Common reading habits
If you want to be an effective writer, you must understand how people read. Most people don’t read every word put in front of their eyes. The majority of people (and I’m a typical case study) read copy in three distinct stages.
1. Scanning. We have a quick inspection of the story taking in the lay out, headline, illustration and sometimes copy highlights, just to determine if we are interested at all. And once we move on, the chance of us coming back to is slim. I tend to bookmark items in del.ici.ous to remind myself to read something more carefully when time permits.
2. Review. We tend to enter this second stage after scanning a range of sources. This is where we confirm or correct our first reaction to the copy. We run through it quickly taking in a higher degree of detail. Usually we’ll read the lead paragraph in its entirety, then will take in bullet points, sub heads and data displayed in charts or graphs.
3. Commitment. This is where we sit back and have a jolly good read. We consider the main point of the article and put it into personal context. Here is where we decide if we believe the premise and if we are affected by it. We might even be moved to act on it by making a purchase, making a vote, requesting more information, etc.
By keeping the three stages of readership in mind when writing you will win attention, maintain loyalty and actually have an effect on your readers. Isn’t that why we write in the first place?
Filed under: public relations
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Thanks for the inspiration today!
Glad you liked it Leo. I like to write about writing every once in a while.
It amazes me when I tell people that it takes a great deal of time for me to read something I enjoy.
People usually whip through it. But for me, I like to sit and dwell on it more by reading every word.
Stuff I don’t like I usually use the first two steps, depending on how important it is for me to remember details.
Owen you are classic three-stepper. Thanks for reading.