One of the reasons almost all my posts here at RJsCorner are “500 words or less”, is because of the title above. There is just so much available to read every day, and certainly not enough time to read it all. By necessity, I think that almost everyone is a scanner.

Another reason is that I have read so many things on the Internet that just seem to ramble on and on before they get to the point. The writer seems to think that I will stay on the article longer if he delays the point of her words. I think that strategy has the reverse effect on me. If I can’t understand what the writer’s point in the first couple of sentences, I skip to the next article.

Why do you think they call the apps that allow us to do just that, Internet “browsers”?

It’s because almost every one who goes online quickly scans before taking the time to pause and read. In case you wondered, I am a scanner. I read an article on the Medium that told me how we scanners have different techniques in our scanning. I will get into that a little bit here, but what I primarily learned from the source of this article are the factors that help retain reader’s attention. According to the article, they are:

• Keeping paragraphs short
• Combining shorter and longer sentences
• Using bullet points
• Adding relevant illustrations

I try to do these things for each post I publish, but something I learned from this source article is we must also be aware of “How” scanners scan. There are several different techniques.

Some people, I am one of them, keep my eyes looking for certain words, but never entire lines. According to the article, here is how to tell that you are scanning:

1. The eye fixates on some words, but not entire lines of text.
2. You are processing content in a non-linear way (skip parts to find the juicy information you need).

Research found out that 79% of people constantly scan any new page they come across. Only 16% of people read every word on a page.

Here are some other suggestions from the article for me and my fellow bloggers

1. Use headings and subheadings that relate to the content of the text. Make it easier for people to find stuff, and they will be thankful
2. The first three words on bullet points should describe the central message
3. Use highlighted bold keywords, but don’t overdo it.
4. Don’t overdo the introduction. I.E. Get to the point.
5. Put the most important info at the beginning of the post.
6. Prepare before you write.

All of these numbered items are important, if you want to get and hold readers. I am not good at all of them, but I will try to do better in the future if you hang around.