I want 'YOU' to read my blog! Apart from fantastic content, making
your blog text scannable has just about everything to do with getting
your blog read. Web readers won't linger longer than needed, so it
pays to make your content scannable for your readers, which sometimes
means letting go of some of your own preferences in favor of those of
the reader.
Basically, scannable content is writing or text that *stands out*. It
is the headers, the font and format highlights, the keywords, and the
visual cues. When reading online, your eyes jump to finding the
easiest things (apart from images, although those matter too). In this
article, you'll get a quick rundown on how to make your blog content
scannable.
!! Steps !!
Get their interest with a good 'hook' Pay attention to the title of
your blog. Don't put lots of thought and effort into your blog and
blow off the title. That will leave your great article... unread.
First impressions really matter, and titles are the "hook" to get
your reader interested. Even if you spend a long time getting the
title "just so", the rewards for your effort will be better.
* Think about how the title will look in the RSS feed. What titles
make you click on RSS headings? Aim for the curiosity, interest,
and even question angles.
* Keep the title as simple as possible.
* If you use shocking, controversial, or big claim titles, make sure
the content meets the promise.
* Think about meeting a need. Titles that express what people often
worry or think about are popular. For example, "Losing weight
without trying" would interest a lot of people!
* Look at it from the viewpoint of starting with the conclusion. The
idea of this is to lead with the essential point you're trying
make, allowing the remainder of the article to expound upon it.
Making the point clear from the outset is better with web writing
than leaving the ah-ha! moment until the conclusion. Remember,
your reader may never get to the end to discover your pearls of
wisdom. Give more up front to avoid your readers dashing off
before reaching your brilliant finale.
* Use headings. The wonderful thing about headings is that they help
to guide your writing initially (fill in this bit, then this
bit...) _and_ they allow your reader to quickly look through the
body of the post to see if the read is something they want to
pursue further. Headings draw the eyes downwards,[1] [1] which is
just what you want your reader to do when reading on screen.
Example of a numbered list style Make lists. Lists break up large
blocks of daunting text into manageable bits. Look around the
Internet and you'll see that just about everyone uses lists in some
type of way to get their message across.
* Indeed, although not a blog, wikiHow uses bulleted lists, as you
can see from the style used right here. Whether bulleted or
numbered, lists allow your eye to quickly run down the list of
points.
* Lists carve out the text for you, something that makes screen
reading a lot more enjoyable – and fast.
* Lists get your articles and posts linked to and read more than
essay style posts; research done by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett
has proven this.[2] [2]
Rely on good formatting. Bold, italicize, and underline your
text, without overdoing it. Use these elements of formatting to
_emphasize_ points. And changes in the size, style, or color of
font can help make content scannable.
* Like using highlighter, if you go overboard with it, it no longer
serves its purpose.
* Underlining should be used with care because it can lead the
reader to think they can use it as a link and they'll get
frustrated when it doesn't open to a new page.
* Some people groan inwardly at bolding or italicizing in places
where you wouldn't see it in a book. Getting used to this
different style can take a leap of faith but it helps to remember
that the Internet is not a book and the rules differ because
reading on a screen differs.
* Block quotes are neat. Just as they're used in magazine and
newspaper articles, block quotes can highlight a particularly
juicy, interesting, or profound part of your post, making the
reader keen to dig deeper to find out what provoked that quote.
* Use links, but don't overwhelm your reader with them. While a
certain amount of links are desirable, you can lose your reader to
them too.
* _ Give your readers something interesting to look at Use
images. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words and it
certainly helps to make a text 'heavy' blog more interesting.
Write short paragraphs. Three to five sentences is fine and
sometimes, you can even get away with less. Shorter paragraphs
also have the benefit of encouraging a reader to keep reading a
longer post because each bite sized chunk is easy to digest.
* Leaving space is good. Don't seek to cover every part of the post
– allow white space to form a regular part of your post's
overall appearance.
Keep your word count down low. Don't let your writing run away
from you. Mark Twain once said: "If you want me to give you a
two-hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a
five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare."_
Finely crafted less words can take a lot longer to produce than a
spiel that rolls off your keyboard without nary an editorial
input. You'll get better at writing pithier copy without strain
as time goes on but for now, put in the effort to learn how to
keep the writing shorter and the message punchier.
* The key element is to reread it several times and anything,
anything at all, that doesn't make sense, sound right, or add to
it, _comes out_.
* Read your copy out loud. Nothing substitutes for reading out loud;
you'll pick up errors you haven't spotted reading silently and
you'll note rambling that isn't so evident from reading.
* Enjoy the rewards of working on scannable content. The benefit of
making a blog post scannable is that your readers are more likely
to stick around and even spend time reading your longer posts. It
may feel like hard work initially – and it is – but once
you're in the habit, you'll wonder how you could ever have done it
any other way.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* As with anything in life, there will always be exceptions. Know
your readership and its preferences and expectations. If you're
writing profound analyses about social issues, longer may prove
better but you'll need to be sure that your readers are interested
in lengthy perusal of deep topics. If you do have consistently
long posts, consider breaking them down to several pages, with
links to each page at both the top and bottom of the post.
!! Warnings !!
* Be prepared to change your approach to blog layout when it seems
that what you're currently doing isn't resonating with readers.
While that may mean more effort now, it's definitely worth it in
the long run. For current readers, you might like to explain why
you keep making format or layout changes to help them bear with
you as you aim to improve their user experience.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Blog
* Layout and formatting knowledge – borrow some relevant books if
you're not sure what styles are available
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Work Your Way Through Blogging Procrastination
* How to Start Blogging in Your Senior Years
* How to Learn About Micro Blogging
* How to Become Famous from Blogging
* How to Facilitate Your Blogging
* How to Earn from Blogging
!! Sources And Citations !!
* HowToMakeMyBlog.com,
http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/how-to-write-blog-content/make-your-blog-content-scannable-and-sticky/
– research source
* Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett, _Problogger: Secrets for Blogging
Your Way to a Six-Figure Income_, pp. 81-83, (2008), ISBN
978-0-470-24667-2 – research source
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
Links:
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[1] http://www.bemoreconfident.info/#_note-0
[2] http://www.bemoreconfident.info/#_note-1
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