Writing so readers can scan your text

The Kiplinger Letter is a master class in writing succinctly, clearly, and so readers can easily scan the text — even though it’s only four pages long. I admire that style.

Jim Patterson of Kiplinger explains that you can get the gist of any section, and any page, just by reading the underlined parts. It’s not an easy way to write.

Let’s apply that to a paragraph from my April issue.

The rule I learned back in the 1980s was that marketing copy should explain features and benefits. In the following decades, the emphasis has turned decidedly towards benefits. I.e., tell people why their life will be better with your product.

To make this scannable, I have to start over and write it differently. E.g.,

The old rule: explain features and benefits in your marketing copy. The new rule: yes, but major in benefits. A benefit tells people why their life will be better with your product.

Patterson explains the Kiplinger method thus: “As we write, we always are referring back to the prior underscores, to make sure you can read them in isolation, without any of the intervening text, and get the point of the page.”

I don’t know if I will go full Kiplinger in The Krehbiel Letter, but the idea of writing for the convenience of your reader is a good idea.

Consider the BLUF method. Bottom Line Up Front. You’re not writing a mystery novel.

Pushing the idea even further …

Here’s a goal for publishers. Write every article so it can be scanned, but also to maximize comprehension.

The “idiot’s guide” genre of books do this by providing summaries, calling out key points, and defining words. Those texts are written with reader comprehension in mind.

That kind of writing requires an expert to anticipate where readers might stumble.

What if we allowed readers to give us feedback on the text?

• A simple version might be to allow readers to highlight text and click on a “confused face” icon. Or ask a question.
• A more elaborate version could have in-line quizzes along the way, checking that readers are understanding the key points.

Editors could monitor this feedback and clarify points that are unclear, either by revising the text or by adding a little (i) widget with further information.