Writing for People Who Scroll, Not People Who Read
On digital channels almost nobody reads from first line to last. How to write text that works anyway.
People opening a page don't start at line one: they scroll, stop where something holds them, and scroll on. Writing as though someone reads everything in order means entrusting your message to behaviour that doesn't happen.
Put the conclusion at the top
The structure that works is the reverse of the one taught at school: answer first, then why, details last. Anyone who stops after two lines has still received the main point.
Where the eye stops
- The title and the first line: they decide whether reading continues.
- Subheadings: they're read on their own and should tell the story even if the rest is skipped.
- Lists: they attract the eye, so use them for what matters.
- The last line of each block: it's read more than the one before it.
Long sentences aren't the problem
The problem is sentences that require remembering the beginning to understand the end. A long but linear sentence reads easily; a short one full of asides doesn't. The criterion isn't length, it's how much has to be held in mind at once.
The final test
Read only the title, subheadings and lists. If the meaning still arrives, the text holds; if it doesn't, the important information is hidden where nobody passes.
If your text makes sense from the subheadings alone, you've written for how people actually read.
Sources and Further Reading
Official documentation and guidelines cited or useful for going deeper.