Everyone has less time, more options, endless distractions.
Studies show we spend 26 seconds, on average, reading a piece of content. We check our phones 344+ times each day. One third of work emails that require attention go unread.
We’re wallowing in noise and nonsense most of our waking hours. And when we see everything, we remember nothing.
Smart Brevity offers up a refreshing alternative without the babble or the bumfluff. The book offers some simple guiding principles:
- Authority: You are a trustworthy source of information, and only an expert can understand an issue, evaluate what’s new or important and distil it in an accurate, interesting way. Be the expert, or find one.
- Brevity: You stand out for being respectful of busy readers’ time, giving them exactly what they need to stay productive, without leaving them hungry or unfulfilled. Stay short, not shallow.
- Humanity: You can communicate with the full spectrum of human emotion, sophistication and nuance but challenge yourself to present your message in a way that’s familiar and conversational. Write like you speak.
- Clarity: You should be frugal with words for the sake of brevity so that what you ultimately present to readers is approachable, clear and simple to scan in a realistic amount of time. Style text for impact.
Say more with less using Smart Brevity
Inspiration from Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen & Roy Schwartz
Never have we vomited more words in more places with more velocity.
What’s the answer?
Adapt to how people consume content with Smart Brevity: a strategy for thinking more sharply, communicating crisply and saving everyone time.
The Core Four
1. A muscular tease
Six or fewer strong words to yank someone’s attention away from Tiktok.
2. One strong, memorable first sentence
Something they don’t know, would want to know, or should know.
3. Context – “why it matters”
Explain why your new fact, idea or thought matters.
4. Choice to “go deeper”
Don’t force them to read or hear more than they want. Make it their decision.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
- Audience first
- Trumpet ONE big thing
- Grab, entice, seduce
Snackable Snippets brought to you by Alive With Ideas.
