Writing for the Short Online Attention Span

March 03, 2022


Too much information available online translates into less time spent reading any one thing. With so many options, people do not feel like slogging through a boring article. Instead, a reader who feels uninspired will leave your blog for another. How do you increase the chance that readers will stay on your page? The key is in creating content marketing that is brief, packed with insight, and engaging.

Effectively grab the reader’s attention

In a world where online marketing is the primary way to advertise your practice, what you say and how you say it take center stage. When your practice’s blog fails to garner the clicks necessary to keep it at the top of search results, you may want to revisit the content.

You may find on your statistics page that people do click but only spend a few seconds before leaving. This indicates that the reader does not find the content interesting enough. In a world where the average person’s attention span hovers at about eight seconds, what you write and how you write it are more crucial than ever.

Hook

Your blog posts need to pose something that grabs the reader’s attention. This hook is what first makes people interested in your content and encourages them to read more. It should appear in the first paragraph and is designed to get the reader thinking.

A good method for doing this is asking a question. When a reader feels like a writer is trying to engage with them, it is more likely they will move on and read the remaining content for an answer.

Construction

The way your blogs are written could make or break whether they get read. They should be simplistic but not condescending. With many people opting to surf the net on smartphones, shorter sentences and headers make navigation appealing. Active voice strengthens writing and makes your message clear. 

Visualization

Creating a clear picture of the message you want to convey can be challenging. You want the reader to visualize what you are talking about. For instance, when talking about cavities, using terms such as ‘eat away’ and ‘burrow’ to elicit images of something invasive, creating holes. Since this is what bacteria do to teeth, describing it this way gives a clear and concise picture of what a cavity is and how it is created.

Action

The final step in content is the invitation for the reader to act. This call to action should be a clear and concise statement of what your practice has to offer. Should the reader decide to make an appointment for an evaluation, should an online link or phone number be utilized? Making the invitation and follow-up clear and concise may lead to more appointments with new clients.

We have your back!

Our team at Doctor Genius is well-versed in organic marketing in today’s busy world. With so many options a click or two away, we know what it takes to make your practice draw in new clients. We stand ready to give you an honest assessment of your page’s content and suggestions on making it better. Give one of our staff members a call at 1-877-477-2311 and let us guide you toward creating simpler, powerful content.

Doctor Genius, located at 16800 Aston Street, Suite 270, Irvine, CA 92606, provides a range of services for practice success. We seek to meet our clients’ needs by providing a variety of marketing, SEO, practice optimization tools, and coaching to transform the healthcare experience. Though we work to provide the most accurate information, the content found on this website is solely intended for entertainment purposes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely correct. You may not use the information on this site to cure, prevent, or diagnose a perceived medical issue. If you have healthcare-related needs, please speak directly to a healthcare professional. Never self-perform medical treatments discussed on this website. All images displayed are also for entertainment purposes only, and personal experiences may differ. Please note that the business tactics mentioned on this site might not be applicable to your industry or practice.

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