Digital communication refers to the use of any digital media, such as web, social media or smartphones, as channels of distribution, sharing and creation. Using digital communication to efficiently and effectively reach your audience and to drive its actions requires a certain level of work and social etiquette.

Here are eight good practices to follow to optimise your digital communication:

• Check everything before posting. Pay attention to your spelling and punctuation. It’s all too easy to make a typo or to forget to check over your text before posting it. However, your audience will be on the ball when it comes to quickly flagging any mistakes, particularly on social media. So, it’s therefore much easier (and a lot less hassle) to simply double-check your content before posting it online.
• Use a writing format designed for web readers. According to a study conducted by Nielson Norman Group, web readers often tend to skim-read an article with an F-shaped reading pattern. So, your title, subtitles and first paragraph need to quickly grab their attention. Then, divide your paragraphs into two or three sentences. This paragraph length makes it much easier to read, particularly on mobile devices.
• Don’t forget your manners. Be polite and respectful, share with discretion, choose your friends and relations carefully and follow the website’s/group’s guidelines.
• Learn search engine optimisation techniques (SEO and #hashtags) to help search engines find your online content.
• Help out your mobile readers (there’s a lot of them) and make sure that your content is easy on these readers’ eyes. Use a lot of clear space, occasionally divide your paragraphs with bullet points, and don’t overcrowd your web pages with text.
• Use a lot of visuals. Photographs, infographics and short videos are a great way of adding dynamics to your content. They help your readers understand what you’re communicating and often help them gain a better understanding, compared to simply telling a story through words.
• Check copyrights. If you’re citing someone else’s text, make sure to credit them. If you’re using visuals, such as photographs, it’s best to use either your own or images in the public domain, as many photos are protected by copyrights.
• Check your content once it’s posted. Sometimes, technical errors can arise with your online content, or photos can suddenly disappear. Make sure you take the time to view any content that you publish once it’s live online, so that readers see it the way you want them to.