According to the statistics program provided by my web hosting company, most of the visitors at WritingThoughts are on this site for less than thirty seconds.
That means thirty seconds is all the time that I have to get my message across.
How can I do this? How can I capture my reader’s attention in thirty seconds? Consider the following methods:
- Use a catchy headline
- Include an arresting graphic
- Use bulleted and numbered lists
- Make the text scannable
Remember, if the reader can’t grasp the concept quickly, then you’ve lost them.
16 responses so far ↓
1 Jeanne Dininni // Dec 13, 2007 at
Laura,
Would have nominated you for the Nice Matters Award, but you’ve already received it! Read about my wish to nominate you in this post: http://www.writersnotes.net/nice-matters-award-a-bloggers-gift/ .
Sincerely,
Jeanne
2 Chris // Dec 13, 2007 at
I can never be reminded of this enough.
3 lornadoone // Dec 13, 2007 at
I have such a hard time with this. As a writer, I want to embellish and tell a story. My blog posts are very often more “essays” than “posts.” I have other blogs where I try to be more succinct, but I hope that since most of our Freelance Parent readers are writers, they’re a little more willing to read a more fleshed-out post.
4 Lillie Ammann // Dec 14, 2007 at
Thanks for this reminder, Laura. I tend to write too many long posts – though I do try to make them scannable and break up really long ones into series. But I like to read short posts that have something to say.
5 Laura // Dec 14, 2007 at
Hi Jeanne, Chris, lornadoone, and Lillie!
I think it’s also important to remember that this post deals with general principles. Typically, lornadoone and Lillie write headlines that are compelling enough to get me to read the rest of the post. (Also, I’m more patient with bloggers that I’m familiar with.)
I think these principles apply to the casual web surfer as well as someone who might be following a digg or stumbling by. Those instances are when these principles can really help you attract another reader.
Jeanne – thanks for the nice thought. I do try to be considerate.
6 Mary Emma Allen // Dec 14, 2007 at
This is really something to consider, Laura. I’ll have to think if I’m achieving it with my blogs and posts. Thanks for the reminder.
7 lornadoone // Dec 14, 2007 at
I think these principles apply to the casual web surfer as well as someone who might be following a digg or stumbling by.
That’s very true. I am totally guilty of skimming or surfing away from long posts if they’re not by someone I’ve already been reading for a while.
8 Mama Zen // Dec 14, 2007 at
Excellent tips! Thank you!
9 Writing the Cyber Highway // Dec 15, 2007 at
These are great tips. I was actually amazed at how quickly I read this post! The words really flowed nicely. You did a fantastic job of filling the reader’s mind with a lot of valid information in a very short amount of time. Way to go!
Smiles,
Michele
10 Laura // Dec 15, 2007 at
Hi Mary Emma Allen, lornadoone, Mama Zen, and Writing the Cyber Highway!
I’m really glad that you found this post useful! Web Content Thursdays is fairly new to this blog, and it seems to be taking off nicely.
11 Vivienne Quek // Dec 18, 2007 at
Thanks for the reminder. I’m guilty of writing long articles and had been making a conscious effort to KISS (keep it short & sweet). A blog post is just like a print ad, our readers flee if we don’t catch their attention within those precious seconds.
12 Laura // Dec 19, 2007 at
Hi Yvonne and Vivienne,
As a writer I know how easy it is to get caught up in the words. They just keep coming and if you don’t trim your post down pretty soon you have an epic. It’s happened to me more than once.
We do need to keep our readers in mind when we right.
13 Loy // Dec 19, 2007 at
Nice post! Been thinking about writing posts that would make readers stay interested in my blog too. Thanks for those tips, Laura.
14 Nikki // Dec 19, 2007 at
Well, I am in trouble then because I am all long and drawn out. Like Lorna, I like to tell a story – and I commend anyone who sits through one of my exhaustive novellas.
15 Web Content Thursday: If You’re Losing Readers The Cause Might Not Be Your Writing // Dec 20, 2007 at
[…] page loads too slowly your readers and potential readers aren’t going to wait. (Remember, thirty seconds […]
16 Laura // Dec 20, 2007 at
Hi Loy and Nikki!
I hope that these tips do help. It’s not terrible to tell long, drawn-out stories once in a while. If you want to attract new readers, though, there should be some shorter posts too.