Like Darren I pretty much live in my feed reader, post editor and the other tools of the pro-blogging trade. I figure Darren reads at least as many feeds as I do (I’m in the high 300s) and like Darren probably has to skim feeds too. So If I were you, listen to these tips from Darren on writing more skimable posts:
Techniques for scannable RSS feeds are not dissimilar to those for scannable websites of any type and include:
- Use Lists – using bullet points draws the eye and makes your content more digestible
- Headings – headings scattered throughout your posts stand out on the page and give your readers visual cues that lead them down into your post. They also quickly communicate where you’re heading (no pun intended) with your post and can intrigue readers enough to get them fully reading what you have to say.
- Formatting – using different text formatting (bold, italics, font sizes and even colors) can also draw the eye of your readers to different parts of your posts. Be careful about going too over the top though.
- Blockquotes – highlight quotes or other key parts of your posts with blockquotes that indent text – again this draws the eye and adds variety into your feed.
- Short Paragraphs - News aggregators are heavily laden with text at the best of times – but add to it with large unbroken slabs of text and you’ll end up turning off many readers.
Source: Make Your Posts Scannable – RSS Feeds that POP
Keep in mind as well that people read at least 30% slower on screen vs paper. Couple that with about a 50% drop in reading comprehension, keep it simple stupid should become a mantra for your writing.
tags: professional blogging, blog writing, writing tips
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