Text is the basis of almost every story and it’s pretty accessible on its own, but there are a few things to keep in mind as you write.
Focus on clarity and brevity
Avoid jargon and idioms in favor of clear, succinct sentences. This makes your content useful and accessible to the widest range of audiences.
Use subheadings to create structure
Section headings help people skim and understand the content—just like an outline. Keywords in subheadings also factor into search rankings.
When you’re adding headings in Chorus, make sure to preserve heading order within the story. For example, don’t go from h1 to h4 to h2 and back to h4.
Use list styles for items within a list
If you’re listing items—such as steps in a process or nominees for an award—use the appropriate list style to group the content for audiences.
- Lists in Chorus create an ordered list for sequential information.
- Bullets are used for bulleted (or unordered) lists like this one.
Avoid listing players, candidates, and other topics in a story without bullet points as this prevents people with screen readers from skimming through the story.
Write clear links
Be explicit about where links go. Don’t say “here” or “click here.” People often tab through links with a keyboard or screen reader to navigate. Clear link names also improve search rankings, so take a few seconds to be precise and descriptive.
Be careful with capitalization
We recommend using upper camel casing for social links, for example:
- @EaterDallas, not @eaterdallas
- @SBNation, not @sbnation
Account names are easier to follow when read aloud if you format them this way.
Use multiple signals for important information
When you’re referring to an interface or story element, make sure your instructions are explicit and accessible to everyone. For example, visually impaired audiences may not be able to discern what is red or blue. You may want to tell them to select the “buy button” over the “blue button” for example.
Similarly, content displays differently on different screen sizes and platforms. Directional instructions like “see the image above” may not make sense everywhere. Be specific and consider different audiences and contexts as you write.