If you know why you are writing each piece of content you publish, then it is likely that your writing reflects that passion. Whether you are writing for yourself about issues which center around your work, your hobbies, your family or your feelings, or you are writing for a paycheck, you must always write for a reason. People across the globe are literally fascinated by details; if you can write in a way that shows why the subject matters to you, it is likely it will also matter to your readers. Many websites are not learner-friendly; they may have a lovely design, be very accessible, have usable interfaces yet can lack the learner’s goals or needs. This is assuming that the writer is even aware of what the learner’s needs are.
If you take a look at the entire industry of the web, you will see that as writers we may not have worked hard enough to create content-rich websites which allow exploration and learning. In other words, even though we all know the importance of keywords, compelling headlines and short, snappy sentences and paragraphs, this is not enough. Our readers are also learners who want an interactive, discoverable environment. Does your writing provide that environment, or is this an area of your content which might benefit from a little tweaking? First, take a look at your narrative then build on that for learner-friendly content.
How Storytelling Benefits Your Content
Narrative—also known as storytelling—is crucial to learning. A huge portion of the communication we as humans have with one another revolves around telling a story. We use this technique to provide information as well as to make an emotional connection. We use storytelling to align what we know about our world with what our readers know. When people enter into an exchange of a story, trust is built as readers work their own narrative into the content you’ve provided. Storytelling allows readers to easily move from one portion of your content to another, and helps bits and pieces of information turn into actual knowledge.
Interact With Your Readers
Once your narrative has created a bond with your readers, the next step is to interact with your reader in a way that changes them or prompts them to act. Learners jump into content-rich sites in the hopes of being changed in some way. They hope that what they find in your words will change their outlook on a specific subject, shift their view of the world, or give them something they did not have prior to reading your content. Learners need context in their reading to allow them to integrate what they already know with what they are now reading. The greater amount of context you provide, the more your readers will learn from your content.
How Your Readers Will Discover When Reading Your Content
As you are probably aware, different people learn in different ways. While some learners require exceptionally organized blocks of information others will take a more random path of exploration and investigation. Some readers will want to satisfy their curiosity rather than following a prescribed path, and discoverability which is built into your content can allow them to do just that. In short, content which is discoverable allows readers to choose their own path, build their own adventure. Sites such as Wikipedia are highly discoverable in that readers can move from one block of content to another as their interests take them. Ideally, every piece of web content will be a piece of the huge puzzle which, together, creates a rich landscape of exploration for all readers. So long as writers write for a reason and know why they write, learner-friendly content will be the result.
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