(Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes)
Why do you scan most blogs? Because you’re in a big hurry? In a hurry to do what?
Maybe, just maybe…
Something enlightening. Something entertaining. Something educational. Something, anything, written to nourish your soul and inspire your mind…
There’s a long running debate in copywriting; which is better: long copy or short copy?
It’s the wrong debate.
The problem is boring copy. Boring copy doesn’t engage, it doesn’t convert.
Same with blog posts. Short, long, scannable, not scannable, all red herrings. The real issue is “Does your article engage readers?”
Given what I read every day, I’m led – inescapably – to:
Is this you?
Stay with me here…
As a reader, you want to feel engaged. Steve Pavlina, Karl Denninger, Gary Halbert, Seth Godin, Yaro Starak and Tim Ferriss are successful because they engage readers.
As a writer, you want to engage readers. People who are scanning are bored. Scanning is boring. Why be part of that? Why not engage your readers instead?
Be engaging. Be a writer writing for readers. Don’t worry about scannability, lists or word count.
It’s not that hard. Need help? Ask.
Pedro gets it.
I must be a really boring person because I hardly ever scan. I read from top to bottom in its entirety. I think it’s because I’m looking to learn something rather than being entertained. People expect blogging to entertain no matter what niche it’s in these days.
.-= Gordie´s last blog ..Lessons From Customer Services For Life. =-.
Gordie, I think that’s rare. And I think you’re right about most people looking to be entertained. Combining niche information value and entertainment really is rare!
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..How Moderating Comments On Your Blog Destroys Conversation =-.
I think most people learn better when they’re entertained (somewhat). Think “comedy defensive driving instruction” for example. It engages the brain on multiple levels, and prevents the audience from being (a) defensive and (b) bored/sleepy. I think that’s why it’s important in any niche.
.-= Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Wordy Wednesday =-.
I feel guilty after reading this post, (LOL). But not about copyright. I respect other blogger’s works. I feel guilty because most of my posts depend on what’s hot on the trend that interest me…You know, my contents are more on Techs. But, they were crafted with honesty and integrity. I want to be engaged with my readers. I know, sooner or later I can do better on this passion.
.-= Cebu Tech Blogger´s last blog ..Microsoft Office 2010 RC Torrent Download =-.
Bert, you can do this.
Write about how the technology affects you, affects your friends and family, you will engage readers.
I came into this from science, and I wrote for months before I got any comments. So I’m teaching myself too.
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..Pre-Writing Is Your Friend – With Benefits (Part 1) =-.
AWESOME article! Very well said.
Ditto.
.-= Julie Angelos´s last blog ..12 things I wish I knew before I started a blog. =-.
Thanks for that, Dave. You are inspiring me to do it with confidence. I’m actually seeing some of the results, and it’s overwhelming …
I read in a hurry because there’s a lot of stuff to be reading. Some’s good, some’s not so.
The good thing about shorts posts (like this) is that it’s very fast to read and you still understand the point of it – at least with this one :)
But you might be correct, many bloggers are not writers so it will take them some time to get it right – if they ever get it right.
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Funny Pictures: Google Street View Launched In Denmark =-.
And some of us – well, writing is all we do well. ;)
.-= Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Wordy Wednesday =-.
I like the way you made the article scan-able. I read through it twice and still got the point.
It takes time and lots of practice to write well.
And if you are offering your help then I’m asking..
.-= Glen´s last blog ..Embrace Change =-.
Indeed, writing is like doing anything in life. As a middle school teacher said, “Practice makes perfect because pobody’s nerfect.”
.-= Ari Herzog´s last blog ..TV vs the Web: Who Wins This Super Bowl? =-.
Make sure to read Kelly’s article carefully as well.
I was riffing off the semi-zinger title.
She went full bore.
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..Pre-Writing Is Your Friend – With Benefits (Part 1) =-.
Hey Glen, I know you were talking to Dave, but I’ve got some weekly help up on my blog.
It’s a more general kind of writing advice, and I’m still just getting started, but the site is all about getting in the habit of good writing.
.-= Aaron Pogue´s last blog ..Editorial Post (Technical Writing Exercise) =-.
Thanks Aaron. I’ll certainly check it out..
.-= Glen´s last blog ..Embrace Change =-.
Glen, you should take Aaron up, he’s a pro at this.
So blogging still boils down to creative writing – not how many images you post, how many videos you make, or how much internet lingo and memes you know. I find myself scanning blogs more than really reading them. It’s hard to find a really engaging blog out there.
[Nice piece of spam here. Why anyone would think my readers (other than Anne Online) would be remotely interested in purchasing a home on Smith Mountain Lake is completely beyond me.
I'm curious how many times this comment has been used. Off to check.
-dr w]
At least it was on topic, Dave. You have to give points for that.
.-= Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Wordy Wednesday =-.
Yep, otherwise I would have deleted it completely.
I love your advice, Dave. Carlos has been sharing your articles about site design with me for weeks now, and I’ve been religiously skimming them for the technical advice.
I’m glad I finally got in a conversation with you–and that this post came so soon afterward–or I might never have slowed down enough to notice how engaging your writing is. It’s encouraging to see that working so well.
.-= Aaron Pogue´s last blog ..Editorial Post (Technical Writing Exercise) =-.
Thanks Aaron.
BTW, just so everyone knows, this article took me around 2 hours to write, not counting time spent before when the notion was gelling, and time spent afterward tweaking it.
Thank you for admitting that.
I’m sick of post bunnies.
.-= Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Wordy Wednesday =-.
Oh yeah, I’m probably very good at writing boring copy, but I’m also a master at scanning. I scan so much, I amaze myself. And over time I’ve noticed that there are couple of things that stand out. One is breaking the habit, which you mentioned (Kelly is a great example too). Second is headlines – you MUST have interesting headline, not clever, not smart, but INTERESTING. Third, you have to use formatting in your posts, use sub-headlines, use bolding and such (but not too much). Fourth, use bullet/numbered lists, even if you’re not writing a “list post”.
Web is meant to be scanned, and you should support it, when you support scanning well, the reader will stop scanning and read. If your post and blog is not very scannable, people will never stop, they scan, but can’t and leave…
.-= Antti Kokkonen´s last blog ..Give it Away for Free =-.
“…when you support scanning well, the reader will stop scanning and read.”
Precisely!
Antti, I need to spend some serious time over at zemalf, probably not today, but soon. Reading, too. Not scanning. I don’t find your writing boring at all, I just need to make sure I have notebook handy. And that’s a good thing.
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..Romance & Misery, Your Blog is Calling (It’s that dang Week in Review) =-.
Very very tricky, Dave. Nicely done.
.-= Deacon´s last blog ..101 things I learned from making 101 prints, Part 1 =-.
Sometimes, eagerness to get best result from search engine make me forgot to write for readers.
.-= Dana @ Blogging Update´s last blog ..This Blog Officially is in Atahualpa 3.4.5 Now =-.
Dana, you just keep after it. Never quit, man, never quit.
@Dana: That’s exactly what I’m afraid of what most bloggers did and still doing. Search engines algorithm changes over time, and trying to manipulate the contents just to hit the top SERP could result a disaster. I myself, trying to write normally- writing for the readers and not for SE. I am afraid of the consequences, too.
.-= Cebu Tech Blogger´s last blog ..Microsoft Office 2010 RC Torrent Download =-.
Yup, i think because it is so tempting. As example, my self, even i already aware of it, i still temp to do write for search engine sometimes.
.-= Dana @ Blogging Update´s last blog ..This Blog Officially is in Atahualpa 3.4.5 Now =-.
Scanning your reply too quickly, I read, “Never mind, man, quit.”
Had to do a double-take.
.-= Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..Dogs, Cats, and Slippery Snakes =-.
Holly, I don’t get the impression that any of this is coming very easily for Dana, but he’s absolutely grinding away on it, day in and day out.
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..What the Heck is Pillar Content and Why Do I Need It? =-.
You’re so right Dave. I majored in history but the history I remember comes from historical novels and the history channel, not those dry old texts. Though I guess the creators had to wade through them first.
I like the Will and Arial Durant books, and anything by Barbara Tuchman. “Real” historians probably don’t like those, but I find them fascinating.
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..Pre-Writing Is Your Friend – With Benefits (Part 1) =-.
Oh, man! I grew up on the Durant books. They’re incredible.
In high school I tried to cite them as a source for an AP History paper, and got in all kinds of trouble. So I went to a real history book, looked up the same information, and quoted it in a less expressive and less meaningful way. Yay academia!
.-= Aaron Pogue´s last blog ..Editorial Post (Technical Writing Exercise) =-.
Aaron, I ‘spect we’re going to get along real well…
Currently reading Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson.
Ok, I gotta work.
Finally my evil plan comes to fruition! Your sites make a hell of an effective pair for teaching a fella how to write a blog and do it well.
.-= Carlos Velez´s last blog ..The Wu-Tang Plan, Part 5. C.R.E.A.M: Carlos gets Really Excited About Marketing =-.
I got so sidetracked by everyone’s comments and the spam [I'm actually minutes from SML] I almost forgot what I was going to say. Then I remembered I wasn’t going to say anything, I was going to ask.
How do you know when you’re writing scan-able vs. engaging content? Comments may be one gauge, but what if you lack readership? Or even the right readership? Or maybe the lack of readership is due to the less than engaging content. I’m just full of circular arguments these days. No wonder my head hurts.
.-= Anne´s last blog ..What Do You Mean, Exactly? =-.
What do I mean, exactly?
That’s a very good question.
I’m probably not going to answer it directly (but I might).
But pay no attention to the man behind the mirror. Things aren’t always what they seem. Cognitive dissidence occurs for a reason.
By now, your head should be pounding. Throbbing.
And no, I wouldn’t trust me, not at all. I would just be sure I was up to something.
Probably something make your head hurt.
Then again, maybe not.
More that I need to work on…:) there are several blogs I just scan at in the RSS reader and I may not read any of them if they are not engaging. I am working on it, thanks for your help Doc!
Justin
Justin, I’m way behind. I have something coming up on Saturday about that.
The moment I feel like I am hitting scan mode I start closing out the reader I hate it, I find myself lower in my seat barely gripping the desk enough to scroll the page.
Engaging is where it’s at, and based on the comment field here it looks like you have that on lock.
.-= Extreme John´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of.. Episode 1 [video] =-.
John, I’m getting the hang of it I think. I have some “low comment” material coming soon, which will be a relief. Technical stuff, boring. Google loves that stuff though. Good for long term traffic.
.-= Dr WordPress!´s last blog ..Pre-Writing Is Your Friend – With Benefits (Part 2) =-.