How many times have you come across content so long that you decided to skip without even skimming through it? If you can relate, then you probably experienced TL;DR; which stands for “too long; didn’t read.” The seemingly ubiquitous acronym almost defines itself–the entire phrase is rarely used, with preference given to the abbreviated four-letter form.

In today’s fast-paced age of technology, people’s short attention span is making it harder and harder for advertorial messages to come through. The shorter and the catchier the message conveyed, the more probable it is that audiences will absorb it. Does this remind you of the TL;DR concept? It should! The question is,can this idea be used as a powerful marketing tool? Read along.

TL;DR Meaning

TL;DR is a slang term that was popularized on Reddit, a leading news aggregation and discussion platform. Some Redditors didn’t have the patience or time to read long posts and responses on discussion boards, so people began adding a small summary of what they’d written at the end of their posts, preceded by TL;DR. These summaries were intended to make it easier for those Redditors pressed for time to be able to participate and exchange ideas.

The impetus that drove this phenomenon on Reddit mirrors what’s happening on a multitude of platforms and websites. People no longer have the time to go through every piece of long content from start to finish. Not only that, but in an increasingly globalized world, there is a seemingly endless stream of news that is relevant to our lives. How in the world would we be able to keep up with it all without the TL;DR strategy?

Recognizing the popularity of TL;DR, Reddit capitalized on it by creating a TL;DR section where curators provide quick recaps on news you’ve probably missed. So, if you’d like to know more about certain topics without having to dig in and get lost in irrelevant results, don’t fret. The TL;DR concept is the perfect marketing tool to solve this problem.

So, how to capitalize on TL;DR?

– Keep it concise

If your audience didn’t read your content because it was too long, then obviously the lesson is to keep your content concise and to the point. However, you need to maintain clarity; so, keep it brief, yet comprehensive. Don’t eliminate essential information.

– Make it compelling

Tell a story! A great piece of content is one that’s interesting for readers. Your content should spark interest and intrigue people so that they’ll actually dedicate their time and read along.

-Make it visually appealing

Since people no longer have the time to read, try to include videos or pictures that describe the message you’re trying to convey. Not only will it save readers time, but will also capture their attention.

-Focus on navigatibility

If your content is published on the web, users should find it easy to navigate their way through. After all, what’s the point of following links from site to site and then being unable to go back to your landing page? If they get lost, they won’t go back to your homepage at all. Don’t make a maze out of what should be a straight path.

Now that you know all about TL;DR, it’s about time to start implementing it within your content. What might have seemed like mere Reddit slang might actually be a very powerful marketing tool for your brand.