Financial content is often filled with avoidable jargon, creating a barrier for your readers and affecting their decision-making. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few modern digital tools that can help you break down that jargon and simplify complex financial content to make it more accessible. Write clear and concise financial content that your readers will love.
Digital Tools for Content Simplification
- Readability Tools: Readability checkers, such as Hemingway Editor, Grammarly, and ProWritingAid, analyse your content to identify complex sentences, passive voice, and excessive adverbs. Similarly, tools like Readable and Readability Formulas use the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test and the Gunning Fog Index to assess your content. They all provide a readability score and make comprehensive suggestions for improvements. For instance, Hemingway Editor highlights long sentences in yellow and complex words in red, allowing users to spot areas that need simplification quickly.
- Language Analysis Tools: Tools like Textalyser and Linguix offer linguistic analysis of content, including word choice, sentence structure, and tone. They help users identify complex language and suggest simpler alternatives. For example, Linguix provides synonyms for difficult words and offers readability enhancements.
- Content Optimisation Tools: Platforms like Yoast SEO (for WordPress) and SEMrush Writing Assistant assist in optimising content for both readability and SEO. They provide real-time feedback on sentence length, subheading usage, and keyword optimisation. Yoast SEO, for instance, offers a “Readability” score and highlights areas that need improvement.
All these digital tools automate the process of content simplification by identifying complex areas. They offer specific suggestions for improvement, such as shorter sentences, more precise word choices, and active voice usage, making it easier for writers to simplify their content effectively.
Reputable Financial Dictionaries and Glossaries
- Investopedia offers an extensive financial dictionary with clear explanations of financial terms and concepts. It can be a valuable resource to understand before simplifying for your readers. Let’s say you’re writing an article about “stock options.” You could reference Investopedia’s financial dictionary to provide a clear and concise definition of stock options, making it easier for readers to understand the concept.
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) provides a comprehensive glossary on the Capital Market, offering clear definitions of financial terms and regulations. It’s a reliable source for understanding financial concepts within a regulatory context.
- Moneycontrol financial glossary offers concise and accessible explanations of various financial terms professionals use. It’s a helpful resource for simplifying complex financial concepts.
Online Courses for Financial Writing
- Varsity: Varsity by Zerodha is one of the best places on the internet to learn about the Indian stock market and investing. It is free and openly accessible to everyone.
- Coursera: The Financial Writing and Editing course offered by the University of California, Irvine, covers various aspects of financial writing, including plain language writing and effective communication.
- edX: The Financial Communication course offered by edX focuses on effective communication strategies for finance professionals.
- LinkedIn Learning: The Business and Financial Writing course offered by LinkedIn Learning covers simplification techniques and financial communication skills.
At Pa Se Paisa we strongly believe in avoiding the avoidable. We’re influenced by this quote from Theodore A. Rees Cheney, Author of Getting the Words Right that says, “Axe, Cut, Compress, Condense, Decrease, Delete, Drop, Eliminate, Eradicate, Excise, Hone, Lop, Pare, Prune, Reduce, Remove, Revise, Rewrite, Sharpen, Slash, Streamline, Tighten, Trim, Whittle….Two dozen words to remind us that we almost always write too many words.” Contact us to simplify complex financial jargon and write content that is more understandable for your readers.