Plain Language: It’s the Law. Really.

 
If you write for the U.S. Government you must improve your ability to communicate with the public you serve ... if not, you're breaking the law. 

Public Law 111-274, Plain Writing Act of 2010 “promotes the use of clear, concise, and well organized language in documents to effectively communicate with intended audiences.”

All branches of the government are required to comply with this law and some, in communicating the need for compliance to their staff/management, have developed training that can be useful for marketing writers.  

For example, the Air Force offers advice for communications basics:

Plain Language Concepts 

Be Clear 

• Use plain language whenever possible; avoid jargon 
• Avoid overuse of acronyms; when used, make certain acronyms are established [written out] upon first use 
• Use the active voice 
• Format documents so that they are easy to read and understand 
• Use tables and figures if that’s the best way to show information 

Be Concise 

• Remove unnecessary words 
• Focus sentences on a single thought or action; strive to write sentences with no more than 20 words
• Focus paragraphs on a single main point; strive to write paragraphs with no more than seven sentences 

Be Specific 

• Include only information that the reader must know 
• Use words with precise meaning 
• Include details that are directly relevant to the main point 

The Air Force suggests supporting these concepts with FOCUS Principles:

• Focused: Address the issue, the whole issue, and nothing but the issue. 
• Organized: Systematically present your information and ideas. 
• Clear: Communicate with clarity and make each word count. 
• Understanding: Understand your audience and its expectations. 
• Supported: Use logic and support to make your point.

Relax, if you're not writing for the U.S. Government, you're not running afoul of federal law if you don't use clear, concise, and well organized language. And, if you are writing for the government, I'm guessing you're not going to do prison time over a wordy preamble in a blog post.

All that aside, the fact that this law was written and passed is another example that using clear, concise, and well organized language is important.

And as marketing writers being judged by response, we know this makes our writing better and more effective.

So when you're writing and editing, it's in your best interests not to break the law.

 

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Source: The Tongue and Quill, 5/27/2015