymore. These are never recommended when it comes to “easy to read” and should be reserved for text accents or larger font styles, like headlines.
Serif fonts are typefaces that have traces or lines extending from the edges of letters…”sans” is French for “without,” which means that Sans-Serif fonts are typefaces without traces or lines extending from the edges of the letters.
Sans Serif letters appear simple and rounded. Sans-Serif has slightly increased readability compared to Serifs. This is why Sans-Serif is a great typeface for the body of text. Serifs can be used for headings and titles since they are larger and that makes them easier to read.
4. Write in plain language (keep copy short and easy to understand)
The whole concept of Just Marketing® is to make your content inclusive AND accessible. The following ideas are important to adopt into your everyday marketing practices as a business owner and Just Marketer.
- Less is more!
Be concise in your copy. Eliminate unnecessary words. Keep only what you need to get your message across. Remember, the average attention span of people is short to begin with, and it’s decreasing.
- Short paragraphs are easier to follow
When you write on paper, you generally introduce a new paragraph after about 5-6 lines. With digital content, a new paragraph after 3 to 4 sentences is ideal. This also ties back to the short attention span. When people see a large chunk of text it feels daunting and overwhelming and people are more likely to skip it. By breaking one big paragraph down into many little paragraphs, it feels more manageable to read.
- Utilize lists
Lists are easy on the eyes, easier to read, and definitely easier for the brain to process. So if you have broad information to communicate, use short lists and bullets to organize that information.
- Be conversational in your writing and stick to simple language
If you know your audience, then you can speak their language. Try to use the same words, terms, etc., that your audience commonly uses (checking comments on social media will help you gain a better understanding of this!).
Writing on your website, social media, or anywhere else you market your business should be easy to follow, so read it back to yourself once you’re finished writing to ensure your message comes across as intended.
This is one of my favorite points, because in many cases when people think that they’re “not good writers” they’re thinking back to high school or college when they struggled to write research papers or creative stories – but marketing isn’t like that. It’s writing the way you would typically communicate to a peer/friend. It’s way less intimidating than people make it out to be.
5. Write like you’re sharing with someone for the first time
Don’t assume that your readers have any knowledge of the subject you’re sharing, or that they have consumed other content you've created. Rather, write/record like you are sharing a new topic with someone who knows nothing about it.
Here are some simple ways to clarify your content:
- If you want to use abbreviations or acronyms, write them out in full on their first reference, and then place the abbreviation/acronym in brackets next to them. That way, the next time your reader encounters the acronym, they will know what you are referring to. Here’s an example: “Are you ready to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into your marketing efforts?” If you’re recording content you can also say something similar, and expressly say that “from now on you’ll refer to it as DEI.”
- Avoid jargon/slang and include definitions for complex topics.
- If there is other content the reader/listener/watcher would benefit from, include links to that content.
Basically, when it comes to content creation we want to ensure we’re being clear, concise, and considering the user experience at all times to ensure that no matter how a person is consuming our content, they’re having an equitable experience.
