Email writing for busy readers: 4 tips for publishers

How can we make our writing easier for readers to consume? That’s the key question behind a new book, Writing for Busy Readers, which pulls from nearly a decade of research from authors and Harvard Kennedy School behavioural scientists Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink.

The authors share a series of principles for effective communication that can be applied to everything from personal emails to news stories. So what does behavioural science tell us about what kind of writing drives action, like clicking on reader revenue appeals?  

Rogers presented the book’s principles at a recent webinar hosted by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. Here are four key takeaways:

Tip 1: Write shorter campaign emails 

“It’s unkind to write in more words than necessary,” Rogers says. When we consider the number of emails and text messages people read and send each day, we can understand how unlikely it becomes that our audience will read more words than they need to. 

As any writer will know, it’s harder to write concisely. But putting the work in is not only more respectful of our readers’ time — it also leads to more effective email writing.

In one study exploring how the length of a message affected a person’s likelihood to click on a survey, Rogers and Lasky-Fink found that 4.8 per cent of people who received a shorter (49 word) message clicked on the link to take the survey, compared with just 2.7 per cent of those who received a longer (127-word) message.

The takeaway: Long messages are overwhelming for our busy, tired brains. Try to say it in fewer words.

Tip 2: Split your emails up

It’s not just about fewer words, Rogers explains. It’s about fewer ideas and fewer requests. 

In one field experiment conducted for a school district, Rogers sent a two-sentence text message to parents that read:

 “Thank you for participating in [district name] summer updates! Please answer this 1-minute survey to help us improve our program [survey link].” 

The other sample group received the same two sentences, this time split into two separate messages. This simple split increased response rates by 15 per cent.

The takeaway: For campaign emails, make sure the subject line reflects the main point you want to get across and that the body of the email is focused on it.

Tip 3: Simplify your email language 

While journalists are often encouraged to write for a high school reading level, it’s easy to forget how important this is.

Average literacy in the U.S. is at a Grade 9 level, Rogers reminds us. Nearly half of adult Canadians are reading below a high school level, according to the OECD in a 2013 report. 

Just as we try to avoid creating any “friction” as people process payments, we want to avoid any friction in our writing. 

The behavioural science theory is that if writing is too complex, readers are inclined to give up and move on to something else, Rogers explains.

“Simple writing is better and kinder,” Rogers says. We as journalists may like nuance and complexity, but that’s not always what busy readers want or need. 

The takeaway: Keep words simple and sentences straightforward so readers get the point quickly.

Read more: The U.K.’s Plain English Campaign has a guide on How to write in plain English.

Tip 4: Use formatting for effective marketing emails

Journalists are often taught to avoid using bullet points or other formatting in news stories. But eye movement research shows that formatting, in the right amount, supports readers in doing what they are inclined to do: skim read. That’s because most people do not read top to bottom, their eyes dance around the page, Rogers explains.

Research on public communications like court summons and school closure notices show how simple design changes can be the difference between action and inaction.

The takeaway: Try using bullet points, subheadings and buttons in your campaign emails — but don’t overdo it.

Read more: Why Axios is obsessed with simplicity and bullet points, from the New York Times.

So you get the idea. Now what? First of all, keep in mind that these takeaways may not work for your specific goals or audience. It depends! 

To explore how you might incorporate these principles into your campaign emails, Rogers and Lasky-Fink made this neat AI tool. Try it to see how you can simplify your next campaign email.

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