A 60 Second Guide to Engaging Your Readers

September 26, 2008 · by Joanna Paterson · in

We live in a time poor, information overloaded world.  That means your readers are information overloaded, time poor too.

That makes time (and energy, and attention) a big potential barrier to engaging your readers.

It also means you can use time to your advantage by showing your readers that you respect, and value, their time.

Here’s a rapid fire, 60 second guide to how you can do just that:

Write With Reading In Mind

  • make the time to make it short: the investment you make will save your readers time
  • use plain English, reducing barriers to understanding
  • help your readers to skim and scan your work, with paragraph breaks and headings
  • use lists and bullet points to help your readers grap your material quickly
  • edit for basic grammar mistakes that interupt the reading flow
  • stick to one font and colour to avoid visual distraction
  • edit your work for stumbling blocks – sections that are hard to read quickly
  • cut out excess words
  • write to ‘you’ – it’ll save your readers time wondering who you’re writing for!
  • start where your readers are at – it’ll help them get into the flow quickly
  • structure your work: create a path from the beginning through to the end
  • go for short words, short sentences, short paragraphs
  • keep it simple and keep looking for ways to simplify
  • if in doubt, cut it out

Write With Blog Readers In Mind

  • use really short paragraphs – they’ll help your readers whizz through your work
  • make it quick and easy to comment and provide feedback (ditch the catchpa!)
  • turn off the partial feeds: why should readers spend another few seconds clicking through?
  • break big ideas up into a series of posts – it’s easier and quicker to digest
  • provide links to useful and interesting material, not junk and distractions
  • keep to one unifying idea per post or article, to make it easier to absorb
  • vary your format – some short posts, some long – to stop your readers glazing over
  • monitor your page load time – slow page load means less time to read
  • break up your text with photos and visuals
  • leave white space – it speeds up the reading process
  • get clear on the size and shape of container before you start – your readers will stick with you if the piece matches their expectations

Write Something Worth Taking The Time To Read

  • share something of yourself – it’ll make your readers want to slow down and read more
  • write from your unique perspective – why waste readers’ time with the same old same old?
  • smile when you write: it doesn’t take you any more time, but it warms up your writing
  • write like a human being – it’s still rare enough that readers will slow down to read it

Remember: less is more.  Respect your readers’ time and you’ll earn their respect as a writer… which means they’ll soon be back for more.

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