I’ve never understood why music CDs are packaged in such a way that it’s almost impossible to open them without an x-acto knife, a nail file and at least 5-7 minutes of spare time.
It’s as if CD manufacturers got together and said, “How can we make it virtually impossible for people to listen to the CD they just purchased? How can we create an experience so frustrating that no one will ever want to buy a CD ever again?”
Sometimes, I feel the same way about how entrepreneurs “package” their copy and content. They take their brilliant message (be it a blog post, email, sales page or web page) and present it in such teeny-tiny text that it’s almost impossible to read. Or they create long blocks of text with little or no white space. Or formatting.
It’s as if they’re daring you to read what they’ve written. (“Ha, HA! Just try to read this. I bet you won’t last half a second!”)
How you “package” the text of your message will greatly influence how your message is received. Or if it will be received at all. (Tweet that, why don’t ya!)
And what’s the point of writing a brilliant message if no one’s going to want to read it because it’s too difficult or unpleasant to do so?
It’s like offering someone a drink of a heavenly elixir in a moldy cup. It’s not only off-putting, it’s rude!
“They take their brilliant message (be it a blog post, email, sales page or web page) and present it in such teeny-tiny text that it’s almost impossible to read.”
Give your message and your reader the respect they deserve. Pay attention to how your message looks. Format it so it’s easy on the eyes. Doing so will enhance your reader’s experience and increase their appreciation for what you have to say.
Here are 5 tips to help you format your message so it’s delightful to read:
No Squinting Allowed!
Use a typeface that your 87-year old far-sighted grandmother could read. Just because you can read 9pt type doesn’t mean anyone else can. Don’t make your clients have to use the zoom feature in their browser (or a magnifying glass) to read your message.
Dark on White Only
Now, some may disagree with me, but don’t use white or light-colored text on a dark background (reverse type). At least, not for the main body of your message. It makes your message so much harder to read. Not impossible, just harder.
Now, reverse type can be really cool and super-effective for headlines, titles, and sidebars. Any place where you want to create a big bang of contrast or color. Something like this.
But you don’t want the whole body of your message to be in light-on-dark. It fatigues the eye.
Short & Sweet
Keep your paragraphs short. 2-4 sentences at most. Shorter paragraphs feel easier and more inviting to read. They appear less demanding of someone’s attention and focus.
Now, there will be times when writing a short paragraph just won’t do. It won’t accommodate what you’re trying to say in a way that makes sense. That’s fine. But as a general rule of thumb, keep your paragraphs short and sweet. Like your sentences.
White Space Is Your Friend
Give your paragraphs, sentences and words enough space in which to dance on the page by providing plenty of white space. Create nice little chunks of white space between paragraphs and substantial slivers of space between each individual line of text.
Wide margins are good, too. When you create more space around your message, it helps direct the focus of your client’s eye and attention on the message itself.
Bold, italic and a splash of color
Have you heard the news. They say that most people don’t read anymore. They scan.
They may read your headline and the first few lines of your message, but from there, they will likely jump ahead to whatever grabs their eye and interest.
So, give their eye something to grab onto by changing up the formatting of your text.
- Use bold to bring attention to important points you don’t want your reader to miss.
- Add bullets and sub-heads when you can.
- Use italics to stress certain phrases, imply an emphatic tone of voice, or when quoting someone.
- And hey, why not use a splash of color! You can bring attention to a certain section, sentence or even one word by changing the color of the text.
The more you can break the monotony of endless text with white space, formatting and other graphic elements, the more inviting your message becomes. And the easier it is to read and keep reading.
These are just a few tips on how to make your message more graphically appealing and easy to read. Can you think of more ways you might improve your content’s “package?” Share some of your ideas by leaving a message below!