The Coming Media Revolution
By Will Sullivan
The Apple iPad will strike deep into the hearts and minds of the world today. The device has been hailed as no less than the harbinger of a media revolution – both for its delivery, and our corresponding consumption, of media content.
And while it may or may not deliver on these bold promises, the fact remains: the way we are consuming media online is changing rapidly. And we must, as writers and developers of content, keep pace with that change.
There is a plethora of advice out there online about writing for the Web. But I find, at this moment, that one rule stands above the rest – and it was written at a time when the Web did not exist.
It is rule #17 in Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style : Omit needles words.
Strunk and White
Among the collected cantankerous voices in the world of grammar and writing instruction, E.B. White’s has to be my favorite. Now, there are numerous opinions regarding whether those writing copy should heed the advice of his, and fellow writer William Strunk’s, legendary tome. Some of these opinions are fundamentalist, while others believe the guide provides sound counsel that you should cherry pick to your liking. I’m certainly in the latter camp.
I still carry the copy of Strunk & White that I received during an interview with a journalism organization in 2004. The woman doing the interviewing – grilling would be more accurate – handed me a copy and said “memorize this.”
And while I haven’t exactly followed her advice to the letter, Strunk & White has become a go-to reference for me, even if just for the entertainment of E.B. White’s voice.
Of all the rules in Strunk & White, rule #17 has always stood out. Omitting needless words is note merely about editing, it is about discipline. It is not only about numbers on the page, it is about developing a clear and concise message. In our modern context, it might be better understood as “Omit Needless Ideas.”
As White says:
“This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
The last four words in that sentence are the most important: That Every Word Tell.
As usability expert Jakob Nielsen has reported, only 16 percent of those reading online read word for word. To flip that, nearly 84 percent of those reading your site will not read every word you poured your heart into. They will not care that an extra graph about your company just had to go into the About Us section, and they will never notice those extra five sentences, appealing to donate to your cause.
People do not read online, because they scan. And, if we’re learning anything about online content, it is that when attention spans are short, words are subject to the same market forces as every other commodity.
Simply put — If you are not communicating clearly via content that your readers want and need and the words on your page aren’t telling, users will go elsewhere.
Well, then, how do we do this? How do we ensure that every word tells? How do we ensure that we eliminate needless ideas?
Here are a few tactics:
1. Take the word count for your page, and cut it in half. Then, cut it in half again. This is not a new idea, and it’s not necessarily meant for literal interpretation. Ideally, you should be able to communicate your idea in a quarter the number of words on the page. If you aren’t able to, your idea and your message isn’t clear enough.
2. Eliminate jargon and marketing language. People quite simply hate it. Furthermore, when you remove marketing language and industry/company/cause-related jargon, you are forced to communicate more clearly.
3. If a long paragraph contains multiple ideas, break it up. If people are scanning, they may glaze over a bulky text block. Creating space makes your ideas easier for readers to consume.
4. Write short sentences and avoid multiple clauses. Clauses are often difficult to consume when scanning. They also require punctuation, which can be distracting when reading online.
5. Use the tricks of the trade: Sub headings, bullets and bullet lists, and contextual links that highlight key ideas.
These rules are by no means revolutionary. I intend them as best practices – subtle reminders that you might refer to when developing copy.
And the fact remains, our attention spans are disappearing. While we can learn to write short, we must do so without diminishing the impact of our messages.
Photo courtesy of ToastyKen – Flickr
Brevity is the key to all content, be it on paper or screen. Great idea on the update to my favorite classic.
This would make an amazing topic for a conference like SXSW. Thanks for the read.