Get to the point: writing for skimmers (part 2)

In the last eTip I talked about how much we are influenced by the subject lines and 'from' fields when choosing to either delete or open an email.

But once your email has been opened, what then? Readers will typically give you seconds rather than minutes of their time. You need to ensure even the flightiest of skimmers gets your message. For example:

Use brief subheads

Subheadings or emboldened key words focus the reader's attention. They and can be used to either

• intrigue them into reading more, or
  
• summarise in a couple of words what that paragraph is about

Use bullet points

• bullets or numbered lists are easier to skim than long paragraphs of prose
  
• three is the magic number but certainly no more than seven

Make calls to action prominent

If there's one thing you want people to do, put it somewhere prominent in the top two inches (for those who won't scroll down) and again at the end (for those who read it all before they decide to act).

Some research I've seen suggests that graphic buttons are more likely to be clicked on than hypertext links, but that's something you should test as audiences vary.

Keep sentences & paragraphs short

Think bite-sized. Bonsai. Haiku. This needn't be an excuse for poor writing though. It's actually harder to write less - something you'll know if you've ever sweated over a subject line for half an hour!

Don't get deleted, write for skimmers

Are your emails written for skimmers?

Skimming isn't about reading quickly. Being a skimmer means you're just looking for the key points and ignoring the rest. Skimmers love a good contents page, a short abstract and quick-fire humour. They struggle with ring-bound reports, jokes that take ten minutes to get to the punchline, and novels by Henry James.

So what's my point...? The first thing email recipients skim is the inbox.

In a survey of US email users conducted by the ESPC, 80% said they report spam or delete emails without opening. 73% make that decision based on the 'from' name and 69% based on the 'subject' line.

In other words, a quick skim of the inbox is enough for most people to decide whether to delete or open.

Which means your 'from' name should be transparent, consistent and meaningful outside of your organisation. I still see plenty of genuine emails coming from 'Customer Service' or 'Sales Office' which sadly makes them indistinguishable from spam.

As for subject lines - the best practice advice is to test, test, test. Different audiences respond to different subject line strategies. And it sounds obvious, but keep an eye on subject lines currently being used by spammers and try not to look like them.

In the next eTips: making the body of your email skimmer-friendly.