A sound bite is technically a short clip from a piece of audio; in popular usage, it’s a few memorable words conveying a large message.

But sound bites aren’t limited to the spoken word. With websites, blogs, and social media demanding their owners provide a continual stream of content, succinctly written communications are an essential part of a company’s marketing toolkit.

Here are a few tips on creating compact and crisp text:

• Web-based copy is scanned and skimmed, not read. For greatest impact, content should stimulate the brain’s limbic system, the center of desire and motivation.
• Write at a 7th grade level; most bestselling novels are written at this level. You can do this by using the following:
• Short words with fewer than two syllables
• Short sentences with no more than 12 words
• Short paragraphs with at most 4 sentences
• Use the active vs. passive voice: “He uploaded the video to YouTube,” rather than “The video was uploaded to YouTube by him.
• Visually content is easier to understand. Replace text with infographics wherever possible.

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