Writing for Busy Readers: Less is More

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This chapter emphasizes the importance of concise writing and using fewer words, ideas, and requests to engage busy readers. It discusses the effectiveness of shorter messages and the benefits of making content skimmable and easy to understand. The chapter also explores the impact of formatting and the use of headings to optimize reader engagement.

Todd Rogers shares powerful writing principles to help capture your busy audience’s attention.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Why people aren’t reading—and what to do about it

2) The critical question that will improve your writing

3) The simple trick to get people to respond to your request

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— ABOUT TODD —

Todd Rogers is co-author of Writing for Busy Readers, and Professor of Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is the faculty director of the Behavioral Insights Group, faculty chair of the executive education program Behavioral Insights and Public Policy, Senior Scientist at ideas42, and Academic Advisor at the Behavioral Insights Team.

Todd co-founded the Analyst Institute, which improves voter communications, and serves on its board. He also co-founded EveryDay Labs, which partners with school districts to reduce student absenteeism by communicating with families, is an equity holder and serves as Chief Scientist. Todd received his Ph.D. jointly from Harvard's department of Psychology and the Harvard Business School.

• Book: Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World, with Jessica Lasky-Fink

• Study: “Poison Parasite Counter: Turning Duplicitous Mass Communications Into Self-Negating Memory-Retrieval Cues” with Robert B. Cialdini et al.

• Website: WritingForBusyReaders.com

• Tool: AI email editing

• Tool: Writing checklist

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Study: “People systematically overlook subtractive changes” by Gabrielle S. Adams, et al.

• Term: Butterfly ballot

• Book: Pre-Suasion: Channeling Attention for Change by Robert Cialdini

• Book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

• Book: Give Your Speech, Change the World: How To Move Your Audience to Action by Nick Morgan

• Book: Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg