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Are bullets killing your message?
Chances are pretty
good you make use of
bullet-point lists. Whether they are in your
emails, advertising, promotional literature,
departmental reports or newsletters, those
little marks sure do come in handy.
But are you making the best of them?
Research shows that when we read, our eyes don't
start at the top and methodically work their
way through the list. In fact, they don't
even see the whole thing.
Here are a few tips that will help you put
your copy where the reader is going to see
it.
- Don't put your bullets in their
order of importance. Why? Because people
don't read the list that way. Here is how
they generally read a five-point list:
- This will be read first.
- This will be read second.
- This may be read fourth.
- This will likely be totally ignored.
- This will be read third.
- Because readers tend to scan lists, put
the key words in each bullet where your audience
will see them: first. Readers will give you a
little leeway in the first two bullets, but
after that, you're on your own. Here is what
the eye tends to see:
- They will likely read
all of this.
- They will read some,
but not all, of this.
- Maybe the first word, that's it.
- Forget it.
- They will read
some, but not all, of this.
- Don't repeat the first words--or even the
first letter if you can help it--of each
bullet or you may lose them before they even
get started.
So, remember...
- Put your information in the order of
their importance: 1, 2, 5,
3, 4..
- Words that are important go first.
- You are reading this only because you are
a good student.
- My grandmother is a welterweight boxer.
- Repetition is not good.
Thanks to Anne Holland of MarketingSherpa for
these insights.
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