Prevent 79% of Readers From Skimming Through Your Stories!
5 Proven Tips to Lock In Your Readers
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We’re bombarded with information daily — every piece of content screaming for our attention.
Our brains don’t like spending unnecessary energy.
We decide in an instant whether an article is worth our precious time.
Believe it or not, 79% of readers are rushing through your story at lightning speed.
Here’s how to stop them.
Challenge: Are you among the 21% of genuine readers? Highlight the sentence out of context to prove it!
Study natural skimmers’ behavior.
A skimmer will naturally SKIP through:
- Long paragraphs.
- Walls of text.
- Overused pictures.
They will only READ what catches their eye.
WHICH IS:
Headlines
Titles, looking for a valuable summary.
Captions too, as they stand out from the page.
- Finally, bullet points.
- They quickly read through them
- because they often contain valuable information.
The rest of your story often goes unseen.
eg. This valuable paragraph explains how most readers, even the most habitual skimmers, will also read the first few sentences in your introduction to gauge the value of your article.
It’s Not Their Fault
Don’t blame your readers for their skimming habits. We have digital screens wherever we look, countless notifications beeping, and content is now in short reels on TikTok. Our attention is being bombarded.
The average number of spots on a ladybug is 15. The average adult attention span declined (within 20 years) from 12 seconds to 8.3 seconds.
Take skimming for granted and design your articles in ways that captivate your audience.
Here are a few tips:
Tip #1
Use headlines, titles, and captions wisely.
Write a story within the story.
Skimmers only glance at words that stand out.
So use it to your advantage by intentionally crafting a narrative through those words.
Copy and paste all highlighted sections onto a separate page and check if they offer a useful summary of your article.
Tip #2
Less is not just more — it’s everything.
Don’t be terrified of white space — it’s an important tool at your disposal.
Make room on the page by spacing out your sentences.
Remember to vary their length.
And Voilà.
White space invites our brains to engage.
It provides necessary rest for our overstimulated brains.
Tip #3
Deliver what you promise in your Headline.
➡ But don’t rush to a conclusion!
Place proof that you will offer what you promised throughout your story. Like a framed murder, place the evidence in critical positions so that the reader can feel smart about finding it.
Don’t give it all away at once!
Imagine your answers like slow-dripping coffee.
- Give out your knowledge in small segments to keep the reader engaged.
- Build up the suspense towards a climax in your story.
Avoid loading your last sentence, as skimmers may go through it first.
Tip #4
Make your advice stand out.
Not every article you write offers tips or advice.
But when it does, make sure your practical tips are crystal clear.
Make them stand out in sections, like I did in this article, or organize them neatly in bullet points.
Practical tips are about HOW to do something, so spare the reader a detailed explanation of WHY they should.
Tip #5
Sculpt your writing into a beautiful form.
When reading clear sentences, the pleasure part of our brain lights up.
To achieve this revise your story, then revise again.
Aim to write your message in the least amount of words.
Use this checklist of things to remove:
- adverbs.
- passive words.
- clichés
- unnecessary introductions.
- sentences explaining an idea twice.
Save the best for last.
Remember our 8.3 average attention span?
Use it as your ultimate guide:
- 8.3 seconds attention span.
- The average person can read approximately 31 words in 8.3 seconds.
- That’s roughly 1.75 sentences.
- BEFORE two sentences are completed, you need to EITHER conclude your point OR set up thrilling expectations for what’s to come.
This method will keep your readers in the loop, making your writing irresistible.
Skimmers! Did you find this article easy to read?
I want to thank Wesley Scott for inspiring me to write this article. Read his story about skimming here.
PS: Thank you for reading!
Here are three ways to help me out:
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My deepest appreciation,
Orestis.