Write for your client's comprehension level
Using words that are above your target client's comprehension level is the biggest mistake I see time and time again in alternative therapist's online content. This is particularly true if you work in a cutting edge, jargon filled or "out there" field (Hello Lightworkers!).
It is essential that you write for your target client’s comprehension level, not your level. Better yet, write at an 8th to 10th graders level because your words need to be immediately understood by your readers. If the reader has to frequently stop and ponder what you mean, they are not going to resonate with your message and you will lose their interest.
How you do one thing is perceived as how you do everything
How you communicate with the written word needs to mirror how you communicate in person. The reader can’t be blamed for thinking this is how you always communicate and you don’t want to risk making them feel stupid. Our egos are precious!
Of course, if your spoken word is also above your client's comprehension level then this article's message is twice as important for you!
The ego trap
I feel that the trap of being highly knowledgeable, talented and/or evolved in a given subject is that our ego desires recognition for it. And how does the ego get this recognition? By leaking complex words and concepts into conversations and your writing.
To avoid this trap, simply be mindful of who you are speaking to and use language and explanations that will be easily understood. At the end of the day, your clients are searching for someone they resonate with and who clearly understands them.
Write for an 8th graders level
Why an 8th graders level? Because then you reach the widest audience. Remember that not every Australian speaks English as a first language nor did they complete year 12.
Also, in the field of KaHuna Bodywork, Mette Sorensen of Mette's Institute estimates that up to 80% of your Bodywork clients may not be in any way spiritual and therefore it is key to tailor your communication to your client's level.
This Readability study for online news outlets found that the easier your content is to read, the longer people will stick around to read more content. Makes sense right?
Hot Tip: If you need help getting to sleep just read something that's really hard to understand and you'll be snoring in no time. Don't thank me, thank the Law Of Attraction book I've been trying to read in Spanish!
At this present point in time, your readability score might not be a factor in your Google rankings but I guarantee it will be in the future. Voice based searches by your potential customers are rapidly increasing and Google is improving its AI capability to verbally read back your content without mangling it! This may make the difference between your content being chosen to be read out or not.
How do I know which grade I'm writing at?
There are many free and paid online tools available that can check your content's readability while you are typing or after copying and pasting it into a readability checker. One such free tool is the WebFX Readability Test Tool which gave me the following rating for this article:
TEST RESULTS:
Your text has an average grade level of about 10. It should be easily understood by 15 to 16 year olds.
I'm happy with that as my target audiences are KaHuna Bodyworkers, wannabe KaHuna Bodyworkers and alternative therapists in general. I aim for a grade level of 8 but understand that the inclusion of terms such as "Lightworkers", "Readability" and "KaHuna" are likely going to affect my readability score.
