Marketing’s Best-Kept Secret: People Don’t Read Your Brand's Content

shumenazali
Sep 2
2 min read

People don’t read your content, they scan it!

If you’re pouring hours into crafting the perfect blog, LinkedIn post, or social media carousel, here’s a harsh truth: most people won’t read it word-for-word. Instead, they’ll scan it.

When someone lands on your post, website, or ad, their brain is on autopilot. Reading every single word is slow and requires effort. To save energy, our brains rely on visual scanning patterns that psychologists and UX researchers have been studying for decades. Understanding these patterns is crucial if you want your content to actually get noticed.

The Two Most Common Scanning Patterns

1. The F-Pattern

The F-pattern is typical for text-heavy content like blogs, long-form articles, or LinkedIn posts. Here’s how it works:

Eyes first move horizontally across the top of the page (forming the top bar of the “F”).
Then they scan down the left side, skimming horizontal lines as they go (the middle bars of the “F”).
Most attention is given to the first few words of each line, with the right side often barely read.

If your content is structured like a dense essay or guide, the F-pattern is what you need to design for.

2. The Z-Pattern

The Z-pattern is ideal for layouts with bold visuals, minimal text, or landing pages.

Eyes dart from top-left to top-right, then diagonally down, and finally across the bottom.
It forms a rough “Z” shape - perfect for guiding attention from a headline, to an image or call-to-action, and finally to the next key element.

Landing pages, ads, carousels, and promotional graphics often perform best with this pattern.

Why Scanning Happens

Understanding why people scan will help you design better content:

Brains conserve energy - Reading every word is mentally taxing. Scanning allows the brain to extract key information quickly.
Gestalt principles of perception - Humans naturally look for patterns, hierarchy, and visual anchors. This is why headlines, bold text, and strong visuals grab attention first.
Cognitive load theory - The busier a page looks, the quicker people skim and skip. Too much clutter overwhelms the brain, making scanning the default.

Designing Your Brand for Scanners

Knowing that people scan, not read, means your content strategy should adapt:

Make your headlines unmissable - eyes land here first.
Use contrast and hierarchy - bold fonts, color, and spacing make your key messages pop.
Break up text with visuals and white space - this guides the eye and reduces cognitive load.
Design for the scan, not the read - most people won’t read every word, so make the important info easy to spot.

By respecting these natural scanning behaviours, your audience is far more likely to actually absorb your message.

Final Thought

Next time you design a post, website, or ad, remember: you’re not designing for readers, you’re designing for scanners. If your content catches the eye and guides it strategically, your message will get through.