Optimize your writing for readers who skim
Captivate your readers with the right hooks, so they’ll be encouraged to read more in-depth.
When it comes to writing, it can sometimes be really challenging to figure out the best way to make progress — not just to write what you want to write, but to do so in such a way that it attracts readers.
For instance, a good friend of mine started a blog recently, and I know him to make quality work, but he told me that he was considering stopping since it wasn’t receiving the traction he was hoping for.
Writing can be strange, since you can polish your article as much as you can and give it all the information it needs to be a hit, and it can still fail to attract readers. It’s an interesting thought, and it’s one that I’ve struggled with as well.
I urged my friend to keep going, as writing isn’t necessarily something where you can find success overnight. It can take a long time, but it can also depend on how readers view written works in general.
When we spend enough time reading and surfing around the web, the brain starts to figure out the best ways to deal with information, as we don’t always have the time to spend reading every word.
The day in the typical life of a consumer
Each and every one of us are consumers, as we start and end the day absorbing as much information as we can. The internet is an incalculable source of information. However, time — as well as willpower — is a finite resource. When we spend enough time reading and surfing around the web, the brain starts to figure out the best ways to deal with information, as we don’t always have the time to spend reading every word.
With regard to how the average reader might consume content, Kara Pernice writes on the study of the Nielsen Norman Group:
“When writers and designers have not taken any steps to direct the user to the most relevant, interesting, or helpful information, users will then find their own path.”
Typically, the design of most web pages has the eyes darting toward the top left of the screen, and when they read content, it usually results in an F-shaped pattern. While it doesn’t always take the shape of an F, the idea stuck and most people refer to it as such. Time is something we all manage in our own way, and the brain has a habit of finding the most efficient means of getting the job done.
The art of earning the full-length read
Based on personal experience, whenever I come across an article that I find interesting, I tend to skim through it first. I give it around half a minute to see if anything further catches my eye before I eventually buckle up and read the whole thing. But even then, I’m not guaranteed to finish.
When you consider how much I love reading and writing in general, what more for those who might not necessarily be wandering the web looking for neat things to read (like me)?
Time is something we all manage in our own way, and the brain has a habit of finding the most efficient means of getting the job done.
“Unless you have an audience that is hanging on your every word, you can rest assured that no one opens up an article anxiously awaiting a 5,000-word wall of text,” writes Ryan Bozeman, a copywriter and content strategist who specializes in working with marketing and SaaS companies.
“They aren’t going to dive in head-first unless they have some reason to believe that the content will be worth their time.”
How to make skimmable content
In a study conducted by the aforementioned Nielsen Norman Group, researchers found that much of the attention provided by readers involve the content above the fold, which means if they do not get what they want within the first screen or two, they likely will not read the rest.
Skimming is also a strategy for speed-reading. In his book Speed Reading with the Right Brain, author David Butler stresses that reading happens in your brain and not your eyes. Thus, “speed-comprehension” focuses on reading ideas and not just the words.
“Once you master this right-brain approach to speed reading, you will not only get through written material faster than you ever thought possible, but you will also assimilate ideas more deeply and enjoy better reading retention.”
If you want to incentivize readers to give your content a try, it would be best to provide a hook at the beginning of your content. By summarizing as early as you can (and as often as you can), you increase the odds of readers taking the time to finish reading your work.
Reading happens in your brain and not your eyes.
The proper use of subheads will also give the average individual something to skip to if they decide to look at the rest of the content.
The takeaway
It might seem a little intimidating to consider how readers might skim your work. However, if you intend for your articles to be engaging from start to finish, it benefits everyone involved to pay close attention to the outline of your written works. When you start editing your content, put yourself in the shoes of a visitor — would you want to spend precious time reading what you wrote?
Some references in this article are affiliate resources.
