Short sentences make your veterinary blog easy to read – did you know?

"See Spot run."

Does your veterinary website include a blog?

Besides being informative, the content must be easy to read and understand. These qualities give readers the most value.

"Okay," you're probably thinking, "that sounds reasonable. But how do I make the content easy to read?"

I'm glad you asked!

One way is by keeping sentences short.

I touched on this in my blog post, Five quick tips for writing an outstanding veterinary blog, but I'd like to explain more.

Length doesn't always mean in-depth

​Long sentences don't necessarily give more detail. On the contrary, they can be confusing, dreary, and exhausting to read.

Mentally taxing your blog visitors with voluminous prose is unwise; they may retaliate by not returning.

To show what I mean about a never-ending sentence, read the following. It illustrates how lengthier ones can be a struggle.
 
"It is given as a course of two injections, with the first dose priming the immune system, but producing no physiological effect, and the second dose stimulating anti-GnRF antibody production and consequent suppression of gonadal activity a few days after administration."
 
This sentence… is just long. Breaking it into shorter sentences makes it more manageable.
 
"It is given as a course of two injections. The first dose primes the immune system but produces no physiological effect. The second dose stimulates anti-GnRF antibody production. The antibody production suppresses gonadal activity a few days after administration."
 
The brevity in the rewrite simplifies reading, and your brain doesn't strain to remember the points made.

Reining in sentence length can be tricky, though.

That's why I use and recommend Grammarly. It's a writing assistant/editing tool that, among other things, highlights lengthy sentences and suggests revisions.
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But there's another reason for keeping sentences short.

Short sentences = less scrolling on digital devices

When writing for the web, whether blog posts or web page content, only so much text can display on a screen and even less on a smartphone.

So, keeping sentences brief and avoiding big chunks of text helps your reader avoid endless scrolling.

Shorter sentences mean fewer words. And fewer words mean you must be picky about your chosen ones to communicate your point precisely.

Remember, for content to do its job, people must understand it to recognize its value. Reading your blog should be enjoyable, not a test of mental stamina.

Otherwise, you're writing for yourself. 
 
Let's talk about that writing project you've put off; email or call me at 508-277-4929!
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I'm a freelance copywriter and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets. I dive into the intricacies of writing excellent content so you don't have to!