4. We write to be skimmed
Let people find what they need quickly
Do you read every single word, or do you skim, looking for the most important and relevant bits? (Truth is, everybody skims.)
So, let’s help our readers to skim. So they can quickly find what’s most relevant and helpful to them.
How to make your writing skimmable:
- Keep paragraphs short. (One idea per paragraph.)
- Put a line break between each paragraph.
- Use bold text and sub-headings that tell a story.
- Use bullets and lists.
(Notice how the short text above does all those things.)
Example
Full support for the Mastersizer 2000 is ending When we stopped manufacturing the Mastersizer 2000 in 2015, we pledged to fully support it for 7 years. That time is nearly up. We will still do our best to help if you have an issue, but as many of the components are no longer manufactured, we can no longer guarantee full support.
We can help you find the best upgrade The good news is that there are a number of upgrades and replacements available which offer even faster and more effective capabilities.
Sourcing a replacement takes time. Start now. We know that transitioning to a new instrument needs careful planning, especially when you have complex regulatory requirements to meet. We’re here to help you – from sourcing the best replacement, to installing and deploying it so your analysis keeps running smoothly.
The skim-writer’s superpower
The extract above uses a really powerful technique that makes any piece of writing easy to digest and skim. Each sub-heading acts as a summary of the paragraph it introduces – so by just skimming the sub-headings, you can get a good overview of the whole message.