Rule #1 (supposedly) for writing a blog is to include links: lots, the more the merrier.  I’d never really questioned this; hyperlinks are a part of Web reading, so it makes sense to use them when you’re writing for the Web.  Furthermore, search engines reward being linked to (although less now than ten years ago), so links are a polite acknowledgement of ideas that inspire you (not to mention a subtle ask for reciprocal links).

But I’ve had an epiphany over the last two weeks, brought on by one of the few remaining sources of Web deprivation: travel, in particular, airplane travel.  (Yes, some carriers offer in-flight broadband, but not my last few flights.)  This prompted me to do something that has become almost nostalgic: break open a book.  In this case, it was Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows, which, as far as I’m concerned, is a must-read for any communicator.

Carr explains how the skim-and-dive, staccato reading facilitated by the internet is actually “rewiring” our brains, reducing their ability to read deeply, to contemplate, and to think creatively.  Among many other things, he cites a series of studies—starting in 1989 and continuing through 2005—showing that text containing hyperlinks is actually less well remembered than plain text.  Since I’m hoping you’ll be in some way influenced or moved by what I’m writing, I include no hypertext to distract you.

This doesn’t mean I advise communicators to eschew hypertext on their corporate Web sites, blogs, or social media posts.  But knowing that insight and learning require more concentrated attention than hypertext typically allows, I’m not going to use it willy-nilly.

That said, the skim-and-dive, staccato reading that hypertext encourages is a fact of life in 2010, with consequences both good and bad for communicators.  Whether you lament it or not, you owe it to your company (not to mention to your career) to alter your communications strategy in light of these new information consumption patterns.

CEC Members: join us at an upcoming executive retreat to learn how you can respond to these trends and win broader support from stakeholders. (OK, I suppose I cheated by including a link.)  I look forward to seeing you there!