#Shortcut for bullet points in linkedin how to

You may have seen writers complain about the proliferation of “listicles” in recent years. GET THE GUIDE 8 examples of bullet points that work

#Shortcut for bullet points in linkedin how to

Now that we’re standing on a firm foundation, let’s move into how to actually write these bullets. If the bullet points are just short phrases or incomplete sentences, they don’t need periods. In this case, you see why you’d capitalize the first word after a bullet point. If your bullet points end up being short sentences, you’ll want to add periods after each one. However, if each of your bullet points is only one word, you could keep the letters all lowercase.Īgain, whichever style you choose, just make sure you’re consistent throughout your text. You can capitalize the first word that follows a bullet point in your content. Your bullet points should more or less be the same style and length. It depends on the type of bullets that you write, but the key is to keep your punctuation consistent. Since the text that comes after a bullet point shouldn’t look like a paragraph, you might be wondering about how to handle punctuation in bulleted lists.

If you want to write complete sentences, stick with a paragraph or a numbered list. Remember that bullets (like headlines) are not necessarily sentences Keep your bullet groups thematically related, begin each bullet with the same part of speech, and maintain the same grammatical form. Bullets are designed for clarity, not confusion. Avoid bullet clutter at all costsĭo not get into a detailed outline jumble of subtitles, bullets, and sub-bullets. It’s easier on the eyes and therefore easier on the reader. Meaning, one line each, two lines each, etc. Keep your bullet points symmetrical if possible A bullet expresses a clear benefit and promise to the readerīullets encourage the scanning reader to go back into the real meat of your content, or go forward with your call to action. There are probably faster ways of ruining your credibility and career, but not giving your reader what you promised is definitely in the top three.īrian Clark wrote the definitive “ Bullet Points 101” post more than 10 years ago.Īnd, since I’d rather straight-up steal from Clark than try to outwrite him in this area, here’s his five-part summary of when to use bullet points, as well as what an effective bullet point is and does. Goes without saying (but of course I’m going to say it anyway), you absolutely must deliver on the promise you make. You’re making a plain and legitimate claim that your product/idea/service will give them what they’ve been looking for. Promise is the element that hooks your reader like a fish. Long, complex bullet points would defeat the purpose of writing bullets at all - to keep your reader moving through your copy.

The essence of a great bullet is brevity + promise.īrevity has been a hallmark of good writing since writing began, but everyone currently possesses an acute awareness of just how important brevity is right now. The basics of writing bullet points that work Let’s take a quick look at how to get this done, and get it done well. Like it or not, they keep people engaged with your blog posts, pages, articles, and copy like nothing else. Think about it … scanners love bullet points, right?Ī bulleted list can also break up long blocks of text, and the intriguing phrases you use in your bullet points are opportunities to turn scanners into readers. They help you effectively communicate your message because they capture the attention of readers who prefer scannable content. What are bullet points?īullet points are used to list out items in your content. We’re telling you to keep your copy readable. We’re not telling you to keep your copy short.

You’d better know how to write bullet points that grab (and keep) attention.

You’d better know how to write magnetic headlines.

What does this mean for writers trying to cut through it all with attention grabbing techniques ? At least two things that I can think of: There are countless reasons why you’ll want to learn how to write bullet points.īlog posts, tweets, and tens of thousands of images pinned to digital boards are flying past us faster than we can read them.įaster than we can even scan them, depending on the time of day.