How to Write for a Nation that Won’t Read

Having great content has quickly become the key to functional online marketing campaigns. But users don’t like reading. They want what they need to be there and to get out in a minute flat. Write for busy readers.

So, how do you provide the content you need to climb high in the ranks of Google while simultaneously giving users the experience they want and need to go about their busy lives? Keep reading for tips on how to keep your content in balance.

Break up content with short headers.

Give readers quick tips in your headers. So if they need a quick answer, they can move on with their lives. But keep writing good content in your paragraphs following. Make sure the more engaged busy reader is getting more out of the extra copy than what was in your header. The balance of choosing what goes above and what goes below is the key to keep readers coming to your site as an expert in the field.

Take advantage of white space.

This is the most effective way to make a reader feel like they aren’t reading – newspapers have been doing it for years. Composing your paragraphs at an average of 2-3 sentences with a concise purpose for being there will keep your reader from feeling fatigued and will invite the apprehensive reader.

Get to the point… fast.

If you can write everything your reader needs to know in one simple sentence, do it.

A recent Hubspot study found that emails with 500 characters or less have the best click-through rates. Strive for condensed blog posts with less than 500 words. No one needs to read your extra babble. The key is to know your purpose and leave the flowery language at home. If you don’t know your key points, write profusely to get there and then edit the unnecessary bits out afterward.

Lastly, avoid making your concluding paragraph more than two sentences long. It really shouldn’t contain any new information, anyway.