GrammarPhile Blog

According to psychological research, we humans do indeed believe people are prone to bias… but only others, of course. We tend to believe that our actions and reactions are exempt from conscious or subconscious biases, but others are certainly capable of bias.

Researchers of human behavior believe that bias and stereotypical thinking are the result of our evolutionary response to survival. We have learned over the centuries to quickly categorize and evaluate other people and our surroundings on both conscious and subconscious levels so that we can make snap judgments and decisions that keep us alive. Researchers also believe that our environment and the culture surrounding us before we reach the age of five influence our biases, as well. (Source: Psychology Today)

But regardless of our evolutionary proclivities or immediate surroundings or past cultural environments, there is a way to shed our biases when we’re writing. When choosing our diction, pronouns, and subject matter, we have an opportunity to evaluate words on the page repeatedly before we share them with others.

According to a study conducted by Cisco, 80 percent of all global Internet consumption will be video content by 2019. In other words, most people across the globe will want to watch a video instead of read social media posts, blog posts, white papers, e-books, etc. In fact, 80 percent of audiences would rather watch video from an established brand than read other written posts (Source: LiveStream).

So, like it or not, you’ll want to strongly consider adapting your writing expertise for video content in 2018 and beyond if you publish, share, or promote content across the web for a branded entity or organization.

Here are some tips for how you can adapt your writing to create epic video content.

Did you know that a website visitor will read on average only between 20% and 28% of the content that’s on your website? And that’s if they enjoy reading your copy. If your visitors don’t enjoy reading your copy, the amount of it they will read is much, much lower, and so is the amount of time they'll spend on your website.

The less time visitors spend on your website reading and engaging with its content, the less likely they are to turn into subscribers, paying customers, clients, or partners.

Understanding the real-world impacts of poorly written web copy is essential in 2018, especially if you write copy for a website or manage content for one.

What Happens When You Have Poorly Written Web Copy

Here are some of the more notable problems you’ll experience when your website has poorly written web copy.  

Many websites lose readers, business, and revenue because the site contains errors. A common misconception is that website content doesn’t need to be proofread because changes can be made quickly with just one click of a button.

It’s hard to believe that the dawn of a new century was almost two decades ago. And since then, we’ve experienced life with smartphones and smart devices, as well as apps and platforms that have changed the way we work and live.  

What we write about has changed too, along with the new experiences that technological advances have brought us. Here’s a list of twenty-five topics (in alphabetical order) that weren’t popular to write about a decade ago, even though now it seems as if we receive content and information about them daily.

1. Apps & App Development

Smartphone applications are now at the center of a majority of what we do every day. We use them for GPS navigation, to access our email, to read books and articles, to message our friends and family members, to play games, etc. And there is a lot of information being written about how to design and develop apps, how to use and download apps, and how to market and sell them.

2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for lifelike robots these days. It’s also used for translating languages, speech recognition, chatbots, gaming, and so many other things that are integral to what we do every single day. And writing about artificial intelligence is no longer just science fiction.

3. Automation

In the past decade we’ve automated so many things and have invented things like automated communications and emails, automated billing and payments, driverless cars, automated software updates, and so on. In a world where people are always on the go, automation has become key and people love receiving information about it.

If you were able to take last week’s quiz, it’s time to see your results! And if you haven’t taken the quiz yet, you can do so now by clicking on this link.

Were you right about what type of writer you think you are? Did you learn something new about yourself and how you approach your writing? There is a possibility that you could have prominent traits of more than one type of writer. Check out the results below and let us know what you discovered in the comments below.

As a writer, it’s easy to get lost in your work and the entire writing process. It can be exciting and fun at times, and painful or nerve-racking at other times. And the writing process isn’t the same for every writer; each writer has his or her unique way of approaching what he or she does best.

This (non-scientific) quiz will help you think about your writing style and process, and what makes you unique as a writer.

So, what type of writer are you?

Take the quiz below. Select the answers that best resemble you, your interests and personality, and your writing style and aspirations. Keep a tally of your answers throughout the quiz so you can get accurate results once you’re done with the quiz. You may find that you have attributes of more than one type of writer, and that’s okay!

Come back next week to get your results.

Who says that you must always have a paper notebook with you to jot down your notes and bouts of inspiration if you’re a writer? Chances are, even if you have a notebook, you’re more likely to have your smartphone with you, while you’ll only have your notebook with you every so often. Don’t worry, you’re not any less of a writer if you admit this. Who wants writer’s cramp anyway?

Smartphones and tablets have garnered unfair stereotypes in recent years, especially for writers. They’re seen as being superfluous and as tools of unnecessary distraction. However, there’s reason why mobile devices have become so popular and are now vital tools in our everyday lives.

Instead of trying to fight against their influence and widespread use, let’s use mobile devices to improve our writing aptitudes, especially since they’re with us all the time. You’re no less of a talented writer if you decide to hone your skills using a smartphone instead of a typewriter. After all, even typewriters were at one time viewed as imposter-inducing devices.

Have you ever read a report or research paper you’ve written after it was published and questioned everything you wrote about because it fell flat and received little feedback? Or have you ever wondered why your business memos, plans, reports, or emails don’t gain influence or get responses from your bosses and colleagues? Do you ever write something with the intention of instigating a discussion and all you hear is crickets in return?

Establishing a voice in your writing isn’t just beneficial for writers of novels and opinion-based columns. It’s beneficial for all types of writers, including business writers.

When you distinguish your voice in your business writing, you reveal your professional personality to your bosses, coworkers, clients, and a broader industry-wide audience. Instead of sounding like a robot rambling off statistics and numbers in a report, or coming across as an unreliable novice, you become an approachable expert who can offer real guidance and support when necessary.

Continue reading to see the benefits of establishing a voice in your business writing, as well as some tips for developing and maintaining your voice.