How to Break Up Large Blocks of Copy

 

One of the most common content questions we get asked at Ceros is how to take heavy chunks of copy and break them down into skimmable, interactive-ready pieces. Below, we share some tricks on how to isolate areas where interactivity can absorb dense copy. 

 

You’ve got a huge block of copy. Now what?

1. Make sure your copy is organized. Even adding hard line breaks to differentiate various topics can help you assess the rough structure of your content. (Bonus points if you add headers to each section.)
2. Is there any copy that isn’t crucial to this piece of content? If so, we recommend deleting it now so you have a clear idea of the words you want to use. 
3. Skim the text for:
   • Lists written out in sentence form
   • Stats
   • Key phrases that sum up the topic or takeaway
   • Sub-categories within a section.

We recommend marking these pieces of copy somehow. Highlight, bold, whatever. It’s just to help you remember where they are so you can format them using the tricks below. 

 

Let interactivity break things up (and peep these templates for inspiration!) 

• Pull quotes: Have a key takeaway that you want to stand out? A pull quote breaks up the copy and makes it really, really easy for your users to spot that info.
• Bullet points: A list written out with commas can easily be reformatted into bullet points or a numbered list. Simple, yes, but the majority of online readers skim content and will thank you for making it easier on them. 
• Headers: Yep, adding headers throughout big blocks of copy will also help users skim to find the content they want.
• Data visualization: Remember those stats we mentioned above? You can pull them out from the copy, adding visual interest and making the info pop. 
• Layering: Notice you have a bunch of smaller subsections within a large block of copy? Try layering with icons or cards to allow users to self-select where they want to learn more. 
• Carousels: Sometimes there just isn’t a clear way of breaking up text into different categories. Carousels help you layer it to absorb space and make it feel less intimidating for users. 

Reformat the copy: Have a few key takeaways you want users to remember? Change up the formatting by highlighting the copy on view (or, really, any way you want it to stand out).