Everyone wants to find answers fast. They simply do not have the patience to wait. The fact is that the attention span of people is shrinking by the day. This is why it is important that you provide your target audience with the information they are looking for without wasting their time. Creating content for readers who skim is the need of the hour and here is how you should tackle it.

  1. Place Relevant Subheadings

One of the ways to optimize content for readers who skim is by placing relevant subheading. Add subheadings that form a connection with the content. You must ensure that you keep them short and sweet.   The subheadings should offer a glimpse into the content. Then, readers can decide what they need to read.

  1. Stick to Concise Paragraphs

The next tip that you need to consider is creating concise paragraphs. You need to understand that a blog is not a novel which is why it should be as short as possible so that viewers can quickly read each blog. Each paragraph should contain just a few sentences. Aim for 2 to 3 sentences to keep things concise. It is extremely important when writing about technical subjects. The information you provide should be easy to digest to retain readers.

  1. Highlight Important Points

Similar to how you used to highlight important points in your school textbooks, you need to do the same when creating content for your website. The easiest way to keep readers who skim satisfied is by using bold, different colors, italics, and the like. What you need to do is ensure that the purpose of each paragraph stands out so that readers can instantly notice it.

  1. Include Bullet Points Where Possible

Adding bullet points allows you to break down content so that readers can easily skim through it. If there are more than three items, you can opt for bullet points. They provide some rhythm to your content and allow you to leverage user experience principles.

  1. Incorporate Graphic Elements

To keep readers engaged, you must add graphic elements for every 300 words. Adding a gif, a video, or a photo every now and then allows you to eliminate monotony. However, you must avoid adding graphical elements that are irrelevant. The importance of relevance cannot be stressed enough.

  1. Create Summaries and Takeaways for Long Sections

Lastly, you need to add a summary or takeaway for long sections. It will ensure that skimmers remain engaged. Similar to how there are key takeaways towards the end of each chapter in textbooks, you must provide a synthesis of the information.

Conclusion

Since readers who skim are on the rise, you need to follow our advice to attract them. Otherwise, you would lose a huge portion of your audience. When creating content, you must keep your readers in mind. It is the only way that you can keep them interested and ensure that they continue to return.