People perform better when they’re not drowning in data
The more information you have, the better decisions you can make, right?
Wrong.
It turns out that doctors make better diagnoses when they have less information.… Read the full article
Story length
Short-form digital content helps readers choose
Too many options paralyze people
Here’s a famous story among persuasion researchers and Malcolm Gladwell fans:
When a researcher offered shoppers 24 types of jam, many customers stopped by for a sample, but only 3% made a purchase.… Read the full article
Optimal length for a blog post, Facebook post, email newsletter …
Measure A.R.T., or average reading time
Writers measure copy in words, inches or pages. Readers use a different measure: time.
So instead of using writer-centric measures, think like your reader.… Read the full article
What closet tidying taught me about editing
Audition your words to go in, not out
When Lynn Wylie, aka Best Sister Ever, sent me an Unfancy blog post arguing that all you need to look great every day is a capsule wardrobe of 37 items per season, I scoffed.… Read the full article
Less is more
The longer your piece, the less readers will read
Size does matter.
The longer your story, the less of it your readers will read — and the less likely they are to understand and act on it.… Read the full article
The (One-Page) Magazine
The New York Times goes brief
Talk about brief: The New York Times packs 13 stories onto its briefs page, called The (One-Page) Magazine.
Notice the combination of:
- One-paragraph profiles, trend pieces and new nuggets
- One-sentence reviews
- Charts (History, in Kardashians)
- Glossary items (This should be a word: Denigreet)
- Timelines (This one’s running across the top and down the right side)
- Infographics (This one’s running across the bottom of the page)
How brief are your briefs?… Read the full article
How do you organize information?
Save time — and words — with structure
As a reality TV superfan, I’ve learned a lot about writing from “Project Runway” episodes.
For one thing, time management counts.… Read the full article
Say no more
Write a message statement in 23 words or less
My friends at TELLABS write brisk, interesting message statements — in 23 words or less.
Using message map guidelines from Tripp Frohlichstein, president of MediaMasters, they write one key message and three supporting points, like this:
“Tellabs innovates to help customers succeed — by cutting costs, generating revenue and improving the user experience.”… Read the full article