Have you ever felt really, truly overwhelmed by content? There’s a good chance your readers have too.
The average American spends a little over 12 hours per day consuming media. Millennials spend up to 18 hours.
All that media consumption can lead to “glossy eye syndrome.” Symptoms include tired brains, poor memory, and lack of engagement. Plus, you know, glossy eyeballs.
That’s why we want to share five tips with writers everywhere. These tips can help you write content that engages people and gives their poor eyeballs a break.
1. Write a catchy headline.
People read, watch, share, and talk about content all day long. Help your content stand out from the noise by writing a great headline.
Need some inspiration? Barry Feldman’s post on writing great headlines can help you get started.
2. Get to the point – fast.
Half of your website’s visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds reading your content. Give your ideas a chance by getting them in front of readers as soon as you can.
It’s OK to weave an interesting hook or a personal story into your content. However, your writing should serve your content’s central theme or argument.
(If you’re still reading, we hope it’s because our tips are helpful. Also, that we’ve kept our rambling to a minimum.)
3. Use photos, subheads, and bullet or numbered lists.
What sounds like a better reading experience to you?
a) Reading content that is one long page of text; or,
b) Reading content broken up by subheads and accompanied by a few relevant images.
Most people prefer option b. When we organize our content with visual cues, people can better understand it.
How to do that? Organize your points with a bulleted or numbered list. Use photos to break up large chunks of text. Set apart sections of long-form content with subheads.
4. Step away from the thesaurus.
People want their questions answered and their problems solved. When they read content, they read for entertainment and empowerment.
They don’t want to feel confused, frustrated, or angry because they don’t understand that content.
To avoid confusing your readers, use simple, strong language. Complex language can make people pause to reread or look up your words. Or, they may just go read someone else’s content.
5. Keep it authentic.
Whatever you write, make sure it tells a story you believe in. People crave stories that ring true, and they’re savvy enough to sense when something’s false.
That means citing your sources and not plagiarizing. It also means promising only what you know you can deliver.
Conclusion
Keep readers’ eyes on your content by keeping your content clean and simple. Remember to use words that are easy to read and understand. Organize your content with visual cues. Believe in what you write, and give it a compelling headline.
These simple guidelines can help you avoid giving your readers “glossy eye syndrome.” And that may just help readers share your content with their friends.
This post has been updated from its original version.