{"id":16972,"date":"2018-02-27T15:30:56","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T20:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crowdcontent.com\/blog\/?p=16972"},"modified":"2021-03-09T09:56:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T14:56:00","slug":"content-reading-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/content-marketing\/content-reading-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Worry About Your Content’s Reading Level"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a project manager and freelance writer, I\u2019ve worked with numerous brands that wanted content within a specific readability range. Those companies often use Flesch reading ease scores or Flesch-Kincaid reading levels, which are text analysis tools included in word processors. They\u2019re also readily available online. It\u2019s not uncommon for clients to ask for all content at a 6th<\/sup> or 8th<\/sup> grade reading level, and they use Flesch-based tools to verify writers meet those requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I think it can be a huge mistake for some brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, readability is obviously critical to content marketing success. But hamstringing content writers<\/a> with potentially arbitrary rules verified by inaccurate measurement tools can impede your success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a look at exactly what Flesch scoring is about, how you should (or shouldn\u2019t use it) and some other steps you can take to ensure user-friendly content.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

\n\n\t\t\tYour content’s reading scores are important, but they shouldn’t hamstring the #writing process.<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tClick to Tweet<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\n

What Are the Flesch Readability Scores?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A variety of reading level formulas exist, but the most common I\u2019ve seen used in content marketing are the Flesch reading ease and Flesch-Kincaid reading level calculations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flesch Reading Ease Score<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flesch reading ease score is based on the average length of sentences and number of syllables per word. The formula is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

206.835 \u2013 (1.015 x average sentence length) \u2013 (84.6 x average syllables per word)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The higher the score, the easier the content is to read. Scores from 90 to 100 are typically easy for 5th<\/sup> graders to understand, while scores between 0 and 30 indicate you need a college degree (or industry expertise) to understand content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level Score<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This calculation provides an actual reading level for your content, again based on the average sentence length and average syllables per word. The formula is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(0.39 x average sentence length) + (11.8 x average syllables per word) \u2013 15.59<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The results are a number, such as 8.2 or 14.7, which tells you where the content supposedly falls with regard to reading level. Someone who reads and comprehends at an 8th<\/sup> grade level should be able to understand a document with a Flesch-Kincaid reading level score up to 8.9.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

\n\n\t\t\tYou can’t set a hard stop on reading levels and expect consistent quality in your #content. #Flesch<\/span><\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tClick to Tweet<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\n

The So-Called Best Practices and Why Reading Level Can\u2019t Be a Hard Boundary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most content marketers with a specific recommendation on this topic say to aim for an 8th<\/sup> grade reading level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s fine — you can do a lot more with an 8th<\/sup> grade reading level than you might think. But some brands are taking that \u201cbest practice\u201d recommendation and making it a boundary, which is cutting off the legs of their content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three reasons you can\u2019t set a hard stop on reading levels and expect consistent quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The formulas aren\u2019t always accurate when you consider the function of content.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The formulas don\u2019t take mitigating factors into consideration, such as vocabulary words. Consider this short science article from Highlights online magazine for kids<\/a>. It\u2019s 146 words, including the title, and scores a 7.6 on the Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The magazine itself is for ages 6 to 12, so is this article only<\/em> for its very oldest readers? Probably not; it\u2019s scoring a bit high in part because of the word helium. It\u2019s three syllables and appears eight times in the short piece, bringing up the average syllables per word substantially. There are only 16 total words with three syllables; the rest are all one or two syllables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I replaced \u201chelium\u201d with the word \u201cstuff,\u201d bringing the Flesch-Kincaid reading level down to 6.3. That\u2019s over a grade level just by changing one word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the real-world, a 6th<\/sup> grader could read this content even with the word helium in it, because the purpose<\/em> of the content is to teach what helium is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also see that the shorter the content, the more inaccuracy you might have. In a 50-word product description, a few brand-specific words or names could skew reading level extensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You can\u2019t always create audience-appropriate content at a very low reading level.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where a lot of industry insiders might disagree. \u201cIt\u2019s just that you need a good writer,\u201d they say, and more than one blog points to Ernest Hemmingway\u2019s The Old Man and the Sea<\/em> as an example (possibly on the heels of industry influencer Shane Snow, who did this analysis in 2015<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Old Man and the Sea<\/em> scores at a 4th<\/sup> grade reading level. \u201cTherefore,\u201d a lot of people say, \u201cYou can totally write solid content at a lower reading level than you are now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I say, \u201cThat\u2019s not a valid, logical argument at all<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hemmingway\u2019s book isn\u2019t about a technology product, medical treatment option or personal finance program.  Company and product names and a few necessary niche words (which Hemmingway didn\u2019t have to contend with) are going to naturally bring the level of your content up a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying to scrub down to an 8th<\/sup> grade level if your content naturally hits a 10th<\/sup> grade level (and that\u2019s also appropriate for your audience) is a waste of your resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Writing for a number instead of a person is bad form.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a trained Six Sigma project manager, and a VP I used to work for once told me, \u201cMetrics and measurements are great. But the problem is, people start working for the number instead of the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s right. Metrics \u2014 of any type \u2014 are one way to measure success. They alone cannot<\/em> define it. And if you have the wrong metrics or worry about the wrong numbers, you\u2019re in trouble if that\u2019s all you\u2019re working toward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you go into the content marketing process thinking, \u201cContent is only going to be successful at a 6th<\/sup> grade level,\u201d you\u2019re going to spend a lot of time tinkering with sentences, words and syllables to get to \u201csuccess.\u201d And you might end up with content that doesn\u2019t do what it\u2019s supposed to: engage or convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more: Scaling Content Creation: What Can Go Wrong and How to Mitigate the Risks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the Real-Word Recommendation on Content Marketing Reading Levels?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the best reading level for content marketing: The reading level that performs for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry. No magic number. Content marketing success takes analysis and research, so start looking at your best-performing posts to see what type of reading level is resonating with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us, an ideal reading level seems to be right around 9th grade, and most of our posts with the best engagement numbers fall into the lower high school reading level range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"reading<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That makes sense for our audience, which is made up primarily of small business owners, content marketers, agencies, corporate content managers and freelance writers. Typically, we can expect our audience to read at high school levels or higher, and that\u2019s an expectation you might have with the majority of B2B content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter who<\/em> your audience is, though, it\u2019s a good idea to aim for a reading level at least slightly below what they can comprehend. It\u2019s just good customer service. Doctors looking for information online don\u2019t have time to wade through medical-journal-level content, even if they can <\/em>comprehend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Creating Readable Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you decide what the right reading level is for your audience, avoid forcing content into a mold set by Flesch-Kincaid. It\u2019s okay to have writers aim<\/em> for a certain level but remember that the formulas aren\u2019t completely accurate. You need to leave wiggle room for experienced writers to leverage clarity and creativity for your benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips for getting to readability without worrying overly with Flesch scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n