As consumers of marketing content, we know that reading is an entirely different experience on a mobile device versus a desktop. As creators of marketing content, we often forget that very important fact. Keep the concepts below in mind as you create material for viewing on mobile devices.
- Ruthless Editing — The key to writing for mobile isn’t writing shorter pieces, it’s writing pieces where all non-essential words are removed. On a desktop, readers have the luxury of being able to scan a passage and pick out the key words and phrases, which keep them interested. They can’t do this on a mobile device. Too much filler in that confined reading space and they will lose interest quickly and move on to something else.
- Short, Pithy Headlines — Copywriters have always been taught to write eye-catching headlines. On mobile devices, headlines not only need to be attention-grabbing, they must also be short. This is no easy task, but the time you invest to find just the right wording will pay off with more readers making it all the way through a piece.
- Very Brief Paragraphs — Like your headlines, your paragraphs should be kept very brief. Even a “short” paragraph by the standards of desktop viewing can be a full screen’s worth (or more) of text on a mobile. Short paragraphs also create a sort of “reading rhythm” that does a better job of pulling readers from one section to the next.
- Adios, Images — Not surprisingly, eye tracking studies show that our gaze gravitates to images. So, on a platform where it’s already hard to keep a reader’s attention, you should include photos and graphics only if they are absolutely necessary to successfully communicating your message.
- Important = Early — Unlike novelists who save the best for last, copywriters must deliver the goods up front. Get to the point of your piece as soon as possible to rope in your readers and so that early abandoners don’t miss out on anything important.
There are two sizes to be aware of when optimizing content for mobile devices: the consistently small size of the screen and the steadily smaller size of the human attention span. Write with an awareness of those limitations and your content will make a big impression.
