Credibility and quality are twin pillars defining your nutrition-based writing. Every reader wants to be sure your information and claims are valid, as they want to act on information that adds value to their lives. So, how do you make your writing more credible and highly qualitative? This post shares insights to boost your content in these two essential areas.
Tips to Enhance Credibility of Nutrition-Related Writing
Credibility is vital for seasoned and new nutrition writers because it defines their reputation. A positive, authoritative image attracts readers to your writing and makes them trust you, as readers are sure the sources you use to draft your pieces are trustworthy.
So, how do you boost your credibility as a nutrition writer? Here are actionable tips to help you sound more credible before your readers.
Be Honest and Sincere
Let’s start where it matters the most—honesty and sincerity. Please note that no reader wants to waste their time on a lying writer’s work. The lack of honesty and sincerity breaks trust. Therefore, be careful not to exaggerate claims because every lie has a short lifespan. Readers are likelier to share honest and sincere writing, boosting your reputation.
Offer Credible Evidence
Your claims need evidence because nutrition lies at the heart of people’s lives and health. Therefore, offer science-backed facts and data readers are comfortable with. All your chats, facts, stats, testimonials, quotes, and graphs must come from sources your readers trust.
Share Valuable Knowledge
You can also boost your writing’s credibility by sharing valuable information people can relate to. Share free and credible advice, personal stories, and experiences your readers will understand. This way, you convince them that you write your content from an informed and experiential position.
Build Consistency
Lastly, boost your work’s credibility by being consistent in everything. Always update your readers on their favorite subjects. Be predictable in your posting schedules; your readers will find you credible when they are sure you will keep doing what you always do at the expected time.
Tips for Enhancing Your Content’s Quality
Now, let’s dwell a bit on the technical aspects of content quality. Here are a few tips to inspire you to higher quality levels.
Understand your audience
So, what is the greatest measure of your writing’s quality? Is it the good grammar or English you use? Nope! The greatest measure is one—an audience that draws value from your writing, period. That means understanding your readers’ needs and making them the big picture makes everything else a pointing arrow to reader satisfaction’s various parts.
Use visuals
Text is good because it explains facts. However, visuals improve the text because they help the brain process data faster, with some sources claiming 60,000 times faster. Yes, include relevant images to give your readers the best experience.
Know your topic
Know your topic/s well before writing about them. Yes, you are more likely to write more credible and qualitative posts on topics you understand more deeply. Failing to understand your topic and moving on to give readers half-baked information shortchanges your readers. Research your subject well before drafting anything to give readers enough value for their time and efforts.
Include data
Make your writing more qualitative by including verifiable data. Providing relevant stats and facts proves to readers that you did your homework well. It also shows that you value your audience’s time and effort to interact with your writing.
Improve your formatting
Good formatting makes your work appealing. It saves readers the hassle of reading large content blocks that make identifying vital elements and facts impossible. Correctly formatted content captures readers’ attention and improves its overall quality.
Cite experts
Citing experts is another great way of making your writing more qualitative. Subject matter experts your readers trust and respect are perfect partners in enhancing your writing’s quality.
Finish well
Lastly, finish your work well by editing and proofreading it properly. All your other efforts might be wasted if you don’t polish your content. Proofread your content to ensure it contains zero spelling errors. Additionally, edit it to remove all grammatical, formatting, and styling shortcomings that could dent your work’s overall quality.
How to Determine a Source’s Quality and Credibility
Using external sources is one way of boosting your writing’s authority and credibility. But how do you choose a reputable source to bolster your work? Which criteria should you use to select these sources? Here are tips to help you do it.
- Domain indicators. Web domains can indicate a website’s reliability. Government agency websites usually end in .gov and are deemed trustworthy sources of evidence-based health information. Likewise, university websites usually end in .edu, showing that these sources primarily focus on offering educational resources and not financial gain.
- Writer credentials. Consider a writer’s credentials when citing a source. Look for credentials like their academic backgrounds. These qualifications can be a registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), a professional with an advanced degree(s) in nutrition (MS or PhD), or a physician (MD) with appropriate education and nutrition expertise.
- Depth. Your chosen source should demonstrate the depth of understanding nutritional matters before using it.
- Objectivity. Your cited information must be objective and come from a source that doesn’t prioritize financial gain.
- Currency. Your chosen sources should contain the latest information on a subject you want to share with readers.
- Authority. Every source must be authoritative, from the organization to its information contributors.
- Purpose. Ensure the source’s purpose is educational.
Now, you know how to choose reputable and high-quality sources. Below are some credible sources you can use from government, academic, NGO, and international categories.
- US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Information Center. The USDA site has over 2,500 links to information on diet, nutrition, disease, body weight and obesity, food safety, food labeling, packaging, dietary supplements, and relevant consumer questions.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This site offers credible information on healthful lifestyles and current health news.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC offers the latest public health information and data on various nutrition-related topics. It’s a great source for healthy eating, cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, alcohol consumption, breastfeeding, and child nutrition.
- World Health Organization. This international site is trusted for information on various health topics.
- Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. This UN website is credible for food data.
- American Society for Nutrition. It’s a trusted NGO website.
- Food Allergy Research and Education. This site is good for allergy-related matters and food education.
- Institute of Medicine: Food and Nutrition. The site is an ideal source of food and nutrition data.
Closing Remarks
Nutrition is the lifeblood of many people’s health and vitality. Thus, readers want to rely only on valid academic evidence and trusted resources when searching for health-related information online. You have all the chances to get into the list of favorite resources if you follow these tips and deliver top-quality, data-backed recommendations and tips to your audience.