How To Chunk Your Content
What the chunk? If you're a fan of behavioural economics (or The Goonies), you'll know chunking in its most simplistic form is breaking down information into small, digestible pieces or blocks.
When our brains look at a large wall of solid text, it's going to struggle to remember any of it because we can't distinguish between lines or paragraphs. Think about how you feel when you're faced with a document or webpage that isn't broken up at all? I know I feel immediately tired and put off of reading it. A bit like you might have subconsciously felt looking at this paragraph.
Now focus on how you feel when you read this next line.
How you're more inclined to read what's next?
Chunking can be used in pretty much any writing you do. Here are my favourite ways to add chunk into your life.
Bullet points
These are a nifty and common way to present information that is easy on the eye.
Try not to go above seven bullet points.
Keep the info to one line if possible.
Just like this.
Otherwise, it becomes a paragraph.
Which defeats the purpose.
Keep bullet styles simple. Don't go all-out on those Wingdings.
Lists
I hate the word listicles but it’s a thing so I do have to acknowledge it.
Using numbers is great for writing instructions or steps.
It clearly communicates the order.
So the reader knows what to do.
And the order to do it in.
If you have bullet points going over more than one line, consider swapping them for numbers.
Make the number a subheading.
Then add a short descriptive paragraph underneath just like this.
Short paragraphs
Are generally better than long ones. Three to four sentences is good. You can even try one-sentence paragraphs.
Like this one.
Keep to one idea per paragraph. But you can also split an idea across more than one if needed. Just don't put two ideas in one paragraph.
Vary sentence length
Yes, short sentences are easier to read. But what happens when all your sentences are short? Your writing does not flow.
It's better to have a mixture of short, medium and long sentences.
How do you know a sentence is too long? Look at how many commas you're using. Three is probably pushing it. Read it aloud. Does it sound better if you break it up into two sentences?
Need someone to chunk your content? I'm just a click away.