It was in the face of my most recent conversation partner that I saw the confusion with a hint of exhaustion. And that got me thinking – so how do I create this perfectly structured telling that would equally engage and encourage learning?
A few years ago I participated in a corporate training on communication. I remember nearly exploding in anger through those couple of days for how disappointed I was in the trainers’ lack of enthusiasm about the topic. I simply cannot emphasise enough how much it means for your audience to know that the person occupying their time at least cares about the matter! My emotions aside, there was one particular message that stuck with me, because it placed something very essential into a simple model:
High-level content structure (BLUF)
It doesn’t take very long in a corporate job to figure out that this is how the time-pressed executives expect to have the information presented to them. It is also referred to as bottom line up front (BLUF) model. Here you would explicitly front-load the conclusions to save time on details. But in a way we are all time-pressed, or at least should be encouraged to treat our time as a scarce resource. We all deserve respect for our time. But a key difference from nicely suited executives and the rest, is that most of the audience is not provided a dedicated Outlook timeslot to be enlightened by us.
So how can a well structured article help people to keep focus and remember the content days later?
Can you solve my PROBLEM? (even if I didn’t know I had it)
The very first assessment starts with “What is this about and is it relevant for me? “ and your first task is to answer this question quickly and correctly. It is simply a good idea to make sure you yourself are clear on what is the key message you want to communicate. Once you present the problem statement, the reader would already know if they can relate to the content and find it useful to continue reading. You also know that being selective on content we are presented is imperative to surviving information overload. The main decision point is the title. As an example, think of a typical company training. Which title triggers more interest?
“Database optimization”.
or
“How to update an SAP database and when to leave it alone”
If you chose the second one, then you are on the same page with communication researchers. Here is the breakdown on the key rules which make the second title stick out more:
1. Be clear
Readers do not want to feel tricked into engaging with you. The eye-tracking analysis (Pernice, K. 2025) shows that people first visually assess (scan) information presented to them in an “F-pattern” and only then decide if it’s worthwhile reading it. Writing to get clicks is not enough – we want to grab attention from the target audience and keep it for long enough to communicate the desired message. So make your starting statement short and precise to what is coming next; and structure the rest of the article to supplement the starting statement. This way you know it will attract the attention of the people the content is meant to.
2. Put the reader first
We relate to other people through stories. As a matter of fact, we became storytellers up to 70.000 years ago, which was the fuel for our cognitive revolution. Our then newly gained ability to tell stories scaled cooperation to a level of markets, states and religion. In short, we are seeking stories which we relate to, which make us feel like we belong and allow us to improve towards the shared direction (Harari, Y. N. 2015). And if your story is involving a known character or concept (e.g. SAP) that your audience can surely relate to – you are off to a good start. But make sure that the reader can find relatable aspects still within the introduction (around first 30 seconds of reading), else you are risking to lose attention.
3. Introduce the information gap
The aim with the problem statement is to capture the attention. According to Loewenstein’s information-gap theory (Loewenstein, G. 1994) curiosity is the engine of attention. Present a clear information gap, then progressively resolve it. This tension of continuously identifying missing pieces of information has the power to keep people motivated to continue reading. Like in the example above, we get pushed towards asking “what are those ways?“, “what should I do?”, “have I been wrong before?” and similar. Keep in mind that people get most curious when a mystery feels nearly solvable.
Science suggests to open with clarity, then structure the piece to deliver exactly what the title promises while keeping a slight sense of suspense on what’s coming next. These rules give you a good start. But, of course, you need to make sure that the content is there to provide the expected value for the reader.
Do you have enough PROOF to convince me?
It’s easy to make bold statements about what someone should or shouldn’t be doing. But if you want to teach or convince someone, if you believe that what you are saying is important, then you will need to provide proof. Learning – by definition – implies changes in behaviour and/or cognition. And these changes are much more likely to stick if they find the argumentation solid.
Provide gradual closure with proof-loops
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) shows that when readers process a message through arguments and evidence (compared to vaguely supported statements), they show longer lasting impact on their long-term understanding and behaviour. The way the proof section is structured also has an impact on how much information is retained.
Just as your main title is meant to capture the attention and spark curiosity, so should each following headline. This also matches how people actually approach a page: (remember the “F-pattern?) most readers scan first, read second. Place the main arguments at the top of each chapter so readers can instantly grasp what’s at stake and be able to take the main learnings without reading the whole piece.
Ideally, there should be 3-4 statements supporting your main idea, each structured for high clarity and transparency. This is where you wrap each claim in a micro-loop with a short and clear bridge linking to the next loop. There are multiple approaches to this, but my personal favourite, due to its simplicity and the smooth flow it provides, is this:
SCENE
Set the scene by making a statement which creates a micro-gap and triggers curiosity without making the reader to wait for the point – the answer must be provided in the same section. This section is likely triggered by an anticipated question from a reader, where a well-argued answer is likely to engage further interest and provide cognitive ease. An example could be drafting a statement similar to:
15% of data is misplaced after an update.
EXPLANATION
Explain what you mean. Once the scene is set – the claim is made – it’s time to prevent assumptions and front-load the answer to the immediate question – so what? Why does it matter? This eases the mental load of the reader of having to guess your point and the direction of your argumentation. In this scenario, for example, the explanation can be:
It is because employees are not aware of the backup features and must first attend training before updating an SAP database.
EVIDENCE
Now, the bolder the claim, the sharper evidence is required. Put a clearly labeled proof element (quote, graph or a screenshot) right next to your claim. Readers should be able to see it exactly where they’re looking. According to multiple studies (Lazard & Atkinson, 2015), having visuals support the text and nudges readers into central processing— this is where people do issue-relevant thinking and are then able to elaborate on the topic. Clear captions also act as signals that highlight what matters, improving recall. And because people fixate on headings, first lines, and nearby visuals, proximity makes the evidence hard to miss. To enhance credibility, use reliable sources. To continue with your example:
BRIDGE
Once you have provided enough proof on the first claim, make sure to link it with the next one. You can use a small hook to make sure you create a new information gap, which can only be closed by reading the following paragraph.
Build trust with transparency
Reserve a short section to take a critical look at the message you are communicating. Address counterpoints and limitations. Just as when we are having an argument with a friend – acknowledging that there is something you do not know and keeping an open mind to the possibility of alternative point of view does not make your argumentation weaker. Quite the contrary. Meta-analyses show that acknowledging opposing views and providing brief answers is more persuasive than ignoring them. Being open about your uncertainty and limits tends to sustain credibility. So stating “what we don’t know” is often better.
SUMMARIZE for better recall
A well-written conclusion can be very powerful. It is the ending of your piece and will be the most recent information in the readers mind. So it can certainly be worth your while to spend some time crafting it. The conclusion can be seen as the glue that links all the presented puzzle pieces together with a clear and simple structure. Here are my key suggestions:
- Start with the main takeaway you want to communicate.
- Keep the consistency with the keywords – this creates a retrieval cue for the whole piece.
- Summarize the proof section in the same order as in your piece. That repetition turns your summary into a memory hook.
- End by encouraging action and the next steps.
A good conclusion wraps up the main point, reminds us of the key reasons, closes any loose ends, and tells the reader the one next step to take.
Conclusion
Whenever we share information (in a conversation, an article or a corporate training) – it updates our audiences brains – literally. They gain new knowledge, skills or understanding that has an impact on future behaviour. We, as content creators, have a responsibility to make sure the information we provide is structured, reliable and memorable. I have tried it all too many times by now to open an article that sparked my curiosity just to find myself minutes later with no recall on what it was about. People scan the headlines and visuals first to assess if the information is relevant; and only then move focus to the deeper content. If the content is frontloading the key point by creating an information gap just big enough to spark curiosity, the readers are expected to engage. As you just saw, there is plenty of proof available to make even the most complex information easy to understand and recall. I can only encourage you to take advantage of that!
References
Pernice, K., Whitenton, K., & Nielsen, J. (n.d.). How People Read Online: The Eyetracking Evidence (Report, 412 pp.). Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved October 29, 2025, from the Nielsen Norman Group website.
Harari, Y. N. (2015). Sapiens: A brief history of humankind. Harper. (First English ed. 2014, Harvill Secker; original Hebrew 2011.)
Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 116(1), 75–98.
Lazard, A., & Atkinson, L. (2015). Putting Environmental Infographics Center Stage: The Role of Visuals at the Elaboration Likelihood Model’s Critical Point of Persuasion. Science Communication, 37(1), 6–33.
Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 19, pp. 123–205). Academic Press.
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