Episode 53 Interview with Todd Rogers: Author of Writing for Busy Readers
In this episode Richard interviews Harvard professor Todd Rogers. Todd’s experiments apply behavioral science principles to copywriting to make it more effective. In this discussion we cover Todd’s key findings, such as the proven value of brevity, simple language, and designing for easy navigation.
The episode is full of simple tactics that you’ll be able to apply immediately to your writing.
Episode Highlights
Less is more: reducing the word count of a request makes the task feel less onerous and more likely to be complied with
Designing for easier navigation to accommodate readers who "skim"
Perceived competence: why reducing the reading age of your copy makes it more likely that even the most literate people will engage with it
Resources & Useful Links
See below for additional resources from this week's episode.
Keep Listening
Ep51 - Interview with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: author of Everybody Lies
MichaelAaron and Richard sit down with economist and data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, who reveals why direct questions often don't reveal one's true motivations. They also unpack concepts like the illusion of effort, the curse of knowledge, and how to handle conflicting datasets effectively.
Ep50 - The Replication Crisis: How to Avoid Basing Your Marketing On Bogus Findings
This episode dives into a concept known as "replication crisis" in behavioral science. We explore how repeated attempts to replicate certain studies have yielded results that challenge or contradict the original findings, calling their validity into question. We highlight some well-known studies to be cautious of and share practical advice on how to ensure the findings you apply are reliable.
