OFF-MUTE 🔈
We’re living in the age of inattention. People choose whether to read an article or leave the web page within the first 15 seconds.
Our partner agency, Message Lab, treats content like rocket science — using data and insights from reader behavior to improve engagement.
Every word, subhead, visual and CTA must serve a purpose.
Message Lab designed this clever template to help companies and business leaders write better articles for their audiences (this approach will help increase organic search, too). Here are the toplines:
☑️ Write short sentences and paragraphs. Readers are smart, busy people. They don’t have time for unnecessary fluff. Knowing that most people skim content, it’s key to shorten sentences and paragraphs to hold attention longer and improve readability.
☑️ Use subheads to enhance the experience. They are a tool to keep your audience engaged. Subheads provide a visual break and should be seen within the first five paragraphs of a long-form article, blog or ebook (if not sooner).
☑️ Add helpful visual breaks. Images, pull quotes and sidebars break up dense sections of text. But, avoid confusing or blurry graphics or ads that auto-play in the right column. This causes our eyes to jump to that movement, resulting in cognitive strain.
☑️ Call attention to other, relevant content. People who spend at least one minute reading an article and scroll through it at least halfway, and then go to another article in the same session, are more than 5X as likely to sign up for an email newsletter. So, include links and call-to-action buttons that grab attention and inspire readers to stick around a bit longer.
☑️ Lead with expertise. People are more likely to read something if the writer is a subject matter expert with authority. Check out Message Lab’s template to uplevel your writing today.
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