Write Less, Say More

(Sometimes I wonder where I’ve been all my life, but I recently found Jim VandeHei and Axios. Here’s my attempt to “Axify” his TedTalk.)

The Art of Smart Brevity — Write Less, Say More

Why it matters: Almost nobody listens or reads most of what you write.

• People spend an average of 26 seconds reading something online before liking or sharing.
• Once you’re distracted it takes an average of 20 minutes to refocus.

Impact: We need to rethink how we communicate in a post-smartphone world. Data shows we are getting bombarded by more information than ever. Most people sharing on social media haven’t bothered to read the story.

The solution is Smart Brevity — content delivered fast and efficiently.

These five tips will help you get started:

• Stop being selfish. Write what your audience cares about.
• Grab your reader’s attention. You only have 26 seconds.
• Keep it simple. A banana is a banana.
• Write like a human.
• Just stop.

The bottom line: Integrating the five tips will give you more engagement and traction, and have your audience remembering what’s important. Use as few words and sentences as possible. The greatest gift you can give yourself and others in this cluttered world is their time back.