{"id":70122,"date":"2017-10-13T16:02:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T15:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/win-over-impatient-readers\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:18:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:18:31","slug":"win-over-impatient-readers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/win-over-impatient-readers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to win over impatient readers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nIn 2000, the average attention span was recorded at 12 seconds. Over a decade later, Microsoft concluded that the average attention span now sits at around eight seconds \u2013 less than that of a goldfish.
\nIs technology to blame for our dwindling concentration skills? Probably. But we\u2019re not just bored. We\u2019re impatient.<\/p>\n

Are reading skills dead in the water?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

2017\u2019s government stats on internet activity show that a huge proportion of us read news online \u2013 around 70-75% of people aged 16-54 prefer this method to print. Despite this, scientists claim that reading on paper is a lot more enjoyable and beneficial to our comprehension and retention of information \u2013 worth noting for businesses keen to create marketing collateral in print.
\nOf course we all love a good story. Yet online, it\u2019s no secret that many of us just read the headlines \u2013 eight out of ten of us in fact don\u2019t get past the first sentence. Even if we do, half of us won\u2019t finish reading the content.
\nWell done if you\u2019ve made it this far. Stick with me for a bit longer\u2026<\/p>\n

Why don\u2019t we scroll down?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fast and easy access to everything online is something we all take for granted. And if we can\u2019t have it all right here, right now, why should we bother?
\nNot only the way we consume, but the sheer volume of what is available to us online, also plays a role. Countless articles, guides and blogs to sift through on the web has spawned generations of impatient readers, guilty of switching from one piece of content to the next\u2026
\nNo wonder. With our increasingly busy lives, who\u2019s got the time to read a whole thing?
\nFor content creators, this attitude is a significant challenge to overcome.<\/p>\n

Images and captions – detrimental to reading habits or crucial short-cuts? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sometimes the image alone is what draws us in, rather than the headline. Video content is also ever present. If we need visual stimulation to help us read, then each image\u2019s relevance and contextualisation is crucial.
\nRecently, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding how images can fuel fake news. With a misleading caption, or indeed no caption, the mind can extrapolate a whole range of non-truths from what the eyes physically see.
\n\u2018Show don\u2019t tell\u2019 is writing gospel, and images do just that. But sometimes, a brand\u2019s great efforts to portray a message can be totally warped; Dove\u2019s latest advert depicting a black woman removing a t-shirt to reveal a white woman underneath has received criticism and backlash all over the world for its racist imagery. With or without a caption, this advert misses the mark.
\nDespite their importance, it sometimes seems as if the art of the caption is lost, whether people bother to read them or not.<\/p>\n

How do we keep them reading?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Tough question. Perhaps the solution is not only in the construction of language but also in the mind-set of the reader. It\u2019s crucial, therefore, to do your research and understand your audience and make sure that your content connects to their interests, needs or values.
\nIt goes without saying that you need an interesting or newsworthy topic. While a snappy headline might get the initial clicks, your readers will disengage if the information takes too much effort to digest.<\/p>\n

Checklist <\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re an impatient reader looking for a quick solution to engage impatient readers, try these writing tips, but be warned, this list is neither exhaustive nor prescriptive:<\/p>\n