Only 2% of US adults have high literacy

Can they read you now? Half of Americans have basic or below-basic skills. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 3 years ago

Reel them in with readability

Writing for readability.Communicator makes message 164.57% easier to read | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 6 years ago

Dry as a bone?

Dry as a bone? Must web heads be dull? Learn four ways to write creative headlines for the web that rank high in search and amuse your readers | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 6 years ago

Build a better blog post

Build a better blog post: Use the temple story structure to write blog posts and other content marketing pieces by filling in the blanks. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 6 years ago

Avoid Google’s wrath

Visit the Google zoo: What can you learn from Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird algorithms to boost your news release ranking? | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 6 years ago

Blog length: Go deep, not shallow

Blog length: Go deep, not shallow. Avoid thin posts. Learn the best length for effective blog posts. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 6 years ago

Why callouts?

Why callouts? Callouts attract attention, make messages memorable. Learn how to write an effective callout. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 6 years ago

Here’s a tip

How to write a tipsheet: 7 steps for making the most of your next tipsheet | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Why avoid generic links?

Why avoid generic links? Learn 7 ways to fix weak links. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Format links for clicking

Format links for clicking: Five tips for formatting links to drive action. Learn how you can increase the chances that they’ll get clicked. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Polish your online road signs

Like a road sign, the best links are clear, complete and self-contained. Learn to write complete, descriptive links that stand on their own. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Pass the 1-2-3-4 test

To reach mobile visitors, get the gist of your message across in the first four elements of your webpage. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Who’s ‘Me’?

You can't write a WIIFM without the M. Identify your reader so that you can focus your message on their best interests. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Try imperative voice

Write to and about the reader: Is your message a benefit? Or a command? Invite them into your content – write with the imperative voice. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Write for surfers and divers

Write for 4 levels of web visitors: Reach surfers and divers alike with Clay Schoenfeld’s 30-3-30 rule. Write shallow, deliver deep. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Adjectives can sell

Vivid menu descriptions — "applewood-smoked bacon," "Maytag blue cheese" and "buttery plump pasta," for instance — can increase restaurant sales up to 27%. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Avoid fake benefits

Avoid fake benefits:How can you tell real benefits from fake ones? Learn how to avoid three types of fake reader benefits. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Screen reading hurts your brain

Screen reading reduces comprehension. Learn how to overcome cognitive overload to get the word out to web readers. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Overcome information overload

Readers receive the equivalent of 174 newspapers a day. How can we write messages that overcome information overload? Learn how to solve this problem. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

‘Nearly all of them are far too long’

Nearly all of them are far too long. Churchill calls for shorter communications | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Frontload web heads

Frontload web heads: Place your topic words at the beginning of your web headlines to make them more effective. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Watching paint dry?

Dry as a bone? Must web heads be dull? Learn four ways to write creative headlines for the web that rank high in search and amuse your readers | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Help Google find your page

Help Google find your page: Optimize web heads for search, humans | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Tough nut to crack

Put your story into a nut graph. The nut graph tells readers where you're going with your story. Learn how to write a nut graph with these 4 tips: | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Avoid ‘the pig in the snake’

Write a nut graph that doesn’t slow the story’s flow. Nut graphs shouldn’t be too big to go down in a single swallow. Write a short, graceful summary. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

5 obstacles to reading on smartphones

5 obstacles to reading on smartphones: Overcome screen size, interruptions & more. Reading on a smartphone is tough, thanks to five major usability issues. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Concrete material more memorable

Make messages memorable with concrete details: Readers recall ‘white horse,’ not ‘absolute truth’. Want to make your copy more interesting, understandable and memorable? | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Benchmark readability against the BBC

Benchmark readability against the BBC | How does your clarity stack up against the world’s largest broadcaster? Get the word out to the most people. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Incubation in action

Incubation in action: If all else fails, run out of gas. Sometimes the best way to come up with a creative idea is to take your mind off of it for awhile. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

3 ways to explore

3 ways to explore: Tips for foraging from the author of IdeaSpotting. Need an idea? Get out in the world and find one. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Get to Aha!

Get to Aha!: Creative process process generates fresh ideas. Learn the 5-step creative process that helps you write better, more colorful pieces. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Stop We-We-ing on the reader

Stop We-We-ing on the reader: Talking about ourselves — better than sex? Write to and about your readers, not about us and our stuff. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Diagnose We-We Syndrome

Diagnose We-We Syndrome: You’re so vain, you probably think this proposal is about you | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Readability helps everyone

Readability helps everyone: You’re not dumbing it down; you’re lifting it up. Even highly literate audiences benefit from easier-to-read copy. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Avoid alphabet soup

How to handle acronyms. Avoid alphabet soup: 7 ways to get the acronyms and abbreviations out. Learn how to avoid drowning your readers in alphabet soup | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Is it live or is it metaphor?

Is it live or is it metaphor? ‘Kick the habit’ lights up the brain’s motor cortex. Learn how metaphors stimulate the brain and why you should use them. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

6 tips for writing lists

6 tips for writing lists: People look at 70% of lists they encounter online. Learn 6 ways to make your lists stand out with these best practices. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Turn numbers into things

Turn numbers into things: When writing with statistics, ask 'What's it like?' Add context to make numbers meaningful and understandable. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Come to your senses

Come to your senses: Use description and analogy to show readers what your subject looks like, smells like, tastes like, feels like or sounds like. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Out of sight, out of mind

Out of sight, out of mind: Keep paragraphs even shorter for mobile screens | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Pass the 70-20-10 test

Pass the 70-20-10 test: Create social media messages that engage readers. Learn to write social media messages that are relevant, valuable and interesting. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

A bear’s tale: 3 steps to a great story

A bear's tale: 3 steps to a great story: Facts tell, stories sell. How can you make the most of your best business stories? | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

The cost of bad writing

The cost of bad writing: It’s a $37 million-a-year problem at one organization. How much does bad writing cost your organization? | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Eyes on you

Simplify layout to improve readability: Page view time is not a magic number: Tight writing increases understanding. Make your copy easier to scan online. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Thumbs up

Get testimonials into your next campaign. Add third-party testimonials from people outside your organization to your PR and marketing messages. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Write quotes that sound human

Write quotes that sound human: Convey personality, passion and a point of view to sound like a real person said them, not like a computer spit them out. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

Craft snappy sound bites

Craft snappy sound bites: List, rhyme and twist: Learn how you can craft a memorable, quotable, sassy sound bite or surprising headline for your copy. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago

The long and the short of it

The long and the short of sentence length: Most sentences should be short, but the occasional longer sentence can help build drama, create rhythm and more. | Continue reading


@wyliecomm.com | 7 years ago