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Q&A Is there any benefit when writing out instructions to split it up into lots of little paragraphs, or is it better to leave it in one paragraph?

In addition to what has been said about the ability to follow steps, the same thing would apply to a bunch of individual tips that don't have to be followed in order: Make each one a separate parag...

posted 3y ago by Mark Baker‭

Answer
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Mark Baker‭ · 2020-09-13T11:13:08Z (over 3 years ago)
In addition to what has been said about the ability to follow steps, the same thing would apply to a bunch of individual tips that don't have to be followed in order: Make each one a separate paragraph. In fact, it is even more important for tips than for steps, since readers know they are supposed to do all the steps of a procedure. But they will miss tips altogether if they are buried in a single paragraph.

The reason for this is simple. People skim through a text looking either for the information they need or something that might interest them. They read the first few words of a paragraph and, unless it looks interesting or relevant, move on to the next paragraph. If the first sentence of a paragraph does not signal what is in the paragraph, it is unlikely that most reader will find that information. 

If you put a bunch of tips in one paragraph, the reader will read the first tip. If it interests them, they may read on, assuming that the rest of the paragraph expands on the first tip. But if the first tip does not interest them, the won't read the rest of the paragraph and thus will not see the rest of the tips. 

Not only should you use separate paragraphs, you should make them into a bulleted list. For reasons that are not entirely clear, people love lists. (Look at how much click bait is made up of lists!) Formatting something as a list automatically draws the reader's eye. 

Adding "Best" or "Worst" to the title similarly adds interest. Title your tips something along the lines of "Our Experts Ten Best Tips" and readers will really pay attention to it.