avatarKristina God, MBA

Summary

The article suggests that to capture the attention of online readers with short attention spans, writers should create content that is easy to skim by using subheadings, white space, and concise information.

Abstract

The article "Why You Should Write For Goldfish To Get More Reads" emphasizes the importance of making online content skimmable to cater to readers who tend to scan through text quickly, akin to goldfish with their fleeting attention spans. It advises writers to incorporate frequent subheadings, maintain ample white space, and provide information in digestible, short nuggets. The piece also promotes 'The Shortform' publication for accepting short-form posts of 150 words or less, which are favored by readers and likened to "yummy fish food" for goldfish.

Opinions

  • The author believes that online readers have very short attention spans, similar to goldfish.
  • Subheadings, referred to as "speed bumps," are considered essential for giving readers' eyes something to grab onto.
  • White space is recommended to avoid overwhelming the reader with text-heavy blocks.
  • Information should be presented in brief, engaging segments to keep the reader motivated and informed.
  • The article endorses writing short-form content as a strategy for success on online platforms like 'The Shortform.'

Why You Should Write For Goldfish To Get More Reads

views and have more success.

Canva

What do you do when you read anything online?

You scan.

With hungry, impatient eyes.

And you’re not alone.

You’re in good company.

🐠 Your audience is a bunch of goldfish.

Please don’t take this personally.

We’re all goldfish.🐠

When it comes to reading stuff online, we all are — in the sense that we have almost ZERO attention span.

So what’s the secret to getting your story read online?

The simple answer is:

Make your stories skimmable.

Here’s how:

  • 🎣With loads of subheads (bold lines) — I call them speed bumps to give your reader’s eyes something to grab onto.
  • 🎣White space — no text deserts
  • 🎣Short and sweet nuggets of information — so that your reader gets a nice motivation kick because he actually learned something.

What’s the best fish food?🥡

Goldfish love yummy short form posts of 150 words or less!

Social Media
Fish
Animals
Writing
Fishing
Recommended from ReadMedium