Humans will do pretty much anything to save calories—even the ones in our brains. We don’t want to spend extra brain power unless it’s absolutely necessary for survival or helps us thrive. This desire to conserve calories shows up in everyday decisions, including how people engage with marketing.

Think about it: Have you ever gone to a website or looked something up, but when the material was too confusing, you shut it down or pushed it off for later? Us too.

If your content demands too many calories, your audience will tune out. Whether it's confusing language, too many steps, or a cluttered message, anything that requires extra mental effort makes it harder for people to connect and even less likely to act.

There is a solution that won’t cost you too many calories: Make your content easier to digest. Here are five ways to reduce the mental load on your audience and keep them engaged.

1. Be Clear (Not Clever!)

If your message isn’t clear right from the start, people won’t waste time trying to figure it out. Confusion, usually from when you are trying to be clever, makes your audience spend extra calories, and that’s the last thing you want.

How to do it: Always review your content and cut out unnecessary words. Clear, simple language gets your point across quickly, and it shows that you respect your audience’s time and energy.

2. Cut the Jargon

Using jargon or technical terms forces people to stop and think, which burns more calories. If your audience has to work to understand your message, they’ll likely move on to something simpler.

How to do it: Use everyday language that anyone can understand. Think of it as having a conversation with a new friend rather than giving a presentation to other experts. When people don’t have to decode your message, they’ll stick around longer. Not sure if it’s accessible? Ask a non-insider to read your content and tell you what they think it means.

3. Stick to One Message

Trying to communicate too many things at once overloads your audience. If they have to process multiple ideas, they’ll expend extra brain calories and likely miss your core message. Pick one message and stick to it, even when it’s tempting to keep adding more!

How to do it: Focus on one key takeaway per piece of content. Simplifying your message makes it easier for people to absorb and act on what you’re saying.

4. Make Buying Easy

If you want your audience to take action—whether it’s clicking a link or making a purchase—make it incredibly simple to act. The more steps they have to go through, the more calories they have to burn, which increases the chances they’ll abandon the task.

How to do it: Create clear, obvious calls to action (CTAs) and remove unnecessary steps. The easier it is to act, the more likely people will follow through. Simplify your forms too—each field is another reason to abandon ship.

Final Thoughts

In marketing, the less mental energy you ask your audience to spend, the more likely they are to engage with your message. By keeping your content simple, clear, and action-oriented, you help your audience conserve their calories—and that leads to better results.

If you are ready to simplify your message and make action easy, let’s connect.

Kristy Guthrie is the Founder and Principal Strategist of Bright Light Content where she uses her flair for strategy, and for life, to bring out the best in brands and people.

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