We all love click bait, right? Followed by a satisfying slideshow or listicle? As distracted, time-starved online readers we’ve become accustomed to a steady diet of content snacks. Because users don’t want to read, they scan. And that makes writing less more important than ever.
Here are five ways to cut the fluff and get to the point:
1. Invert the story
Instead of starting with background and building up to the point, do exactly the opposite.
2. Practice ruthless exclusion
If you need to write a lengthy discourse go right ahead. But go back and delete excess words, phrases and sentences. Users love concise copy. It’s the third law of usability.
3. Spread it around
Few things send users running like long, dense blocks of copy. Use smart design, compelling images and soothing white space to make your story palatable. Negative space really is a positive for user experience.
4. Consider the destination
Rarely do we create the end of the customer journey. Embrace the fact that you just need to move a user effortlessly to the next step, and you’ll feel much less pressure to say everything on every webpage.
5. Know when it’s over
Once you’ve told your story, don’t be afraid to drop the mic and walk away. Speaking of which — I could go on for another 1,000 words, but I won’t. Because, you know, irony.
Have something to add to the list? Edit it down to 140 characters or less and hit me up @redonkmarketing #CutTheFluff
