Lost in Transmission
You're writing your content as if someone's going to read it. And that's the wrong approach.
Huh? Here's why...
If you've ever written long-form content, you've likely labored over structure, an outline, and the dramatic conclusion with the big-idea takeaway you're leaving the reader with at the end.
Sure, you're sitting down and carefully proofreading your work...word for word...from beginning to end. You're proud of the finished product. You might even be satisfied with the case you've made and the "closing argument" in the conclusion.
The problem is, nobody will read it that way.
Readers Don’t Read Anymore
Few readers these days will pore over your piece and parse each and every word the way you've written and proofread it.
So the goal is not to write an article that someone will read in its entirety at first exposure to it.
The goal is to get them to click a link. The next goal is to get the clicker to read beyond the headline. The goal after that is to give them enough in the opening paragraph to read through the next several sentences...and skim ahead to see if the rest is worth it.
So if you're burying the big-idea takeaway at the bottom of your piece, few may ever get there to see it.
Don't create content with the notion that you expect busy audiences to read, view or listen to it in its entirety. They will eventually, but only if you earn their attention — early and often.
Instead, structure your content so that it begs a scan or skim, and promises more and more the longer someone spends time with it.
Give the goods away early, and don't save the best for last.
Remember: the choice a reader is faced with first and foremost is this: Skim or skip?